| Several studies were conducted to evaluate the current status of soil diagnostic work, especially with regard to soil nutrient balance.;The objective of the second study was to determine whether the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS), a diagnostic tool that incorporates nutrient balance into analyses and has been previously utilized only in evaluating plant nutrition, has any potential in soil diagnostic work. DRIS indices were seen to be closely related to crop yields and appeared to possess the capacity to make accurate diagnoses while incorporating nutrient balance into the analyses.;The first study, whose purpose was to determine the fertility practices of farmers and to evaluate to what degree currently utilized soil norms take nutrient balance into consideration, involved a survey of soybean fields in Georgia. Soybean farmers were found to over apply nutrients such as P, K and Mg and under fertilize with Zn. Furthermore, rarely was fertilizer applied with any consideration given to nutrient balance. |
