Soil Testing Lab Comparison

Updated: March 25, 2021

By Emileigh Lucas

Click to download a printable PDF of the information below (8/2020 update)

General Information

ASSUME PAYMENT MUST BE INCLUDED WITH SAMPLES.
Organic matter (OM) is an important soil property to track, but it is not offered in some basic packages. Producers are advised to request OM even if they choose a lab that charges an additional fee for the information.
Soil texture analysis is not offered by many labs in their basic packages. If labs do offer the analysis for a separate fee, it is often very expensive. Soil texture of the dominant map unit in a field can be obtained from Web Soil Survey.
Soil sampling depth should be 8 inches.
There is no need to request recommendations from the soil test labs.
Most labs have order forms and price lists on their website.
A new soil characteristic called the Degree of Phosphorus Saturation or DPS will be required on fields where phosphorus-bearing nutrient sources are intended and soil test phosphorus is equal to, or greater than, 150 FIV. Some labs already provide DPS as part of their basic packages while others do not. Consult the right column of the table below for information on acquiring DPS or the necessary information for calculating it.

Comparison of Soil Test Labs (8/1/20 update)

Lab

Cost

Analyses

Comments

Degree P Saturation (DPS) or Al

and Fe reported?

Waypoint Analytical Virginia, Inc.

7621 Whitepine Road

Richmond, VA 23237

Phone: 804-743-9401

www.waypointanalytical.com

$10.00 (Mehlich-3)

$1.50 for Al and $1.25 for Fe

S1M Package

OM, P, K, Ca, Mg, pH, buffer pH, CEC, % base saturation of cations

Al & Fe - required for high P soils to determine DPS for UM-PMT

Several micronutrient combinations are also available. Contact Waypoint for more information.

Al and Fe can be requested for an additional $2.75 per soil sample.

NuMan Pro 4.2 (and later) can calculate DPS when soil test includes Mehlich-3 Fe & Al.

Waypoint Analytical Pennsylvania, Inc.

280 Newport Road

Leola, PA 17540

Phone: 717-656-9326 or

1-800-464-6019

www.waypointanalytical.com

$10.00 (Mehlich-3)

$12.50 (Mehlich-3)

$1.00

S1M Package

P, K, Ca, Mg, pH, buffer pH, CEC, % base saturation of cations

S2M Package

P, K, Ca, Mg, pH, buffer pH, CEC, % base saturation of cations, plus 2 trace minerals (select Fe & Al – required for high P soils to determine DPS for UM-PMT)

Several micronutrient combinations are also available. Contact Waypoint for more information.

OM is not included in standard test package. If desired, OM must be requested for an additional $1.00/sample.

Al and Fe may be selected as the ‘two

trace minerals’ that may be added in the S2M analysis.

NuMan Pro 4.2 (and later) can calculate DPS when soil test includes Mehlich-3 Fe & Al.

AgroLab, Inc. 101 Clukey Dr.

Harrington, DE 19952

Phone: 302-566-6094

www.agrolab.us

$10.00

Volume discounts available

BSF

pH, buffer pH, OM, P, K, Ca, Mg, CEC, percent base saturation of cations, Phosphorus Saturation Ratio

See website for more analyses.

Yes. Phosphorus Saturation Ratio is the same as DPS and is part of their standard soil test.

Brookside Laboratories, Inc.

200 White Mountain Drive New Bremen, OH 45869 Phone: 419-977-2766

www.blinc.com

Price determined by consultant

SOO1

pH, OM, Mehlich-3 P, Mn, Zn, B, Cu, Fe, Al, CEC, percent base saturation of cations, S, Bray II P

Brookside does not provide recs. Consultants develop the recs. Brookside prefers to receive samples from their consultants only.

Al and Fe are routinely reported for option SOO1.

Always enter Mehlich-3 P in NuMan Pro.

NuMan Pro 4.2 (and later) can calculate DPS from this information.

Pennsylvania Agricultural Analytical Services Lab

Penn State University

111 Ag Analytical Svcs Lab

University Park, PA 16802 Phone: 814-863-0841

http://agsci.psu.edu/aasl

$9.00

$5.00

$6.00

Standard Soil Test

pH, Mehlich lime requirement, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, S

Al & Fe - required for high P soils to determine DPS for UM-PMT

See website for more analyses.

Al and Fe can be requested for an additional $6 per sample.

NuMan Pro 4.2 (and later) can calculate DPS when soil test includes Mehlich-3 Fe & Al.

Spectrum Analytic, Inc.

PO Box 639

1087 Jamison Road NW Washington Court House, OH 43160

Phone: 800-321-1562

www.spectrumanalytic.com

$8.00

$2.75 for Fe

Al is free if requested

pH, buffer pH, OM, P, K, Ca, Mg, CEC, percent base saturation of cations

Al & Fe - required for high P soils to determine DPS for UM-PMT

See website for more analyses, including additional micronutrients.

Aluminum will be reported for free if requested. Iron (Fe) can be tested in addition to S1 for an additional $2.75.

NuMan Pro 4.2 (and later) can calculate DPS when soil test includes Mehlich-3 Fe & Al.

University of Delaware Soil Testing Program

152 Townsend Hall

531 S. College Avenue

Newark, DE 19717-1303

Phone: 302-831-1392

www.ag.udel.edu/dstp

$14.00

B1-Commercial Agriculture Soil pH, lime requirement, OM, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, Cu, Fe, S, B, Al,

Phosphorus Saturation Ratio.

Phosphorus saturation ratio is the same as DPS and is included in B1 Routine Analysis

Waters Agricultural Laboratories, Inc.

2101 Calhoun Rd

Highway 81

Owensboro, KY 42301

Phone: 270-685-4039

www.watersag.com

$7.50 (Mehlich-3)

No extra charge

$0.50

Routine Test 1 (R1)

pH, buffer pH, P, K, Ca, Mg, CEC, percent base saturation of cations, PLUS ANY TWO OF: B, Zn, Mn, Fe, or Cu.

Al and Fe are required for high P soils to determine DPS for UM-PMT

MD samples can now be sent to Kentucky, Georgia or N. Carolina locations, as all now run Mehlich-3.

Georgia Address:

P.O. Box 382 Camilla, GA 31730

North Carolina Address:

364 W. Park Drive

Warsaw, NC 28398

Fe and Al must be requested for high P soils.

For the GA location, specify M3 on the soil submission form.

OM is not standard on the R1 soil test package. To include OM, check the appropriate box (or specify) on the soil submission form and it will be included at no extra charge.