This is the home for a book, “Soil Fertility” by Robert Parnes. It is the result of a literature search during the operation of Woods End Laboratory, an agricultural soil-testing facility in Maine. The lab served farmers and gardeners throughout the nation.

The book is out of print but has a secondary market. Consequently and because of its unique features, an edited and reformatted version is offered here under a creative commons license retitled as “Soil Fertility.”

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• 27 tables of compiled data on:
  • plant nutrient requirements;
  • the nutrient content of organic and inorganic fertilizers and amendments;
  • typical application rates of fertilizers and amendments;
  • effects of environmental disorders on the quality of produce;
  • effects of fertilizer deficiencies and excesses on crop quality;
• a discussion of the behavior of nutrients in the soil and their effect on plants;
• a discussion of soil structure and its effect on plant growth and fertilizer access;
• an assignment of a dollar value to organic fertilizers and amendments for their contribution to soil fertility in addition to the value of their nutrients.

To download the pdf version, click here