By: Nancy Van Sas, Regional Communication Coordinator for Golden Horseshoe

New tools are becoming available every day.  Here are just a few of the latest:

AgriSuite

Over the last couple of years, the Ontario Government has shifted away from their nutrient management (NMAN) program that was designed exclusively for consultants and/or producers who were trained extensively on how to use it, to a more user-friendly series of tools that assist in making informed decisions on the farm by the producer.  To access the AgriSuite tools, visit  https://agrisuite.omafra.gov.on.ca/

Soil Health Assessment and Planning (SHAP)

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Soil Team launched the Soil Health Assessment and Planning (SHAP) tool this September that provides a framework for determining your soil health in relation to other similar farms across Ontario.  This web- and mobile-based system is designed to indicate soil health based on your changing practices, including implementing best management practices (BMP) along with the resulting soil sample indications. 

For the complete SHAP guide, visit https://fieldcropnews.com/2023/04/soil-health-assessment-and-plan-guidebook/#ib-toc-anchor-2.  For easy access to the mobile- and web-based app, visit https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/64fce96df22f4cdcacb78902963c1355?open=menu

Soil Structure Assessment Module

Soil Surface Quality Assessment

An additional tool under the Soil Structure Assessment Module of SHAP is the Soil Surface Quality Assessment, a visual test of your soil surface to determine the nature of its porosity for water and gas exchange.  The presence or absence of residue cover, for example, is one of many visual clues to determining that porosity.  For the Soil Surface Quality Assessment Field Guide, visit https://fieldcropnews.com/2023/03/soil-surface-quality-assessment/

Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS)

In approximately 15 minutes, you can conduct a visual evaluation of your soil structure by using a 5-point rating system based on how your soil crumbles, the size of those crumbles, the presence of cracks (roots) and other distinguishing features.  OMAFRA’s Soil expert Sebastian Belliard provides step-by-step procedures on how to do this relatively easy assessment.  Visit https://fieldcropnews.com/2022/08/visual-evaluation-of-soil-structure/

Soil Sampling ~ Your Baseline Measure

Soil sampling is the basis for many of our decisions on the farm, not just the amount of nutrients we should be applying during the growing season. All soils cannot be treated the same as they react different. 

What Are My Soil Types

Many of us are able to identify our soils as either clay, loam, or sand, but do not know what kind of clay, loam, or sand you may have.  Soil surveys have been conducted throughout Ontario over the past century.  To learn more about your soil type, visit https://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/publications/surveys/on/index.html for the current Soil Survey Maps of Ontario.

OMAFRA has embarked on updating Ontario’s Soil Survey Maps. Please consider assisting the Soil Team by granting permission to test your soils in order to update the maps.  Visit https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/754ba9b8fa7d4dfaab130f0204312264 or use the QR code to complete the brief survey to grant permission.  

Opportunities for Soil Sampling

Greenbelt Foundation Soil Sampling Project

The Greenbelt Foundation will be entering its second year in their soil sampling survey throughout the Greenbelt to collect and document soil health.  Below is a map of their target area for 2024.  The results of your soil samples will be provided to you, along with a comparison to like soil types within your regions to begin providing you information on how your soil health compares.  If you wish to find out more information and participate, please see https://www.greenbelt.ca/greenbelt_soil_health

Soils at Guelph Soil Sampling Project

As part of the SHAP Ground Truth Project, Soils at Guelph is offering opportunities to have your soils sampled as they assist OMAFRA in populating the SHAP database on the range of soil health throughout Ontario.  Soils at Guelph provides a step-by-step instruction guide on how to participate in their project.  For more details and to view the guide, please visit https://soilsatguelph.ca/soil-health-testing/.

There are currently a few opportunities to have soil samples done on your farms at no cost to you, other than your time.