Natural Resources Conservation Service

Soils

United States Department of Agriculture

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Methods & Guides

Field Guides

Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils — standards for observing and recording soil and site characteristics.

Field Indicators of Hydric Soils, version 7.0 (PDF; 5.3 MB)

Errata (March 2013) (DOC; 22 KB)
A Guide to Hydric Soils in the Mid-Atlantic Region, version 2.0 (PDF; 6.04 MB)

Soil Survey Office Laboratory References

Soil Survey Field and Laboratory Methods Manual (SSIR 51), version 2.0 (1-31-14; PDF; 10.3 MB)

Particle-size analysis by hydrometer data entry forms (1-31-11; XLS; 386 KB)

Soil Survey Field and Laboratory Methods Manual (SSIR 51), version 1.0, obsolete. (11-2-09; PDF; 8.8 MB)

Addenda to Version 1.0
- 3.3 Bulk Density (4-7-11; PDF; 114 KB)
- 4.6 Electrical Conductivity and Soluble Salts (4-7-11; PDF; 169 KB)

Soil Survey Office Laboratory Safety Guide, version 2.0 (8-29-16; PDF; 229 KB)

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and recommended chemical disposal procedure (10-23-09; PDF; 3.2 MB)

Laboratory Methods and Information

Lab Methods Manual (SSIR 42) - soil laboratory methodology and reference for the laboratory analyst.

Soil Survey Laboratory Information Manual (SSIR 45) - Companion reference to the Laboratory Methods Manual, SSIR No. 42. Sampling methodology, descriptions of KSSL data sheets, and other information to help users of lab data.

Testing Methods for Phosphorus and Organic Matter

Soil Sample Submission Protocol for the KSSL (11-29-16; PDF; 1.61 MB) - Documentation and worksheets (below) necessary for KSSL sample submission.

Soil Sample Submission Worksheets (6-17-15; ZIP; 292 KB)