Kootenay - Soils
Tools, factsheets and resources for the Kootenay agricultural region on the following soil and nutrient topics:
Soil and Nutrient Management Resources
Factsheets and handbooks for soil management and nutrient amendment practices. Note: some information in these documents may not be applicable to all areas. Always refer to your own soil test results and local weather conditions.
Top Requested Documents for Kootenay
- Understanding Soil pH (PDF)
- Acidifying Soils (PDF)
- Manure Sampling and Analysis for Nutrient Management (PDF)
- Choosing and Calibrating Manure Application Equipment (PDF)
- Forage Crop Sampling for Nutrient Management (PDF)
Soil and Nutrient Management
- Environmental Farm Management Planning Reference Guide (PDF) See chapter 6 for nutrients/soil amendments and chapter 8 for soil management.
- Soil management
- Nutrient management / soil amendment
Soil Testing Resources
Guides, contacts and tools for conducting soil tests and determining fertilizer recommendations. More information is available at Nutrient Management. To contact a soil scientist see “Useful Contacts” on the Nutrient Management page.
- Learn how to take a soil sample (PDF)
- Find a B.C.laboratory to analyze soil samples (PDF)
- Find an Albeta laboratory to analyze soil samples
- Understanding Different Soil Test Methods (PDF)
For Kootenay agricultural region, convert soil test P and K values to “Kelowna method” equivalent values (conversions are based on Lower Mainland and Okanagan samples), use the spreadsheet below for conversion.
Find interpretations and fertilizer recommendations for soil test P and K values of the “Kelowna method”.
- Interpretations for Soil Test Phosphorus and Potassium: Guidelines for Southern British Columbia (PDF)
For all nutrients other than P and K, the most recent and comprehensive interpretations are in the following publication:
Agriculture Canada Soil Surveys
For questions about these maps and data sets, contact Agriculture Canada. (HTML)
- Upper Kootenay and Elk River Valleys
- Upper Columbia River Valley
- Creston area
- Nelson area
- More Kootenay and B.C. soil maps and surveys
Agricultural Land Commission Maps
For questions about these maps or the Agricultural Land Reserve, contact the Agricultural Land Commission.