Submitting the sample
Fill out a Plant Sample Information form (with
permanent ink or pencil), and submit it with your
samples. Find the form online at www.ncaar.aov/
aaronomi/forms.htm. Tissue sample envelopes
are available from regional agronomists and the
Agronomic Division office.
Provide as much detail as possible when
filling out the form. Record planting date, and
note any conditions — drought, disease, injury,
pesticide or foliar nutrient applications — that
might be relevant.
Give the exact names of the plants you
sampled: e.g., flue-cured or burley tobacco.
Give each sample a unique identifier that will
help you remember which area it corresponds
to— such as GOOD, BAD, FIELD1, 15B. You
can use up to six letters and/or numbers.
Place each tissue sample in a paper or
cardboard (never plastic) envelope, bag or box
so drying can begin during transport. Label each
sample with the appropriate sample identifier that
you indicated on the sample information form.
Plan to have samples arrive at the lab within 24
hr of collection. If delay is unavoidable, then air
dry or refrigerate samples until shipment
Diagnostic interpretations require more
details than predictive. When sending matching
soil, solution, soilless media or waste samples,
record matching sample IDs in the designated
areas on the sample information fonn. Be sure
grower name and address are exactly the same
on all matching information forms. Ship all
matching samples as a single package addressed
to the NCDA&CS Agronomic Division Plant/
Waste/Solution/Media Section.
Obtaining the report
Select the Find Your Report (PALS) link on the
Agronomic Division home page to access the
report-search utility. Reports remain accessible
online for about three fiscal years.
North Carolina
Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services
Steve Troxler, Commissioner of Agriculture
Agronomic Division
Colleen M. Hudak-Wise, Ph.D., Director
Plant/Waste/Solution/ Media Section
Brenda Cleveland, Agronomist
www.ncaqr.qov/aqronomi/
(919) 733-2655
Mauling Address
1 040 Mail Service Center
Raleigh NC 27699-1040
Physical Address [DHL, FedEx, UPS]
4300 Reedy Creek Road
Raleigh NC 27607-6465
For more information on
sampling, interpreting agronomic reports or
implementing recommendations ,
contact the regional agronomist
assigned to your county.
www.ncaqr.qov/aqronomi/rahome.htm
Agronomic Sampling
Folder No. 5
revised April 20 14
Sampling for /fi
Plaint Analysis w
pictorial key to tissue sampling:
»
www.ncaqr.qov/aqronomi/pictorial.htm
The Agronomic Division analyzes plant tissue for
nutrient content. It measures 1 1 of the essential
nutrients required for plant growth. The plant
analysis report
• indicates plant nutrient concentrations,
• identifies deficiencies and toxicities and
• provides recommendations for optimizing
yield, quality and nutrient-use efficiency.
Tissue tests assess plant nutrient uptake while
soil tests predict nutrient availability. The two tests
are complementary as crop management tools, but
each has limitations. For example, plant analysis
cannot predict the need for lime; soil samples
should be taken for this purpose. Soil testing is
not the best indicator of nutrients that leach easily,
such as nitrogen and sulfur. Tissue tests measure
the micronutrients boron, iron and molybdenum,
whereas soil tests do not.
Deciding when to sample
To monitor plant nutrient status most effectively,
sample during the growth stages recommended
for your specific crop (Table 1; see also the Plant
Tissue Analysis Guide). Take predictive samples
weekly or biweekly during critical periods,
depending on management intensity and crop
value. Any time you suspect a nutrient-related
problem, however, submit diagnostic tissue
samples to identify the problem.
The best time to collect samples (when petioles
are part of the sample) is between mid-moming
and early afternoon. Nitrate nitrogen levels in
petioles are especially subject to variation, based
on time of day and environmental conditions
(drought, cloud cover).
