Solvita Blog
Solvita Performance: Promising Progress with Commercial Soil Labs
Solvita is used by many commercial soil labs and several labs are now being tracked by independent test proficiency programs. Results so far are promising: a comparison of Woods End's control results and those reported by other labs shows a high degree of correlation...
Solvita SLAN Test Shows Secrets of the Soil
A new soil test from Solvita called SLAN reveals a hidden pool of organic nitrogen that is “just beneath the surface, and seems indicative of soil improvement”, says developer Will Brinton. The SLAN test like the Solvita CO2-test takes only minutes to set up and is...
Careless soil testing, excessive fertilization, paving way for regulations on nutrients
The practice of fertilizing soils based on hoped-for crop yields while ignoring nutrients already present in the soil or about to be released by biological processes may be directly contributing to a potentially explosive situation of algal blooms on the Great Lakes -...
From “Tillage Alcoholism” to Soil Health – Workshop Draws Hundreds
Soil Health is a new paradigm in no-till farming, and very evidently a fast-growing grassroots movement that "threatens" to unite all farmers. Attendees at a farm workshop in Carrol, Ohio said they wished the movement will be recognized not only by no-tillers but...
Compost Maturing: Solvita gives same information as Infrared Equipment
A recent research project conducted at Woods End shows that the simple-to-perform Solvita test for compost gives essentially identical information about compost aging as does more expensive IR (infrared) analysis. The funded research project compares two types of...
New Solvita Model 700 DCR improves soil CO2-respiration monitoring
Woods End announced the release of its new Model 700 Solvita DCR which incorporates upgrades for new soil test capabilities and improved performance with electronic integration. The upgrade is being timed with NAPT's 2013 acceptance of the Solvita CO2-burst test as...
Horse farms are scenic, but not reusing their own manure (chemical residues).
An informal study conducted by Woods End during the past 3 years examining quality of Maine manures used for compost, may have mushroomed into a focus on herbicide carryover specific to horse manures. When Vermont reported a case of compost chemical contamination,...
Solvita helping spread word of soil biology to labs, farmers.
Farmers across America have increasing access to soil biology testing thanks in part to Solvita. Presently more than 40 soil labs* now offer Solvita CO2 Respiration as part of their services. Many of these lab are also reporting Solvita data in the ALP program. "The...
Soil Health: Amendments affect Whole Plant Morphology, Not just Yield
Studies of plant root growth in soils treated with amendments of varying chemical and biological stability reveal that plants respond in a more complex and holistic fashion than customarily believed. Brinton’s team at Woods End has been using root (rhizotron)...
Compost industry stability tests lack relevancy for soil building projects.
The compost industry may be promoting stability and maturity tests for compost that are neither current with published science nor consistent with emerging soil markets,- this in a new report by Woods End Labs presented to Sustainable Sites Initiative. The report...
Solvita: “The talked-about soil test for 2012” also eligible for EQIP cost-share in nutrient budgeting.
On the verge of a new growing season, the "what's new" in soil testing labs is the Solvita CO2-Burst test. Agronomist Bruce Weidner (Weidner Agronomy Services, Illinois) writes "the Solvita test is intriguing because of its potential to be more accurate than other...
Soil microbes release free fertilizer which soil labs are ignoring in fertilizer rates.
According to Will Brinton, soil labs may be reluctant to adopt soil biology tests due to complicated outdated (and costly) methods. "It's too bad since this is impeding the country getting on with much needed soil quality assessment". One older method, still sometimes...