Soil analysis is critically important in the management of soil-based production systems. In the absence of efficient methods of soil analysis our understanding of soil is pure guesswork. Ideally the pro-active use of laboratory analysis leads to more sustainable soil productivity. Unfortunately, most of the world’s agriculture is still reactionary, waiting for obvious yield declines to occur before taking action to identify the reasons. The modern soil laboratory is pivotal to informing soil managers what adaptive practices are needed to address chemical and physical imbalances before they occur, and the intelligent adaptive use of laboratory data not only greatly speeds up and reduces the cost of empirical soil study, but can even render it unnecessary.

This book provides a synopsis of the analytical procedures used for soil analysis, discussing the common physical, chemical and biological analytical methods used in agriculture and horticulture. Written by experienced experts from institutions and laboratories around the globe, it provides insights for a range of users, including those with limited laboratory facilities, and helps students, teachers, soil scientists and laboratory technicians increase their knowledge and skills and select appropriate methods for soil analysis.