Side-dress Efficiency Test (SET)
A soil test pulled in-season, before the side-dress pass. It recalibrates the plan for what Mother Nature has given or taken since spring, so the side-dress rate matches what the zone has now.
Soil · Plant tissue · Water · Grain
Your soil test should tell you what to do — not just what you have.
We test what impacts the farm. Then we build recommendations from our own regional trials, not borrowed university tables, and every sample makes the system sharper.
- ALP proficiency tested · soil & plant
- Testing since 2015
- Serving growers across the U.S. and Canada
- Open your Agronomy 365 dashboard
We testSoil · Tissue · Water · Grain
Soil & plantALP proficiency tested
ResultsInto Agronomy 365
We’re with you every step
Your partner from the first sample to a finished farm plan.
We don’t mail a report and move on. We test your soil and tissue, turn the results into a recommendation, build the prescription and check it against yield. Then we sit down with you and build the farm’s fertility plan together, field by field.
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01
Test
Soil, plant tissue, water and grain run in our Alpena lab. Accuracy and consistency are the baseline, and our soil and tissue work is ALP proficiency tested.
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02
Recommendation
Results read by zone against the ground they came from: hills, swales, texture and water — tied to your yield goals.
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03
Prescription
Baseline Rx zone maps and variable-rate scripts put nutrients where the soil can use them — not field-wide averages.
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04
Verify
In-season tissue on the same zones, plus Learning Blocks in the prescription, to see what paid.
Verify feeds the next test, so the plan gets sharper every season.
Where it lands
A fertility plan for the whole farm, built with you
- Your goalsYield goals, soil and costs set the targets
- Zone by zoneRates written for the ground each zone covers
- Season after seasonEach year’s results build on the last in Agronomy 365
Agronomy 365 report examples
See what lands in your dashboard
Zone maps and reports written for the person making the rate call. Swipe through anonymized examples.
1 / 5
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Anonymized example · Example Grower, Example Field Baseline zone map
Zones drawn from soil, satellite imagery and topography, with acres and share of field for each zone.
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Anonymized example · Example Grower, Example Field Yield potential map
Yield classes across the same field, so rates can follow what each area can produce.
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Sample report · example values, no customer data Soil test by zone
Each primary nutrient is ranked by zone. Scores roll up into an Overall Efficiency Rating, paired with your yield goal to build the recommendation.
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Sample report · example values, no customer data Indicator rankings
Soil structure, biology and nutrients ranked from very low to very high, so you see where to focus first.
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Sample report · example values, no customer data Field overview
One field score with acres by zone, at a glance.
Maps are anonymized examples (Example Grower, Example Field). Reports use example values. No customer data.
See what your fields would get
Request sample bags and a quote. We’ll work with you to pick the right test for the decision.
What makes us different
Built different from the report up
Zone-based sampling
One field, five zones. Watch what a field average hides.
LiDAR, yield maps and soil data draw the zones, and samples land where the ground actually differs. The scan reads the same field nutrient by nutrient.
Five management zones
Late-season leaf analysis
Late-season leaf analysis makes the last pass count. Leaves from the same zones show what the crop is taking up, so the final application goes where it pays.
Recommendations from our own trials
Not borrowed university tables. Every recommendation is grounded in regional trial work we run ourselves — so the rate call fits the ground you’re farming.
Regional trial plots · illustrativeBorrowed tables
Rates written for a broad region, not your ground.
Next Level Ag
Rates built from our own regional trials, sharpened by every sample.
The closed loop
Test → recommendation → prescription → verify against yield. Most labs stop at the report. We keep going until the plan proves itself in the field.
Get started in 3 steps
From your field to a plan, without the guesswork
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1
Request sample bags
Call the lab at (605) 849-5227 or email lab@nextlevelag.com. Or use the form below.
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2
Pull and ship your samples
Label each paper bag with grower, field and zone. Box them and ship, or drop them off at our Alpena lab.
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3
Get results and recommendations
Results and zone-by-zone recommendations land in your Agronomy 365 dashboard, field by field, year over year.
Who it’s for
Accurate numbers are where we start, not where we stop.
Most labs hand you numbers. We take the data to the field and turn it into a fertility plan that pays the farm and builds the soil.
