Jenny Fee

Special to the Record-Herald

The new year will signal an end for a state lab that has been utilized by Warren County farmers and gardeners for nearly four decades.

The Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory at Iowa State University will close its doors at the end of the month. Its purpose has been to test samples of soil and plant tissue to determine individual limestone and fertilizer needs.

Those samples were submitted by farmers across Iowa and the U.S.— along with home gardeners, fruit and vegetable growers, landscape managers, extension specialists and researchers.

It isn’t that the need for these services has gone away. While ISU’s lab has experienced a decrease in sample submissions, private labs have increased their business.

Dr. Kendall Lamkey, chair of Iowa State’s agronomy department, attributed that shift to larger labs having more equipment and personnel, enabling them to process samples quicker and at a competitive price.

“I think, if you go back 35 or 40 years, it was very popular,” he said of ISU’s lab. “Private labs have more people and can do it cheaper.”

Lamkey said that a committee will work this spring to determine the future of the facility “from the point of view of supporting research in our department.” He hopes there’s a possibility of resuming testing for Iowa farmers.

“Those producers that have sent their samples here for 30 years — those are the ones I kind of worry about,” he said. “I don’t want to leave people in the lurch.”

ISU Extension offices plan to keep that from happening, said Cortney Garrington, executive director for Warren County. They’ll still be involved in the process — the only change will be where samples are bound.

“It’s not shutting down at the local level,” she said. “The only thing that’s different is, they won’t send their bags to Iowa State.”

Producers can stop by Extension to obtain a list of labs certified by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. In some cases, those labs even provide bags to Extension to distribute to would-be clients.

“We do have a soil probe that they can check out for free,” Garrington added. “They don’t have to have any tools.”

Sampling is typically done in the spring or fall, when the ground isn’t frozen and in preparation for the next growing season. People often seek this service when they move to a new location and want to understand their soil type.

Then, they tend to retest every five to seven years — or whenever they encounter problems in their fields or yards. Soil testing takes out the guesswork, and the cost is less than unnecessary fertilizer applications or diminished yields.

“It is a very economical thing to just know,” Garrington said. “For example, if you have a very high phosphorous level in your soil, there is no reason to keep adding phosphorous. Having that information in your back pocket is very powerful.”

Members of the public will submit their own samples to private labs, but specialists at Extension will help them decide which of the 10 or so tests they might need. They’ll also assist with interpreting test outcomes.

“We still have tons of resources once they get their results back,” Garrington said. “We’ll still do that on a local level. We offer some classes. … We still have an agronomist to help them through the process.”

In Warren County, interest in testing has been split evenly between those in agriculture and those pursuing horticulture as a hobby. Across the board, Garrington thinks the service is a bit of a “best-kept secret” — and hopes to change that.

“I absolutely think that people aren’t aware that this is a thing,” Garrington said. “They can visit our website, or we really encourage them to stop by the office … if they’re not used to this process, to chat with us about their starting point.”

For more information, call the local Extension office 515-961-6237, visit its website at www.extension.iastate.edu/warren or stop by 909 E. Second Ave., Ste. E, in Indianola.