10/25/06 NRCS encourages soil testing

Two dozen Idaho aquifers that are nitrate impaired and over two thousand miles of streams impacted by nitrogen and phosphorus. EPA is the watchdog for surface water but the ground water in some cases is out of sight, out of mind. For that reason alone says Doctor Dick Johnson of the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Boise urban homeowners and their country neighbors should apply less fertilizer and pesticides to their lawns, fields and pastures. JOHNSON "If a grower is producing a crop and he leaves lets say 20 parts per million of nitrogen in the top two foot that equilibrates into it could be 80, it could be 160 pounds of nitrogen and if you look at the investment dollar in the nitrogen at a dollar a pound that's profit." Johnson says at a time when fertilizer costs are skyrocketing producers can cut costs by having a nutrient management plan that includes a soil test. JOHNSON "You know it's up to him to follow that plan." Producers are encouraged to take their soil sample to a laboratory participating in the North American Proficiency Testing or NAPT. For more information or to find the nearest approved soils lab, landowners can visit the NAPT website or contact their local NRCS Service Center. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott