From there, it is just a matter of putting the dirt through the machine and the results are done, right?

Wrong. Incitec Pivot’s Nutrient Advantage laboratory in Werribee, Victoria conducts 100,000 soil samples a year, including 600 a day through the peak period of February to April, the off-season for broadacre croppers.

And it is certainly a more complex process than just spinning the sample around a few times.

The soil is milled and then a number of processes gone through, including centrifuging and extreme heat, all of which go towards providing the various nutrient level information required.