Welcome back to our series! We’ve prepared the land, installed the irrigation, and mapped the orchard. Before putting a single plant in the ground, the next step is arguably the most crucial for your long-term financial success: Soil and Water Testing.
Why Testing is Non-Negotiable
Soil and water test results provide you with essential data about your field’s chemistry, which determines key planting decisions:
- Variety and Rootstock Selection: The reports reveal the pH level of your soil and water. If your field has a high, alkaline pH, you must choose specific Israeli rootstocks that are tolerant of these conditions. Planting the wrong rootstock in unsuitable soil will lead to stunted growth, low yields, and ultimately, massive financial losses.
- Nutrient Profile and Cost Savings: The tests identify which nutrients are already present in your soil and water. This is vital for your fertigation schedule. If you apply a nutrient that is already abundant, you risk causing toxicity in the plant. More importantly, knowing what you don’t need allows you to save substantial money by not purchasing unnecessary fertilizers. You can then focus your resources on supplementing only the deficient nutrients for balanced growth.
In short, these reports can save you lakhs of rupees by preventing the choice of the wrong plant variety and cutting down on wasteful fertilizer purchases
How to Take Soil and Water Samples
Getting accurate results requires following specific sampling procedures:
Taking a Soil Sample
- Location: Select multiple spots across your field, ideally the four corners and the center.
- Collection: Dig a hole approximately 30 centimeters (12 inches) deep at each spot.
- Preparation: Mix the soil extracted from all these holes together in a bucket.
- Submission: Take about 1 kilogram of this mixed soil, place it in a bag, mark it clearly, and send it to a certified laboratory.
Taking a Water Sample
- Source: Take the sample directly from your primary source, whether it’s a borewell or an open well.
- Preparation: Collect 1 liter of water.
- Submission: Place the water in a clean container, mark it clearly with the sample date, and send it to the laboratory for analysis.
By understanding every detail about your soil and water, you ensure that every decision—from choosing the correct rootstock to creating a balanced nutrient plan—is informed, setting your 1000-plant orchard up for success.
Next Steps and Resources
Note that planting the Avocado Orchard is just the beginning. It is also crucial that we manage the plants well in order to maximize our yield and profits. For that, Avocado plant nutrition and fertigation becomes the most important thing to master.
If you are interested in learning how to correctly interpret your soil, leaf, and water tests to create an effective fertigation schedule, we have an Indo-Israel Avocado Fertigation Course to help you achieve the kind of rapid growth we’ve seen in our 2-year-old orchard.
Stay tuned for our next episode as we continue our journey on How to Plant 1000 Avocado Plants!
