Pyramid_Specs_Soil Samples.docx

Soil Sampling at Pyramid State Park

Soil sampling is an important component of properly ensuring that the soil health of agricultural systems is not depleted. In order to accomplish this, samples need to be taken at least every 5 acres. Samples will be taken in accordance with University of Illinois Agronomy Handbook standards (http://extension.cropsciences.illinois.edu/handbook/pdfs/chapter08.pdf).

The samples will be taken include the soil profile from 0-7 inches. No depths greater than 7 in is acceptable. Multiple profiles will be taken in each sampling location, mixed together, and put into a sampling bag that is labelled with Field number and sampling point.

Samples will be sent off to the lab for analysis. The main levels that must be reported include soil pH, amount of Phosphorus (P), and amount of Potassium (K). Please see attached Minimum Nutrient Level below on this sheet.

Soil sampling location points have been predetermined. Hard maps or a GIS shapefile will be given to the winning bidder when the project starts.

Vendor is responsible for taking all samples, having them analyzed, and sending to the IDNR via email to Bob.Caveny@Illinois.Gov.

Location:

Pyramid State Park 1562 Pyramid Park Road, Pickneyville, Il 618-357-2574

Total Samples to be taken:

IDNR Ag Lease - Min Soil Test Levels for Ag Fields

Soil pH Maintenance Levels – 6.2 goal, 6.0 – 6.5 acceptable

Phosphorus (P) Maintenance Levels

Potassium (K) Maintenance Levels

· Adjustments needed based on location and timing of sampling. See Attachments.

Phosphorus (P) Maintenance Levels Illinois Agronomy Handbook (Ch 8, 100) Minimum soil test levels required to produce optimal crop yields vary depending on the crop to be grown and the soil’s P-supplying power. Near maximal yields of corn and soybeans are obtained when levels of available P are maintained at 30, 40, and 45 pounds per acre for soils in the high, medium, and low P-supplying regions, respectively. Since these are minimal values, to ensure soil P availability will not restrict crop yield it is recommended that soil test results be built up to 40, 45, and 50 pounds per acre for soils in the high, medium, and low P-supplying regions, respectively. This is a practical approach because P is not easily lost from the soil, other than through crop removal or soil erosion. To compensate for the higher P requirements of wheat and oats, it is suggested that 1.5 times the amount of expected P removal be applied prior to seeding these crops.

When soil test levels are between the minimum and 20 pounds above the minimum (40 to 60, 45 to 65, and 50 to 70 for the high, medium, and low P-supplying regions, respectively), apply enough to replace expected removal by the crop. When soil test levels are below the desired values (40, 45, and 50 for the high, medium, and low P-supplying regions, respectively), it is suggested that enough fertilizer be added to build the test to the desired goal and to replace what the crop will remove (as described in the previous paragraph). At this test level, the yield of the crop will be affected by the amount of P applied that year.

On average, Illinois soils require 9 pounds of P2 O5 per acre to increase the P1 soil test by 1 pound. The recommended rate of buildup for P is thus nine times the difference between the soil test goal and the actual soil test value. For a typical 4-year buildup program, divide the rate by 4 to determine the annual rate. Because the 9-pound rate is an average for Illinois soils, some soils will fail to reach the desired goal in 4 years with P2 O5 applied at this rate, and others will exceed the goal.

Potassium (K) Maintenance Levels Illinois Agronomy Handbook (Ch 8, 103) Soils with a CEC less than 12 milliequivalents per 100 grams are classified as having low capacity, while soils with values equal to or greater than 12 milliequivalents per 100 grams are considered to have high capacity. Tests on soil samples that are taken before May 1 or after September 30 should be adjusted downward as follows: subtract 30 for the dark-colored soils in central and northern Illinois; subtract 45 for the light-colored soils in central and northern Illinois and for fine-textured bottomland soils; subtract 60 for the medium- and light-colored soils in southern Illinois.

