SHAP Ground-Truthing Project

Populating the soil health database to enhance Ontario’s capacity for soil health assessment and interpretation 

Background

OMAFRA released the Soil Health Assessment and Plan (SHAP) tool for use. SHAP is a mobile- or web-app based tool, created to assess field practices and is paired with lab analysis of soil health indicators.

With your help, the Soils At Guelph SHAP Ground-Truthing Project will help to populate the SHAP database with more agricultural soils from across Ontario.  This is critically important to building scoring functions to compare individual samples to other soils. We aim to refine scoring functions based on texture.

The Project uses a smaller number of SHAP questions to complete the tool, but all the soil Best Management Practices are covered.

To register to participate, please email soils@uoguelph.ca. Tell us your your name, county, and the number of fields/orchards/vineyards you’d like to sample. Our project can cover the cost of one sample analysis per field/orchard/vineyard for Ontario Farms.

Once you’ve successfully registered with soils@uoguelph.ca, follow the 1 -2 -3 -4 Guide:

  1. Complete SHAP Management Tool
  2. Complete SHAP IN Field Tool
  3. Take a Point Sample
  4. Send to Lab

You will be part of building a soil health tool for #OntAg backed by real Ontario data!  

SHAP analysis
organic matter (OM)
aggregate stability active carbon (POXc)
respiration (96-hr carbon mineralization CO2)
potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN)

Plus Soil Texture analysis (% sand, silt, clay)

Plus Standard Fertility Package
(pH, CEC, P, K, Ca, Mg)

AND
carbon (inorganic, organic and total) and total nitrogen

This is an abbreviated SHAP Tool as part of a project by Soils At Guelph with the goal of building the SHAP database with Ontario soil samples. No personal information (e.g. landowner names, addresses) is being collected. Any production information (e.g. questions on cropping rotations, tillage methods) is being collected in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for the purposes of this project. The information obtained will be anonymized, and may be made available to collaborating organizations, such as University,  GBF, EFAO, OSN, OSCIA, OMAFRA, and AAFC, and only for specific soil-related research. By participating in this project, you acknowledge that Soils At Guelph is collecting the data for this purpose and provide your consent.

The first step in choosing a location is determining your Soil Health Goal.  This can be done with grower and advisors together. Common goals include:

  • Setting a benchmark to compare future assessments for identifying trends
  • Understanding the most important limitations and risks to the soil’s productivity
  • Comparing good and poor areas of a field

If you are choosing a location based on benchmarking or comparison, collect a sample from a point from within the area in question.  If good data exists for the field (e.g. yield index maps, soil property maps) or if reliable management zones have been established, this information can guide the selection of a sampling location(s) within the field.

This guide provides more detailed information about defining a soil health goal and choosing a sample location.  Additional information can be found in OMAFRA’s Detailed Guidebook.

All sample submissions must be accompanied by a completed submission form.  The form and necessary details will be sent to your email once you’ve submitted the SHAP Soil Management Tool (Step 1) and SHAP In-field Tool (Step 2).

Remember to keep the sample cool before shipping, and

1 sample = 2 bags of soil  (~ 500ml or 2cups of soil)

Completed forms will include:

  • Your unique sample ID (emailed to you after completing Step 1)
  • The project quote # (emailed to you after completing step 2)
  • That you’d like a “Soils At Guelph SHAP Ground Truthing Project Test”

Ship samples to:  Agriculture and Food Laboratory, Univ Guelph, 95 Stone Rd W, Guelph, ON N1G 2Z4. Or drop-off Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm or Saturday, 9:30am to 1:30pm

You will get two sets of results.

The first results will arrive a few weeks after you’ve submitted them to the lab.  “SHAPPROJECT” results will come from Agriculture & Food Laboratory,  directly to the email provided on the lab submission form.  Soils At Guelph will also be sent a copy for our database.

Note that soil health testing is intensive.  Results may take longer than usual to process.

The second results will arrive during the late winter following your sampling season.  It will be a Soil Health Report from Soils At Guelph.  This report assigns a soil health scores to your lab results, helping you to interpret the lab results. 

Our Ground Truthing project is helping to support OMAFRA’s SHAP Tool by helping to build the database with Ontario Soils.

More information on OMAFRA’s SHAP initiative is available through their Field Crop News.

There are various projects working together to help grow Ontario’s capacity to manage soil health.  While each project is distinct, they are all contributing to the made-in-Ontario soil health database.

For a one-pager showcasing these projects, please follow this link.

Do you have a question?  Maybe someone has asked your question already.  See the list below for a series of common questions.

Q1) Is the cost of shipping covered?  
A1) The cost of the shipping is not included.  
 
Q2) Are special tools required for sample collection? 
A2) A 6” soil probe is recommended.  Draw 15-20 soil cores from a 3 m radius.  Remove surface debris from each core.  Place cores into clean pail.  Mix cores in the pail without completely pulverizing them. Transfer into TWO standard soil sample bags (for a total of 2-cups, or 500ml of soil), then into boxes.  Label your boxes with your unique sample ID (see Step 3 in the guide).
 
Q3) What if I don’t have a 6″ soil probe?
A3) If you don’t have a probe, you can use a shovel. Slice a V and then  remove a sliver from the one side – always trying to get 6″ deep.  Repeat 15 times. 
 
Q4)Is a Ziploc bag sufficient for storage?
A4) Any sterile and sealable bag put into a box or other “rip proof” container is sufficient for storage. Use one or two Ziplocks that can hold a total of 500 ml (or 2 cups) of soil.  
 
Q5) Do samples need temperature control for shipping? 
A5) No.  But please keep samples cool prior to shipping. 
 
Q6) Can I sample my field?
A6) Fields and orchards are eligible as long as they are part of a registered farm business.  Pastures can not be sampled at this time. 
 
Q7) Does time of year matter?
A7) The best time is June, before the ground gets too hard. However, it may be more convenient to take samples in September or early October (when the ground has softened up again).  Be sure to keep a record of your sampling time, and if you are taking another sample in the future, take the sample again at the same time of year. 
 
Q8) What if I’ve had my fields mapped? 
A8) Field data from digital mapping, etc., can be used to help you choose which soil sampling location you decide to pick. See “Choosing why when and where to sample” Guide
 
Q9) Where can I find the Quote # for my sample submission form? 

A9) It was sent to you automatically when you completed Step 2 (SHAP-Infield Data Collection Form).  It is a 6-digit alpha-numeric code.  The email comes from microsoft@powerapps.com.

Q10) Where do I get a soil probe? 
A10) Try Hoskin Scientific to see soil probes and other soil product offerings. 
 
Don’t see your question answered here?  Reach out to: soils@uoguelph.ca

Soil sampling images from OMAFRA’s Field Crop News.

This Project received generous funding from:

Weston Family Foundation through the Weston Family Soil Health Initiative