All Paddock Testing
Use All Paddock Testing (APT) to optimise your fertiliser costs
About All Paddock Testing | Savings | How it works | The service offered |Contact us today
All Paddock Testing (APT) is a service provided exclusively through Hill Laboratories.
A farmer using All Paddock Testing gets soil in all paddocks tested, instead of the standard practice of testing only a few. As a result with the more comprehensive All Paddock Testing report you can optimise your fertiliser application by paddock (often for decreased cost).
All Paddock Testing produces a complete picture of nutrient levels by paddock
The picture below shows an example of different nutrient levels across a typical farm on a per paddock basis. (Map of Northland farming example after testing).
Green Colours - Paddocks have nutrients at the lower end; would benefit from increased nutrient application targeting improved productivity
Yellow Colours - Areas demonstrating a healthy nutrient status requiring a maintenance-only application
Red Colours - Nutrient levels are excessively high. Significant cost savings would result from more strategic fertiliser application.
Benefits of All Paddock Testing
- Fertiliser application optimisation (often for decreased cost)*
- Improved soil nutrition in key areas
- Reduced farm impact on the environment
*Savings in fertiliser will vary farm by farm
Farmer Feedback on All Paddock Testing
Real example of savings
During the process of setting up the service a trial was conducted on a Northland farm and the outcomes were independently analysed by Agresearch using Overseer. The analysis demonstrated an overall saving of $18,000 for that farm with strategically variable application of fertiliser generating the main saving. This saving incorporated the soil testing and sampling costs.
How All Paddock Testing is different
Most farmers only choose to test a few paddocks on their farm and assume these to be sufficiently representative of the farm as a whole.
The below picture shows the nutrient levels in the limited number of paddocks tested:
Decisions are then made about fertiliser application based on the assumption that those few paddocks tested represent the nutrient status for the entire management unit (see map below).
Picture shows how an assumed level of nutrients is applied across management units:
Weaknesses of this current approach
- Wasted dollars on inexact use of fertiliser
- Insufficient fertiliser or wrong mix of fertiliser applied to areas of the farm, reducing productivity
- Environmental risks (leaching and run off) enhanced
With All Paddock Testing all of the paddocks are cost effectively tested on your farm.
By testing all of the paddocks on your farm you get the complete picture of the nutrient status for each paddock allowing you to make smarter, more cost effective fertiliser decisions.
Key:
- Green Colours - Green paddocks have nutrients at the lower end; would benefit from increased nutrient application targeting improved productivity
- Yellow Colours - Areas demonstrating a healthy nutrient status requiring a maintenance-only application
- Red Colours - Nutrient levels are excessively high. Significant cost savings would result from more strategic fertiliser application.
The service offer includes
- A pre-service information pack sent out in preparation for All Paddock Testing
- An independent sampling service to take samples on your farm can be made available for a fee
- Laboratory testing conducted by Hill Laboratories - New Zealand's leading, independent laboratory
- A comprehensive All Paddock Testing lab report is sent out identifying the nutrient levels on a paddock-by-paddock basis. The information is displayed using colour coded farm maps (nutrient density gradients) and a full set of standard Hill Laboratories reports
- Free access to a password protected web service providing an interactive view of the paddock by paddock nutrient maps*
*access permission defined by the farmer - historical data can also be added
Contact Us Today
Contact us today on 07 858 2000 (North Island) or 03 377 7176 (South Island) or click below for the contact details of:
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