REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

 SOIL TESTING AND

 ADVISORY SERVICES

Soil Testing and Advisory Services Provided

To Farmers in Trinidad and Tobago

 

The following Soil tests are offered to farmers by the

Soil and Land Capability Unit of Research Division:-

 
    1. Routine Analyses

      2. Soil Acidity (pH), Lime Requirement,

      Available Calcium, Available Magnesium,

      Available Phosphate, Total Nitrogen,

      Organic Matter.

       

    2. Special Analyses

Conductivity, Salinity, Cation Exchange

Capacity, Micro nutrients, Mechanical

Analyses, Soil Physical Measurements.

 

 
  1. PLANT ANALYSIS SERVICE

 

Plant tissue analyses are undertaken in the Department of

Analytical Chemistry. Analyses are done on a wide range

Of crops including Ornamentals, Fruit crops, Cereal crops

And Vegetable crops. Determinations are made for:-

 
      1. Nitrogen
      2. Phosphorous
      3. Potassium
      4. Magnesium
      5. Calcium

 

 

 

  1. OTHER ANALYTICAL SERVICES

 

Analyses are also done on: -

 
    1. Irrigation water;
    2. Growing media;
    3. Fertiliser and Lime requirements;
    4. Nutrient solutions.

 

 

  1. HOW TO OBTAIN A SOIL TEST OR PLANT ANALYSIS

 

Farmer makes request to: -

    1. Country Extension Offices (preferably) or;

      2.  

    2. Directly to:

Soil and Land Capability Unit

Central Experiment Station (CES)

Caroni North Bank Road

Centeno

Telephone No. 646-4334/6

 

NOTE: For soil analyses, Soil Technicians will visit and take soil samples.

 

For plant, media and water analyses, farmers are expected to take

Representative samples and bring them in to the Crop Research

Sub-Division, Centeno. Farmers should contact the Technical

Officer at CES, for information on the proper procedure for

sampling, before taking the sample.

 

 

 
  1. ADVISORY SERVICES

 

On the completion of the analyses, reports and recommendations are submitted to the farmer directly, or via the Extension Office if the request originated there.

 

Farmers are advised on: -

 

a) i.) Project feasibility
      1. Crop Selection.

 

These would be based on soil and land capability maps, and reports on field inspections.

 

 

 
    1. Fertiliser and lime recommendations for improved crop productivity.
    2. Soil fertility management (soil conservation and sustainability).

 

The soil testing and advisory services are offered to the farmer at NO COST.

 

 

Prepared by the Soil and Land Capability Unit (CES)

Printed by the Extension, Training and Information Services Division

Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources

March 1997

TOP