Soil pH measured in order to asses soil nutrients that may be lacking and crop
suitability. This pH testing is also carried out in order to determine pH
amendments that may be required.
There are two main methods that are used to
obtain soil sample for pH testing, these are;
(i) Transverse method
(ii) Zigzag method
Transverse methods involve collecting sample
diagonally within the farm. In zigzag method, locations are arranged in such a
way that they form a zigzag pattern.
Care should be taken to avoid sample from
unusual areas such as old manure heaps, since they may give misleading results
The pH of a soil sample is measured using pH
meter or colour indicator dyes. The use of pH meter is not common because it is
quite expensive.
The use of universal indicator dyes is the
easiest and most convenient method of determining soil pH. The universal
indicator is used alongside the pH colour chart.