TPSL Plant Natural® Soil Test + Solvita Kit
Includes Easy Return Mailer Box, forms and sample bag for shipping your soil sample to the lab.
Great for problem areas or to diagnose poor performance in soil and plants.
CO2 Method – Standard Lab Protocol
475 mL jars and 30 cc scoop
Solvita CO2-Burst provides the means for commercial laboratories to easily and efficiently measure CO2 respiration from dried, sieved soil once rewetted. The procedure includes a specified wetting method to adjust soils close to 50% of available pore-space with water, avoiding the artifact of over-wetting. The updated (2019) protocol contains vetted protocols to assure CO2 is within a normal 0 – 3% range for which Solvita has validated, linear response. Measuring soil CO2 respiration has never been easier than with Solvita, and the accuracy of Solvita when used according to procedure rivals all competing methods.
What is it?
The test indicates a biological response to an event. It requires dried samples of soil that are moistened with sufficient water to trigger a rapid release of carbon dioxide as a result of the disturbance effect. The modest to strong flush of carbon dioxide is due to microbes rapidly assimilating freshly moistened soil organic matter. This “burst” of activity is believed to result from accumulated osmolytes plus the interaction effect of disturbance due to processing soil. The quantity of CO2 release is used to infer the soil’s maximal biological activity which is believed related to “soil health” even though it may also represent a severe, temporary degradation function, comparable to severe-field tillage at the farm scale. The latter effect is particularly the case if soils are processed by high-speed hammermills as is common in nutrient laboratories. Woods End Labs is unique in exploring additional techniques to distinguish the “damage” part of the response (caused by the processing severity) from the “soil health” part, the natural response of bacteria to life-supporting water. If successful, a new test will emerge that segments the damaging influence of excessive soil tillage.
Soil Composition
Organic Matter, Texture, pH, CO3, Electrical Conductivity
Soil Nutrients
| Nitrates (NO3) | Phosphorus (P) | Potassium (K) |
Iron (Fe) | Calcium (Ca) | Sodium (Na) | Magnesium (Mg) |
| Boron (B) | Na/Ca Ratios | Na/Mg Ratios | Copper(Cu) | Manganese (Mn) | Zinc (Zn) |
Soil Biological Activity
Solvita ®
* *The SOLVITA test measures total soil biological activity (Soil Life). Previously, growers have had little guidance as to the actual progress of soil-building and tilth restoration efforts. Biological activity is essential for converting Organic Matter into Nitrogen (Carbon mineralization – Humus).
Solvita – providing indicators of soil biological processes.
Soil biological forces interact with soil weathering to form a cornerstone of productivity and stable yields – and Solvita® soil tests capture key biological, chemical and physical traits indicating healthy functioning.
A common feature of the soil-plant system is soil-dwelling organisms – bacteria, fungi, animals – expressing their activity and mass by metabolism – the consumption of litter and detritus and release of respired carbon as CO2. This is nature’s natural cycle. It is widely recognized that overall soil respiration is indicative of total soil biology and can be used effectively to monitor and evaluate changes in soil management practices. In addition, respiring organisms and plant roots contribute to broader soil properties. Solvita tests provide a capability for researchers to fairly easily and cost-effectively monitor these traits.
Why is CO2 respiration important?
Soil CO2 respiration has been known to be an indicator of soil quality since as early as the 1920’s. Research in Europe after the 50’s helped standardize lab analytical procedures even before the practical application was understood. By the 1970’s soil respiration tests were seen as useful indices to compare results of different soil management strategies. Unfortunately, it was not until more recently – with the widespread use of Solvita worldwise- that CO2 respiration was more broadly recognized to be a crucial trait linking microbial activity to healthy soil,- a complete cycle based on overall soil biota. No other test can claim this universality. In the not-too-distant future soil respiration results will provide a useful key to leveraging natural fertility to save significantly on nitrogen fertilizer dollars and help bolster farming’s environmental commitment.
Minimum Sample required: 4 Cups
Turnaround Time: 5-7 Business Days
Your easy to read report will be emailed to you in 5 to 7 business days, after receipt, and will include soil amendment recommendations for your specific crop.
Frequently Asked Questions
