Definitions

B – chemical symbol for boron

Bray 1 Phosphorus – soil testing procedure that is used to determine the level of plant available phosphorus in soils with a pH of 7.4 or less

Buffer Index – soil test measurement that is used to determine the amount of liming material required to raise soil pH to the desired level; the buffer index is measured only when the pH of a mineral soil is less than 6.0

Ca – chemical symbol for calcium

Cu – chemical symbol for copper

#ENP/A – abbreviation for pounds of Effective Neutralizing Power per acre; ENP units provide a uniform way of expressing the lime requirement, because liming materials differ in their purity and particle size distribution and these characteristics determine their neutralizing capacity in the soil; the label on liming materials will tell you the pounds of ENP per ton of product

Fe – chemical symbol for iron

– chemical symbol for potassium

K2O – see Potash

lb/A – pound per acre

lbs - pounds

Mg – chemical symbol for magnesium

mmhos/cm – millimhos per centimeter; a unit of electrical conductivity that is used to express the relative concentration of soluble salts in the soil solution

Mn – chemical symbol for manganese

N – chemical symbol for nitrogen

Nitrate (NO3-N) – plant available form of nitrogen that occurs in the soil; nitrate may be readily leached through the soil

Olsen Phosphorus – soil testing procedure that is used to determine the level of plant available phosphorus in soils with a pH greater than 7.4

P – chemical symbol for phosphorus

Phosphate (P2O5) –  terminology and chemical formula used to express the amount of phosphorus in a fertilizer recommendation or in a bag of fertilizer

pH – measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil solution

Potash (K2O) – terminology and chemical formula used to express the amount of potassium in a fertilizer recommendation or in a bag of fertilizer

ppm – parts per million

Sulfate (SO4-S) – sulfate, a plant-available form of sulfur that occurs in the soil

Soil Texture – relative proportion of sand, silt, and clay particles in a soil, which determine the soil type (e.g. silt loam or clay loam)

Soluble Salts – ions (charged atoms or molecules) that are dissolved in the soil solution

sq. ft. – square feet

Zn – chemical symbol for zinc