Soil analysis: a true health check for your land
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Time to read 2 min
Summary
Why analyze your soil? What are the different types of soil analysis? How do you get a soil analysis done? Interpreting soil analysis results . Soil analysis cost: how much does it cost? Which soil analysis is right for me? Frequently asked questions about soil analysis (FAQ). Why trust Pouryère for your soil analysis? To learn more
Why analyze your soil?
Conducting a soil analysis allows you to assess the overall condition of the land, understand its structure, and determine its capacity to nourish crops. It also helps detect the presence of pollutants and make informed decisions.
In practical terms, this approach serves to:
- Assessing fertility : determining if the soil contains enough nutrients and organic matter to support crops or a garden.
- Understanding the structure : determining its texture (clay, silt, sand), its ability to retain water and allow air to circulate.
- Detect potential pollution : identify the presence of heavy metals or chemicals that could harm health or the environment.
- Adapt agricultural or land management practices : adjust fertilizer inputs, improve drainage, choose the most suitable crops.
- Checking compliance : ensuring that a plot of land meets the standards before construction or development.
What are the different types of soil analysis?
There are different types of soil analysis, depending on the elements that one wishes to highlight.
Agronomic analysis: soil structure and fertility
Agronomic analysis aims to analyze soil texture, structure, and fertility level.
The first factor? Its nature: sandy, loamy, clayey, or humus-rich soil. Depending on this information, certain types of plants thrive better than others. For example, plants like lavender or rosemary prefer sandy soil, while clay soil is better suited to ferns, cabbages, and leeks.
Acidity level is also a common measurement. The ideal pH for growth is between 6.5 and 7, which corresponds to a neutral soil.
Finally, soil analysis assesses its fertility level through the mineral content of the soil. It must contain elements and nutrients favorable to plant growth, such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and silica.
Soil pollutant analysis: heavy metals and hydrocarbons
This pollutant analysis aims to detect heavy metals or hydrocarbons present in the soil. Examples include arsenic, chromium, mercury, lead, and nickel. The presence of these compounds can render the soil infertile and pose health risks.
Especially if you consume plants grown on polluted soil or drink water from a well located near a contaminated aquifer.
Analysis of PFAS: persistent pollutants
PFAS are persistent pollutants (also called eternal pollutants) that can remain in the soil for hundreds of years. This analysis determines the presence of these chemicals, such as PFOS and PFOA, which originate primarily from the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
Pesticide analysis
Pesticide analysis is useful if you live in an agricultural area to assess the levels of these substances in your soil. These compounds are not always easy to detect, as they are often persistent and invisible.
Professional analysis: the ISDI PACK
For professionals in the construction and public works sector, this ISDI analysis is crucial for ensuring soil compliance. Limit values that must not be exceeded are set out in the decree of December 12, 2014. These values concern elements such as PCBs and hydrocarbons and must be detected through a leaching test.