Minimum soil test levels required to produce optimal crop yields vary depending on the crop to be grown and the soil’s CEC. As with P, the only significant loss of soil-applied K is through crop removal or soil erosion, so to ensure that K availability will not limit crop yields it is recommended that soil test levels be slightly higher than that required for maximum yield. For corn and soybean, it is recommended to have 260 and 300 pounds of exchangeable K per acre for soils in the low and high CEC regions, respectively.

No K additions are suggested if test levels are above 360 and 400 for the low and high CEC regions, unless crops that remove large amounts of K (such as alfalfa or corn silage) are being grown. When soil test levels are between the minimum and 100 pounds above the minimum (260 to 360 and 300 to 400 for the low and high capacity, respectively), apply enough to replace what the crop to be grown is expected to remove using values from Table 8.6. When soil test levels are below the desired values (260 and 300 for the low and high capacity, respectively), it is suggested that enough fertilizer be added to build the test to the desired goal and to replace what the crop will remove (as described in the previous paragraph). On average most Illinois soils require 4 pounds of K2 O per acre to increase the K exchangeable soil test by 1 pound. The recommended rate of buildup for K is thus 4 times the difference between the soil test goal and the actual soil test value. For a typical 4-year buildup program, divide the rate by 4 to determine the annual rate.

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Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community

0 0.1 0.20.05 Miles

Ag Fields IDNR Sites

%, Soil Sampling Points

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1960-7

1977-6

1960-6

1977-2

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1964-1

1977-5

8446-1

0 0.2 0.40.1 Miles

Pyramid - E Conant Unit - AL 2232

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1951-1

1939-4

8875-5A

2235-4 8875-2

8875-6

8875-1

1962-5

1940-4

9478-19

8276-2

2237-58875-4

2235-2

1954-1

1971-6 1951-2

1946-2

1940-1 1946-5

8875-3

1946-4 1967-1

2237-6

8276-4

2211-4

2238-6

1962-3

8874-2

2211-5

1936-1 1940-2

2237-7

8875-7B

2244-12244-3

8875-7A

2214-1

8327-1

8875-5B

2237-9

7757-1

2238-4

2237-10

1962-2

8874-4 8874-3

1936-2

1925-1

8874-1 2238-22237-2

0 0.7 1.40.35 Miles

Pyramid - Gallum Unit - AL 2333 image5.emf

1951-1

2235-4

2237-5

1971-6

8209-5

1946-51946-4

1960-7

1960-6

2235-2

1951-2

8875-4

1946-2

1967-1

2244-1

8938-1

2244-3

2243-1

2245-2

2237-12

7874-1

2237-9

2237-10

1962-2

2245-3

7874-4

2237-14

8276-2

8874-1

8875-2

2238-2

7874-3

2237-2

2243-3

2237-1

2245-1

7874-2

2238-5

2243-2

1962-5

0 0.5 10.25 Miles

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8875-4 2237-5

8209-5

2244-1 2244-3

2237-9 2237-10

2238-2

2237-12

2237-14

8874-1

2237-22237-1

2238-5

0 0.25 0.50.125 Miles

Pyramid - E Conant Unit - AL 2235 image7.emf

8213-20

2658-9B

9141-27A

2658-9C

8213-21A

2199-2 9141-2B9141-1A

7887-6

9478-19

9141-8

9141-1B

8213-1

9141-4

8202-13

8213-10

8213-8A

8213-18

2658-6

8213-6B

8213-11

2211-4

8213-21B

8213-20A

9142-12B

7888-2

8213-14

2658-9A

9142-18

7888-4

7887-4

8213-12

2211-5

8213-5

8213-13A

8213-7

8213-15

9142-10A

9142-31

8213-4

9142-30

9142-32B

8213-122C 8213-17

2437-38213-122A

9142-13

8213-3B

8327-1

7888-3

9142-15

9142-11

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7888-1

7757-1

2658-1

9142-17

1925-1

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0 1 20.5 Miles

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