DAKOTA Analytical, Inc. is a soil consulting specialist offering a range of physical soil testing services to ensure the quality of material is optimal for the project. Our soil-testing laboratory is accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) and is accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard. We offer cost-effective, quality soil analysis services. We provide confidential results in a timely manner so you get the information you need, when you need it. Enhance your project’s profitability, playability, and longevity with DAKOTA Analytical turf diagnostic solutions.
Testing Packages
The Works
DESCRIPTION
This package is a comprehensive physical analysis and is generally recommended for initial and final analyses.
TIME |
COST |
| 3 consecutive BD | $385 |
TESTS INCLUDED
Ultimate Value
DESCRIPTION
This package includes all of the tests in “The Works” package but also includes a complete nutrient analysis.
TIME |
COST |
| 5-7 BD | $485 |
TESTS INCLUDED
Design It
DESCRIPTION
We’ll make a mix of your material and a peat or compost and perform all of the tests in “The Works” package on the mix.
TIME |
COST |
| 3 consecutive BD | $385 initial |
| $180 add. mix |
TESTS INCLUDED
Gravel Matching
DESCRIPTION
This package determines if your gravel sample will meet the criteria to properly be a bridging layer for a rootzone mix.
TIME |
COST |
| 1 BD | $80 |
TESTS INCLUDED
Contractor’s Special
DESCRIPTION
This package includes two basic quality control tests to ensure that your mix is staying in spec. Add $70 to include infiltration rate.
TIME |
COST |
| 2 BD | $105 |
| $175 (ksat) |
TESTS INCLUDED
Bunker Sand
DESCRIPTION
This package includes a full battery of tests to determine the quality and suitability of a sand to be used as a bunker sand.
TIME |
COST |
| 2 consecutive BD | $180 |
TESTS INCLUDED
Turf Health
DESCRIPTION
This package is intended for core samples. Submit 3 to 5 core samples and “The Works” test package will be performed on them.
TIME |
COST |
| 3-5 BD | $455 |
TESTS INCLUDED
Amendment Quality
DESCRIPTION
This package determines the quality of the amendment used in your mix.
TIME |
COST |
| 2 BD | $135 |
TESTS INCLUDED
Product Verification
DESCRIPTION
If you’re unsure about whether or not you’ve received genuine DAKOTA peat we can determine that through a proprietary technique.
TIME |
COST |
| 14 BD | $565 |
TESTS INCLUDED
Individual Tests
Particle Size Determination
2 days
105.00
Details
The particle size determination test is done to determine the particle size profile of a sand or soil which provides insight on the usefulness of the sand/soil for the purposes of creating a rootzone for a golf green or sports field. The method used involves dispersing clay and silt with sodium hexametaphosphate to separate the silt and clay from the sand and then sieving the sand with the following sieves:
#10 (2.00mm)
#18 (1.0mm)
#35 (0.50mm)
#60 (0.25mm)
#100 (0.15mm)
#270 (0.05mm)
The silt & clay percentages are either calculated together or separately using the pipette method.
The results of this test are reported as the percent of material retained on each sieve. Upon request, the results can also be reported as the percent passing.
QA/QC
- Samples are tested in duplicate
- Sieves are calibrated yearly
- Sieves are visually inspected before each test
- Balances are calibrated yearly
- Balance repeatability is checked monthly using NIST traceable weights
- Drying oven is calibrated yearly
- Drying oven temperature is checked before every test
- Samples are run alongside a reference material
ASTM F1632
A2LA Accredited
Organic Matter Determination
1 day
50.00
Details
The organic matter determination is performed using the loss-on-ignition (LOI) method. This test is a critical and reliable quality control test to determine blending rates and amendment consistency over time. Testing for organic matter in rootzones can provide insight on how intensively to manage the rootzone as well as being an important diagnostic for rootzone performance. The method involves drying a sample and then burning the organic matter out of the sample using a high temperature muffle furnace and measuring the weight before and after the burn. The difference is considered to be the organic matter.
QA/QC
- Samples are tested in triplicate
- Balances are calibrated yearly
- Balance repeatability is checked monthly using NIST traceable weights
- Drying oven is calibrated yearly
- Drying oven temperature is checked before every test
- Muffle furnace is calibrated yearly
- Muffle furnace temperature is checked before every test
- Samples are run alongside a reference material
ASTM F1647
A2LA Accredited
Infiltration Rate Determination
2 days
80.00
Details
The infiltration rate (AKA perc rate or Ksat) determination test is an important test to examine how well or how poorly water will flow through the rootzone material when it is saturated. The test involves packing samples into cores, saturating them, and then submitting them to tension similar to what field conditions would be. After tension the samples are compacted and then re-saturated. Following the re-saturation water is passed through the cores and the subsequent flow of water through the core is measured over time to develop an infiltration rate.
QA/QC
- Samples are tested in duplicate
- Results must be within 10% of each other for three consecutive tests
- Balances are calibrated yearly
- Balance repeatability is checked monthly using NIST traceable weights
- Samples are run alongside a reference material
ASTM F1815
A2LA Accredited
Total, Air, and Capillary Porosity Determination
3 days
105.00
Details
The porosity determination test provides a window into how the soil is structured internally. The porosity properties can be very informative for managers in determining water-holding properties of a rootzone. The test is done by placing the sample into cores, saturating, and placing the core under tension which emulates field conditions. The sample is then compacted, re-saturated, and then placed under tension again. The sample is then weighed when wet and then dried and re-weighed. These weights are used in combination with other properties to determine total, air, and capillary porosity.
