Leaf analysis - to identify nutrient deficiencies

Why use leaf or tissue analysis?

Acquiring and utilising accurate information such as soil analysis data is fundamental to many decisions made in the agricultural, horticultural, environmental and amenity sectors.

For plant and crop production, it enables planning a fertiliser programme that is accurate, timely and -- increasingly important -- environmentally responsible. 

Essentially leaf analysis provides the critical information required to ensure all crop nutrition decisions are accurate, efficient, cost-effective and responsible.

What to analyse? 

Most of the work, and cost, of analysis is in the sampling and transporting the sample to the laboratory. Once the sample has arrived there are a wide range of tests that can be conducted so it makes sense to get as much information as possible from the sample.

A wide range of nutrients can be determined including: macronutrients (nitrogen, potassium, phosphate), major nutrients (calcium, sulphur, magnesium), animal health nutrients (sodium, cobalt, iodine and selenium) and heavy metals (lead, nickle,  arsenic, cadmium, cromium, mercuary, copper and zinc)

What analysis packages are available ?

Broad spectrum leaf (BSL)

This is our most popular analysis package as this gives the nutrient levels for all twelve plant nutrients and ensures no deficiency is missed. This is the best choice for crop samples. The report also interprets the results compared to benchmark levels and gives recomendations to correct the deficiency.  The nutrients included in this analysis are:

N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn

Animal health leaf (AHL)

This is the best analysis package for forage samples as this gives the nutrient levels for all twelve plant nutrients and ensures no crop deficiency is missed but also includes an additional four nutrients that are vital for the health of livestock. The report also interprets the results compared to benchmark levels and gives recomendations to correct the deficiency.  The nutrients included in this analysis are:

N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn and Na, Co, I, Se

Other analysis packs for specific siruations include:

Basic leaf (BL)

N, P, K, Mg

Nitrogen only (NL)

N

Heavy metal contamination (SA8)

Pb, Ni, As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Cu, Zn