A plan for every field, not a page of ppm
- Zone-based recommendations tied to your yield goals, soil and costs
- Fertility put where the soil can use it, so input dollars go further
- Learning Blocks that show what the prescription paid
Lab data you can build a rate call on
- Accurate, consistent soil, tissue, water and grain results
- Reports that rank what matters for the person making the call
- Variable-rate fertilizer and seeding scripts sent to you or the monitor
Serving growers across the U.S. and Canada
- Ship your samples to our lab in Alpena, SD
- Every field and zone kept over time in Agronomy 365
- A real person on the phone, Mon–Fri 7 AM–5 PM
What you get
01Fertility managementManaged to the soil, not to an average
02Farmer ROIDollars put where they return the most
03Soil productivityA field that produces more over time
04Zone-based recsEach result describes real ground
05The closed loopTest, rec, Rx, verify against yield
What we do
Lab and mapping under one roof
Laboratory
Laboratory
Soil, plant tissue, water and grain testing. Soil tests run from the Essential test to Indicator Complete and Indicator Max, with reports that rank what matters for the person making the rate call.
- Essential · Indicator Complete · Indicator Max
- Plant Complete tissue · stalk & forage nitrate
- Water & grain testing
- ALP proficiency tested for soil & plant
Mapping Center
Mapping Center
Baseline Rx zone maps, variable-rate fertilizer and seeding scripts, and Learning Blocks to check the work — all viewable in Agronomy 365.
- Baseline Rx zone sampling
- Variable-rate fertilizer & seeding
- Learning Blocks to verify what paid
Start with your field
Request sample bags & a quote
Tell us about your acres and what you want to learn. We’ll get bags on the way and work with you to pick the right test for the decision.
Thanks, we’ve got it.
Your request is on its way to lab@nextlevelag.com. Someone from the lab will reach out during office hours, Mon–Fri 7 AM–5 PM.
Need it sooner? Call (605) 849-5227FAQ
Questions before you send samples
Still not sure? A real person answers the lab line during office hours.
Call (605) 849-5227- Hours
- Mon–Fri 7 AM–5 PM
- Lab
- 617 Pine Ave N, Alpena, SD 57312
- lab@nextlevelag.com
How do I get sample bags?
Call the lab at (605) 849-5227 or email lab@nextlevelag.com, or fill out the form above. We use paper sample bags; label each one with grower, field and zone.
What do you test?
We test what impacts the farm: soil, plant tissue, water and grain. Soil tests run from the Essential Soil Test to Indicator Complete, our flagship test, and Indicator Max, plus grid packages and individual tests. Plant tissue tests include Plant Complete tissue analysis, stalk nitrate and forage nitrate. For water and grain testing, call the lab at (605) 849-5227 for details.
Is your lab proficiency tested?
Yes. Next Level Ag participates in the Agricultural Laboratory Proficiency (ALP) Program, run by Collaborative Testing Services, for both soil and plant tissue testing (ALP covers soil and plant tissue, not water or grain). Our soil and tissue results are checked against other labs on a regular schedule, not just by our own team.
Where do my results show up?
In Agronomy 365, our reporting and dashboard tool at dashboard.agronomy365.com. You see each field and zone over time, not a new PDF every year. Results typically come back 2 to 4 days after samples arrive at the lab; timing varies by season.
What does Baseline Rx include?
Three pieces: zones (we split the field where the soil actually changes), sampling inside those zones, and a fertility recommendation for each zone built from lab results and your yield goals. Take the whole program or just the piece you need. Each part is available on its own. Contact us for a quote.
Do you work with farms outside South Dakota?
Yes. We serve growers across the U.S. and Canada. They ship samples to our lab in Alpena, SD, and results come into their Agronomy 365 dashboard.
Where are you, and what are your hours?
Next Level Ag, 617 Pine Ave N, Alpena, SD 57312. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM. Call (605) 849-5227 or email lab@nextlevelag.com.
Ready when you are
Your soil test should tell you what to do. Let’s start with yours.
Request sample bags and a quote, or call the lab and talk it through. Got an old soil report you’re not sure what to do with? Bring it.