NPK or MINS measurement; or both? A comparative analysis
Should you use an NPK or a MINS measurement, or both? This comparative analysis compares the uses cases and benefits of both methods. You’ll certainly find that both are beneficial! These services however are complementary, and it all depends on what you are looking for to improve at your farm and in your soil.
Key Takeaways
- NPK analysis provides you the picture of the three soil elements N-P-K, and the inputs you need to add. This is good to inform short-term specific decisions on NPK. This informs tactics.
- MINS – the technology used by Carbon Asset Solutions – analysis provides you an in-depth picture of your soil’s characteristics and capabilities, and what soil can do. This is good to inform long-term strategic farming decisions influencing soil health holistically. This informs strategy.
- Hence, NPK or MINS measurement? MINS provides the foundation on which to layer additional soil measurements such as NPK; hence we’d argue for: both!
NPK is a tool. MINS is infrastructure.
Let’s dive deep into the question whether to use an NPK or MINS measurement; or both. This comparative analysis starts with which question you are looking to answer:
NPK – A Tactical Tool
NPK testing answers one question: what fertiliser does this paddock need right now? It’s been the agronomic standard since the 1840s. Justus von Liebig’s law of the minimum. Invaluable for input decisions, but it’s a narrow, point-in-time snapshot of three nutrient proxies. It tells you nothing about carbon, water dynamics, soil structure, salinity risk, or long-term productivity trajectory.
MINS – A Strategic Infrastructure
Mobile Inelastic Neutron Scattering (MINS) is the technology deployed by Carbon Asset Solutions to measure soil in the field without disrupting it. MINS measures the conditions that determine whether those three nutrients, and every other agronomic input, will work. Soil carbon governs cation exchange capacity (which holds NPK in the root zone), water-holding capacity (which makes nutrients plant-available), and microbial activity (which drives nutrient cycling). If you fix your NPK prescription but ignore soil carbon and texture, you’re optimising on a broken foundation.
MINS – Benefits beyond the Paddock
In addition, MINS data addresses additional markets that NPK testing was never designed for:
- Carbon markets require continuous, auditable soil carbon measurement across whole properties NPK can’t touch this
- Agricultural finance and insurance need soil health as collateral data, lenders don’t price NPK scores
- Government and regulatory MRV (ACCU, ASRS Scope 3, national accounting) requires scientifically defensible, volumetrically representative data
- Digital twin modelling the five composite indices CAS has built needs simultaneous multi-element capture, which NPK’s sequential lab workflow can’t support
In a nutshell: both!
In short, should you use an NPK or a MINS measurement, or both? This comparative analysis makes the judgement clear both! NPK tells you what to buy. MINS tells you what your soil is worth and whether it’s getting better or worse. NPK informs immediate tactics to optimise certain practices today, MINS builds the foundation for strategic choices for soil and paddock health as a whole and benefits today and generations to come!
Enquire today about our soil scanning services and get started on building your farm’s critical data layer, unlocking precision ag and cutting input costs – to improve farm health for the long-run!
