A soil test provides an indication of soil nutrients that are potentially available to the crop at the time of testing, which is generally conducted before sowing. Soil test depth is usually to 10cm, additional depths can also be sampled to represent the potential rooting zone and nitrogen distribution , although actual crop access to nutrients depends on seasonal conditions, crop type and subsoil constraints.
Soil samples are often segmented to show nutrient distribution through the soil profile:
- Topsoil: 0-10cm
- 10-40cm
- 40-70cm
- 70-100cm
