By Steve Troxler
Spring is one of my favorite times of year as early crops begin to emerge and one of my personal favorites — strawberries — enter their peak growing season in North Carolina.
Strawberry season is also a reminder of the agronomic testing services the North Carolina Department of Agriculture offers to growers. This includes soil testing, nematode assay, and plant, waste and solution analyses.
These services are worthwhile tools for growers to use during production as they help troubleshoot and correct growth issues. Test results take the guesswork out of what the crop needs. With high-value specialty crops like strawberries, it’s money well spent in my opinion.
Since 1940, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture has been conducting soil testing to provide science-based fertilization advice to farmers. At the time, the task fell to the then-called Soil Testing Division.
Jump ahead to 1973, when the department added the other testing tools we offer today to help growers. The division was renamed the Agronomic Division to reflect the added services provided.
Soil Testing
Today, soil testing is a free service for North Carolina residents April through November, with the lab charging a peak-season fee from the end of November through March. Tissue testing ranges in price for North Carolina residents from $5 to $7 depending on the crop. For example, tissue testing for strawberries and cotton is $7 per sample.
While the testing is an invaluable resource, our field agronomists are a real strength for the department. They work one-on-one with growers to help them with any questions or concerns. They also help interpret the test results in order to fine-tune production.
With the extreme flooding we experienced in western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene, we have waived the testing fees for the impacted area to encourage growers to use our agronomic services to help better understand what changes their soils may have experienced. We are not set up to test for contaminates, so our focus remains on nutrient needs.
Brad Thompson is one of our 12 regional agronomists working across the state. He serves Anson, Chatham, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Richmond and Stanley counties and specializes in fruit and vegetable production.
With plants per acre ranging from 14,000 to 17,500, Thompson notes that the investment in plants alone can easily be several thousands of dollars. For that reason, Thompson advises strawberry growers he works with to tissue sample on a weekly basis when the strawberry plants start growing out and continue it throughout the whole season. Tissue sampling is key to not overfertilizing and to optimizing the fertilizer needs of the crop.
In North Carolina, strawberries are produced from the mountains to the coast, which means agronomic recommendations vary from farm to farm. A significant factor is the soil in which the plants are grown because North Carolina has over 400 different soil types.
For example, in the region where Thompson works, you will find sandier soils in the Sandhills and heavier soils in Chatham and Randolph counties. Generally, for heavier ground, not as much fertilizer is applied throughout the season because the soil can hold onto the nutrients longer, making them available to the plants longer. In sandier soils, timely and consistent fertilizer application is needed to keep nutrient values where they need to be.
If you are not soil testing or tissue testing on a regular basis as a specialty crop producer, I would encourage you to do so. I hope 2025 is a better year for every producer.
Steve Troxler is North Carolina’s agriculture commissioner.