Soil analysis: what it costs and what you get — laboratory vs satellite

2026-09-25

Comparison: laboratory flask with soil vs a satellite field map

For 50 ha, a classic campaign means 10–15 composite samples at roughly €8–15 each in lab fees (€150–250 total) plus a day of fieldwork — delivering 10–15 points weeks later. A satellite analysis costs €0.19/decare (€95 for 50 ha) and delivers the whole field on a 10 m grid — zones, humus/N/P/K/pH estimates with uncertainty intervals, a VRA file — within the hour, as model estimates rather than measurements.

The sensible answer combines both: satellite zones tell you where to sample; 2–3 control lab samples anchor the absolute values. Under €150 total for 50 ha. During the trial, the first analysis of a field up to 500 decares is free.

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