Soil Test Results from NGO Organic Farm in Northern Thailand

maupin · June 16, 2009

I am working as a volunteer on a Model Organic Farm in Northern Thailand (NEED Burma) training Burmese farmers in the organic method. Here's the soil test results from a Chiang Mai University test run in August 2008 using the In house method based on AOAC and OMAF. The land has been ours less than 2 years.

pH 5.23
Electrical Conductivity 0.03 dS/m
Nitrogen 0.10% by weight
Phosphorus 0.04% by weight
Potassium 0.40% by weight
Magnesium 279.60 mg/kg
Organic Matter 1.12% by weight
C/N ratio 11:1
Cation Exchange Capacity 66.62 cmol/kg
We are planting rice now, as the rainy season is about to begin in less than 10 days. The rice harvest will be in late October . Rice will grow in almost any pH, so we are trying to get a grant for lime to raise the pH to 6.0. for post rice harvest application, as we will grow dry season vegetables in the former rice paddy from November to June,and the yield of dry season vegetables will be pretty poor unless we raise up the pH.
As you may guess, we have no money for organic inputs. We have an aquarium pump and access to free sugar and are making 30 gallons of aerated compost tea and dumping it on different parcels of the paddy every 4 days. No danger in the soil getting too wet when you're growing rice. Any observations on the soil test results that would be helpful? Any dry season veg planting recommendations for soil improvement (acid clay, like most rice paddy land) that take into account the year round hot climate and the necessity of a good rice harvest as the only thing between us and hunger?

June 16, 2009	#1
maupin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Northern Thailand Posts: 77	Soil Test Results from NGO Organic Farm in Northern Thailand I am working as a volunteer on a Model Organic Farm in Northern Thailand (NEED Burma) training Burmese farmers in the organic method. Here's the soil test results from a Chiang Mai University test run in August 2008 using the In house method based on AOAC and OMAF. The land has been ours less than 2 years. pH 5.23 Electrical Conductivity 0.03 dS/m Nitrogen 0.10% by weight Phosphorus 0.04% by weight Potassium 0.40% by weight Magnesium 279.60 mg/kg Organic Matter 1.12% by weight C/N ratio 11:1 Cation Exchange Capacity 66.62 cmol/kg We are planting rice now, as the rainy season is about to begin in less than 10 days. The rice harvest will be in late October . Rice will grow in almost any pH, so we are trying to get a grant for lime to raise the pH to 6.0. for post rice harvest application, as we will grow dry season vegetables in the former rice paddy from November to June,and the yield of dry season vegetables will be pretty poor unless we raise up the pH. As you may guess, we have no money for organic inputs. We have an aquarium pump and access to free sugar and are making 30 gallons of aerated compost tea and dumping it on different parcels of the paddy every 4 days. No danger in the soil getting too wet when you're growing rice. Any observations on the soil test results that would be helpful? Any dry season veg planting recommendations for soil improvement (acid clay, like most rice paddy land) that take into account the year round hot climate and the necessity of a good rice harvest as the only thing between us and hunger?