Soil Nitrate Quick Test

Soil Nitrate Quick Test

The soil nitrate quick test is a tool that can help growers make more informed decisions regarding nitrogen management in any number of crops. This page contains resources to guide users in understanding and implementing a soil nitrate quick test, particularly in small grains.

Soil Nitrate Quick Test Interactive Instructions

Interactive Instructions
These interactive step-by-step instructions go through each step in the soil nitrate quick test process, from where to purchase the materials to interpreting test values. For a printable version, see Reference Document below. 

 

Soil Nitrate Quick Test Web-Tool

Interpreting site-specific soil nitrate values depends on the soil's bulk density, the mixing solutions, and several other factors. This tool simplifies the process of interpreting a soil nitrate value so that users only have to select their location and input test results to receive an estimated lab soil nitrate value and an N fertilizer equivalent.

The code base to reproduce this web-tool is publicly available here.

Instructional Video

Video: In-field Soil Nitrate Quick Test: California Grain Production. 

 

Video: In-field Soil Nitrate Quick Test: California Grain Production (In Spanish). 

 
 

Reference Document

Soil Nitrate Quick Test Full PDF Instructions

step by step instructions
 

A wide range of University of California Cooperative Extension personnel have contributed to the development of this information, including: Taylor Nelsen, Konrad Mathesius, Michael Rodriguez, Jessica Schweiger, Ethan McCullough, Taylor Becker, Nicholas Clark, Sarah Light, Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, Thomas Getts, Giuliano Galdi, Jessica Henriquez, Rozana Moe, Leah Puro, Jonathan Slocum, Eric Williams, Quinn Levin, Steven Spivak, Maria Sandate-Reyes, Serena Lewin, Ryan Byrnes, Jason Tsichlis, Katherine Mulligan, Nic George, Darrin Culp, Steve Orloff, Steven Wright, Robert Hutmacher, Dinh Giang, Gabriel Rosa, and Mark Lundy.

 
We would like to acknowledge the following institutions for their support of this work: CDFA-Fertilizer Research and Education Program, California Crop Improvement Association, California Wheat Commission, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California-Davis Department of Plant Sciences, and the UC Davis DataLab.
 
This page was first published in April 2020. It was last updated in August 2022.