The wording in the source

Timing

• Results of soil and manure tests and an analysis of any off-farm nutrients planned for growing crops. These tests must be updated at least every 5 years;

  Maine DACF Nutrient Management Plans brochure (guidance, not the statute), What are some components of an NMP?

• Each field should be soil tested at least once every 5 years to determine P, K, Mg, Ca and pH levels.

  Maine DACF Manure Utilization Guidelines (guidance, not the statute), item b, Soil test each field

Who it applies to

• Results of soil tests for land designated in the plan for manure spreading or manure irrigation;

  7 M.R.S. section 4204(1-A)(E)

• A farm that confines and feeds 50 or more animal units at any one time;

  7 M.R.S. section 4204(2)(A)

• A farm that stores or utilizes more than 100 tons of manure per year not generated on that farm;

  7 M.R.S. section 4204(2)(B)

• A farm that is the subject of a verified complaint of improper manure handling; or

  7 M.R.S. section 4204(2)(C)

• A farm that stores or utilizes regulated residuals.

  7 M.R.S. section 4204(2)(D)

The wording in the source

Timing

• Test your soil at least once every three years.

  Bulletin 2286, How often should I test the soil?

• You may want to test more often if you have a problem area or if you’ve applied lots of nutrients.

  Bulletin 2286

• you should test soil well before the growing season, such as in early spring after the frost is out of the soil, or in the fall before the ground freezes.

  Bulletin 2286, What time of year should I test my soil?

Area per sample

• In areas where past treatments and soil types are uniform, limit the sampling area to 8 acres in size.

  Form, Instructions, 3 Areas of Sampling

• Low spots, trouble spots, and areas with obvious differences in soil type should be treated as separate sampling areas. Also, areas that have been treated differently in the past should be sampled separately.

  Form, Instructions, 3 Areas of Sampling

Method

• Make a permanent field sampling map for your reference when test results are returned.

  Form, Instructions, 3 Areas of Sampling

• Low spots, trouble spots, and areas with obvious differences in soil type should be treated as separate sampling areas.

  Form, Instructions, 3 Areas of Sampling

Depth

• Areas in sod, such as lawns or hayfields, should be sampled to a 3-or 4-inch depth. Areas under tree crops should be sampled to a 12-inch depth.

  Form, Instructions, Depth

• Areas to be planted to row crops or seeded down should be sampled to plow depth (or about 8 inches.)

  Form, Instructions, Depth

Cores

• Take soil from approximately l5 different spots in the sample area.

  Form, Instructions, Take Representative Sample (the PDF prints "l5" with a lower-case L)

Field identifiers

• The container from each sample area should be identified on the side with the identification of the sample area and your last name.

  Form, Instructions, 7 Label the Containers

• Be sure identifying names agree with your map of sample areas, so when test results are returned there will be no question of where the samples were taken.

  Form, Instructions, 7 Label the Containers