From the ground up: How soil testing supports Island producers

CANADA, May 23 - Spring has sprung, and the countdown is on for Kyra Stiles and her team to get out into the fields for the 2025 growing season. 

Stiles is a Nutrient Management Specialist with the PEI Department of Agriculture and works on the Soil Quality Monitoring Project, which has been running since 1998 to measure and monitor soil quality across the province. 

“By being able to determine nutrient and soil trends, we can make suggestions to help producers decide on cropping and fertilization practices to positively affect soil and their farms long-term,” Stiles says. 

She’s pleased that the project has helped producers Island-wide to create and maintain strong and healthy soil.

Each year, one-third of all the Soil Quality Monitoring agricultural sites are sampled, so that after every three years, one full cycle has been collected. The results are used to determine trends for major soil nutrients and characteristics for crops grown in PEI.

Over a 3-year span, approximately 800 samples are collected across the Island. 

Samples are taken every spring after the ground thaws, before planting begins, and Stiles and her team can’t wait to get started. 

Basic crop history is also collected each year to help understand the effect of crop rotation on soil characteristics.

“This helps us as a department to determine what direction future programming and initiatives should go to best support the agriculture industry.”

Healthy soil doesn’t just benefit farmers, but the entire Island community.

"Agriculture and communities are intertwined," Stiles says. 

“Healthy soil can lead to better crop growth and higher yields for farmers, and can help contribute to healthier, locally sourced food for Island residents.” 

The Soil Quality Monitoring Project is a key part of Soil First Farming, a measurement-based series of initiatives that support the protection and enhancement of PEI soil.

Island farmers work collaboratively with agricultural specialists to implement beneficial management practices to protect the environment and foster farm sustainability. 

To learn more about the project, visit Soil Organic Matter Status on PEI.   

To learn more about sustainable soil initiatives, visit Soil First Farming.

Review the 2023 Soil Quality Monitoring Project report.