Your soil test is more than a report of available nutrients. It’s an opportunity to better understand the biological system driving your crop’s performance.
As harvest wraps up and growers begin planning for another season, fall soil sampling offers an opportunity to evaluate what’s happening beneath the surface.
But here’s the bigger question: Are you getting the full story from your soil test results?
Traditional soil tests provide valuable information about nutrient availability, pH, and other soil characteristics. However, they don’t always tell us much about the biological activity that influences nutrient cycling and plant growth.
That’s where the Haney Soil Health Test offers another perspective.
Looking Beyond Conventional Soil Testing
Developed by USDA soil scientist Dr. Rick Haney and colleagues, the Haney Soil Health Test was designed to provide a broader understanding of soil health by examining both chemical and biological indicators.
Unlike conventional soil testing, which primarily evaluates soil chemistry, the Haney Test incorporates measurements related to microbial activity, water-extractable carbon and nitrogen, and biologically relevant nutrient pools.
These measurements can help growers and consultants explore questions such as:
- How much biological activity is occurring in the soil?
- What does the balance of water-extractable carbon and nitrogen suggest about the soil environment?
- How might soil biology contribute to nutrient cycling?
- How are management practices influencing soil health over time?
- What additional information could help guide next season’s fertility decisions?
The Haney Test isn’t a replacement for every conventional soil test or a stand-alone fertilizer recommendation. It’s another tool for understanding how soil chemistry and biology interact.
Understanding Your Haney Soil Test Results
Getting the test completed is one thing. Knowing how to interpret the results is where the real learning begins.
What does the soil respiration measurement tell you? Why are water-extractable organic carbon and nitrogen important? And how should you evaluate the soil health score?
These measurements provide different pieces of information about the soil system.
Soil Respiration: Measures carbon dioxide released during a laboratory incubation, providing an indicator of microbial activity under the test conditions.
Water-Extractable Organic Carbon (WEOC): Measures a portion of the organic carbon pool that may be available to soil microorganisms.
Water-Extractable Organic Nitrogen (WEON): Provides information about a soluble organic nitrogen pool that can participate in nutrient cycling.
Soil Health Score: Combines selected biological indicators into an index that can help track changes over time when sampling and laboratory methods are consistent.
No single measurement tells the entire story. Results are most useful when considered alongside conventional nutrient testing, crop performance, field history, and management practices.
Learn from Dr. Liz Haney on the AgEmerge Podcast
If you’ve ever looked at a Haney Soil Test report and wondered what all those numbers mean, we’ve got a resource for you.
AgEmerge Podcast host Monte Bottens sat down with Dr. Liz Haney for an in-depth conversation about the Haney Soil Health Test, what the measurements represent, and how farmers and consultants can begin interpreting their results.
The discussion offers practical context for understanding soil biology and thinking beyond traditional nutrient recommendations.
Whether you’re new to the Haney Test or simply need a refresher before reviewing this fall’s soil samples, these conversations are worth revisiting.
Listen to AgEmerge Podcast Episodes 173 and 174 featuring Dr. Liz Haney.
Put Your Soil Test Results to Work
Soil testing is most valuable when the results lead to better questions and informed management decisions.
Rather than focusing on one number, consider how the measurements relate to what’s happening in the field.
Are you maintaining living roots through cover crops? Have you changed tillage practices? Are you seeing differences in soil structure, water infiltration, or crop performance?
Comparing soil test results over multiple seasons can help identify trends, particularly when samples are collected at similar times, depths, and field locations.
The goal isn’t simply to achieve a higher soil health score. It’s to understand how your management decisions affect the soil system and whether those changes support productive, profitable farming.
Soil Testing Resources Through Ag Solutions Network
Ag Solutions Network works with Regen Ag Lab to help participating dealers access soil health testing services, including the Haney Soil Health Test.
Through ASN’s dealer network, participating dealers may have access to volume pricing and resources to help interpret soil test results with their growers.
ASN also offers an educational guide, Exploring the Haney Soil Test, designed to accompany the AgEmerge discussions and help growers and consultants better understand the information provided in their reports. Reach out to get yours!
Better Questions. Better Soil Management.
Healthy soil doesn’t happen by accident. It develops through management decisions that support the physical, chemical, and biological processes beneath our feet.
Soil testing gives us an opportunity to measure, learn, and adjust.
This fall, don’t just collect soil samples. Use what you learn to challenge assumptions, evaluate your management practices, and make more informed decisions for the growing season ahead.
At Ag Solutions Network, we believe better farming starts with a better understanding of the entire system.
Have questions about Haney Soil Testing or accessing Regen Ag Lab services through ASN? Connect with Ag Solutions Network to learn more.
