INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) and partners throughout the state have worked with the Gulf Hypoxia Program (GHP) to develop a no-cost program with a focus on increasing the knowledge and use of soil sampling as a nutrient management practice to benefit farm operations. The program, titled Indiana’s Mississippi River Basin Soil Sampling Program, is open now for applicants.

“This program is helpful and valuable for our Hoosier farmers,” Lt. Gov. Michh Beckwith, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture, said. “By offering no-cost access to soil sampling, this initiative supports farmers with the tools and knowledge to make smarter nutrient management decisions. I encourage our farmers to apply,”

ISDA promotes the importance of nutrient management and the principles of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship framework. The 4R framework incorporates using the “Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time and Right Place” to achieve cropping system goals. This program focuses on soil sampling and testing as it is a key component, and first step, of developing a plan for nutrient management. Soil sampling provides an assessment of the soil’s fertility which can be used for making fertilizer application recommendations, assessing available nutrients over time, increasing farmer profitability and enhancing environmental protection by reducing the risk of nutrient loss. This project was developed to help further Indiana’s State Nutrient Reduction Strategy efforts.

“A no-cost program for farmers to utilize for soil testing is a great tool in this farm economy,” said Don Lamb, ISDA director. “Healthy soils are vital for crop health, animal health and conservation. I am very proud of our department for managing this crucial on farm program and we encourage both row crop farmers and pasture owners to apply.”

This program includes row crop fields, pastures, hay and specialty crops located within Indiana’s portion of the Mississippi River Basin. Eligible landowners will be prioritized by acreage enrolled (i.e., 100 acres or less), fields that have never been soil sampled and fields that haven’t been sampled regularly (i.e., within the last four years). Further prioritization may be implemented based on ISDA’s workload capacity. This program excludes hobby gardens and private lawns.

Interested landowners can sign-up online at ISDA’s website or by reaching out to Nutrient Stewardship Program Manager, Ophelia Norman at soilsampling@isda.in.gov.

ISDA is accepting registrations until Oct. 17, 2025, or until funds are exhausted.