QA/QC
- Samples are tested in duplicate
- Balances are calibrated yearly
- Balance repeatability is checked monthly using NIST traceable weights
- Drying oven is calibrated yearly
- Drying oven temperature is checked before every test
- Samples are run alongside a reference material
ASTM F1815
A2LA Accredited
Particle Density Determination
1 day
80.00
Details
The particle density determination test is a standard test which supports the quantification of porosity. This test has a generally small amount of variation. The method involves adding sample to pycnometers, adding water to the sample, and then boiling the sample. The sample is allowed to cool and then weighed and compared against the weight of the same pycnometer filled only with water.
QA/QC
- Samples are tested in triplicate
- Balances are calibrated yearly
- Balance repeatability is checked monthly using NIST traceable weights
- Drying oven is calibrated yearly
- Drying oven temperature is checked before every test
- Pycnometers are weighed before every test
- Samples are run alongside a reference material
ASTM D54 (98)
A2LA Accredited
pH Determination
1 day
30.00
Details
The pH determination is an informative test that can provide critical information for turf managers. The test is performed using an pH probe attached to a electronic pH meter. The test measures the pH of a sample in two different solutions: calcium chloride and distilled water.
QA/QC
- Samples are tested in duplicate
- Balances are calibrated yearly
- Balance repeatability is checked monthly using NIST traceable weights
- Drying oven is calibrated yearly
- Drying oven temperature is checked before every test
- pH meter is calibrated before every test using NIST traceable buffers
- Results must be within 0.1 for five consecutive readings
- Samples are run alongside a reference material
ASTM D4972
A2LA Accredited
Bulk Density Determination
1 day
15.00
Details
The bulk density determination is generally done to aid in the calculation of porosities. The test is straightforward and it measures the weight per volume of the sample.
QA/QC
- Samples are tested in duplicate
- Balances are calibrated yearly
- Balance repeatability is checked monthly using NIST traceable weights
- Drying oven is calibrated yearly
- Drying oven temperature is checked before every test
- Samples are run alongside a reference material
ASTM D54 (98)
A2LA Accredited
Munsell Color Determination
1 day
10.00
Details
The Munsell color determination is a largely subjective determination of color using the official Munsell color charts. The color determination is done exclusively on bunker sand in order to estimate the aesthetic property of the sand used in a bunker. The method is performed by drying the sample and then spreading the dry sample across a white background deep enough such that the background is not visible and wide and long enough such that the entire window of the Munsell color chart window will be taken up by the sample. The Munsell color samples are then compared against the sample until a suitable comparison is found.
QA/QC
- Drying oven is calibrated yearly
- Drying oven temperature is checked before every test
SOP MT-014
Fried Egg Lie Determination
1 day
45.00
Details
The fried egg lie determination is done to simulate a golf ball landing into a bunker sand. The test seeks to estimate how likely a sand will create what is called a “fried egg lie”, which is the result of the ball burying into the sand versus rolling across the sand. The method is performed by drying the sample and then filling a box with the dry sample. A golf ball which has been marked around the middle is placed in the center of the sample and a pressure pen is used to push down on the ball until the ball is half-buried. The measured pressure to bury half of the ball is recorded and reported as the result of the test.
QA/QC
- The test is repeated twelve times
- Drying oven is calibrated yearly
- Drying oven temperature is checked before every test
- Samples are run alongside a reference material
SOP MT-014
Angle of Repose Determination
1 day
40.00
Details
The angle of repose test determines the angle at which a sand will mound up before slumping. This is useful when looking at a bunker sand not only because it helps determine if a bunker sand is suitable to be used in high angle bunkers, but also because the test helps support the particle shape and angularity estimation. The method is performed by drying a sample and then running that sample through the angle of repose apparatus. The apparatus consists of a sample loading tube placed on a stage which moves vertically. The sample loading tube is placed against a measuring disk and when the sample loading tube is raised the sample pours out onto the measuring disk. The radii and height of the subsequent mound of sample is measured to determine the angle of repose. The results are reported as an angle.
QA/QC
- Balances are calibrated yearly
- Balance repeatability is checked monthly using NIST traceable weights
- Drying oven is calibrated yearly
- Drying oven temperature is checked before every test
SOP MT-015
Ash Content Determination
1 day
50.00
Details
The ash content determination is a test performed on soil amendments and composts to determine the relative non-organic content of an amendment or compost. The ash content is determined by loss-on-ignition (LOI). The method is performed by drying the sample and then burning it in a muffle furnace. The weight of the sample remaining after the burn is calculated to be a percentage of the pre-burn sample. The results are reported as a percentage.
QA/QC
- Samples are tested in triplicate
- Balances are calibrated yearly
- Balance repeatability is checked monthly using NIST traceable weights
- Drying oven is calibrated yearly
- Drying oven temperature is checked before every test
- Muffle furnace is calibrated yearly
- Muffle furnace temperature is checked before every test
- Samples are run alongside a reference material
ASTM D2974
A2LA Accredited
Product Verification
14 days
565.00
Details
The product verification test is used to determine if genuine DAKOTA peat is being used. This test has been an important verification tool for some project managers which have purchased a mix or DAKOTA peat itself and have questioned the sourcing. The test is performed via a proprietary technique which can accurately determine the “fingerprint” of the material being used.
Proprietary internal method
Complete Nutrient Analysis
7 days
70.00
Details
The complete nutrient analysis provides an in-depth look into the chemical properties of the rootzone. The test includes the following: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, pH, Soluble Salts, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, CEC, Base Saturation, Carbonates, Micronutrients, and Organic Carbon. The testing is performed by an external laboratory.
Externally tested