The Albrecht System of Soil Fertility
© Kinsey Agricultural Services Inc
The “Albrecht System of Soil Fertility” refers to the principals used to develop the system of testing which Dr. William A.Albrecht worked to perfect in his decades of tireless work with the soil. He regarded the validity of true soil fertility as a repeatable process and approach such work with measurable scientific principles, which could be applied and proven right out in the field. It is, as outlined by the principles given below, a foundational approach for achieving excellent soil fertility.
A high performing soil will be composed of 45% minerals, 5% humus and 50% pore space. Ideally, 25% of which is water and 25% is air occupying this pore space. In addition that same pore space (containing the right amount of air and water) serves as the proper environment for all types of beneficial living organisms necessary to help provide the needs of growing plants in that soil. So, essentially, the Albrecht soil fertility system utilizes soil chemistry to affect soil physics, which determines the environment for the biology of the soil
The soil audit, using a specifically developed set of soil testing procedures adapted by Dr. Albrecht to determine and correct the soil’s mineral content, provides the means to measure and supply the needed chemistry for each particular soul. It is the chemical make-up of each soul that determines its physical structure. When a soul has the correct chemistry, only then is sit possible to achieve or maintain the correct physical structure. When the chemistry and physicals are right so long as the principles for avoiding soil compaction are observed, the environment for the biology will also be right. The more the chemistry, physics and biology are correctly influenced, the better the yield and quality from crops that would normally be expected to grow there. That is why so much emphasis is placed on achieving exact level for each nutrient, based on the specific requirements of every different soil.