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EYEING THE PROBLEM
This diagnostic test is exactly as it sounds. As suprising as it may seem, you really can tell a lot about the quality of soil from simply eyeballing it. Check it out:
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Generally, the darker and blacker the soil, the more organic matter it contains.
The redder and lighter the soil, the less organic matter and the poorer the quality.
Knowing the type of soil you have to work with is the first step towards making a fertilizing plan, or deciding which crops to plant.
Simple diagnostic checks like this "colour test" can be the key to achieving the highest possible yields, especially if scientific methods are few and far between. Here is represented a free diagnostic tool. Of course, without experience and knowledge of correct soil colours, developing world farmers may find colour chart tools necessary.
Below you can see the Munsell colour chart for soil, used by the USDA:
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