Soil Lab Networks Harmonize Global Soil Analysis

Mrs. Nopmanee Suvannang,
GLOSOLAN Chair

Outcomes of the 5th
GSP Plenary Assembly
Endorsement of Pillar 5
Implementation Plan and
support to its execution,
including the establishment
of regional and a Global
Soil Laboratory Network

+ 7 Regional Soil Laboratory Networks
(RESOLANs)

Why should countries join GLOSOLAN and
RESOLANs?
Remember that
most soil characterizations
& recommendations
are based on…
Soil analytical results!

When sending a same soil sample to any
soil lab…

soil lab…
…your expectation is
to get the same result
(+/- uncertainty)

soil lab…
…and to obtain the same soil
classification or provide
similar recommendations, etc.

In reality…
Large differences are
observed between
laboratories (even for
something as simple as pH)

P
Laboratory (confidential code)
pH
Laboratory (confidential code)
Example provided by SEALNET 2.0 (ring
test, South-East Asia)

In conclusion, if you send the same soil
sample to different labs…

Sometimes you get different results and conclusions

But which laboratory is right ?

To help answering this question, GLOSOLAN was
launched on 1-2 November 2017
Main goals of GLOSOLAN:
-To strengthen the performance of laboratories towards the
development of standards
-To harmonize soil analyses in order to make soil information
across laboratories, countries and regions comparable and
interpretable
Overall, GLOSOLAN will help achieve the objectives of the 5
Pillars of Action of the GSP

Identify research gaps e.g. which promising methods
require refinement and further development?
Area for investment,
technical cooperation,
extension services
Provision of reliable data
to support the
establishment of the
Global Soil Information
System (GLOSIS)
Improve the basis for decision making regarding e.g. soil
fertility, SOC management

Chair
Mrs. Nopmanee Suvannang (Thailand)
Vice-Chair
Mr. Vinod Bhanooduth Lalljee (Mauritius)
Working Group
Mrs. Floria Bertsch (Costa Rica)
Mrs. Rosa Cuevas (Mexico)
Mr. Nicolas Proix (France)
Mr. Maksym Solokha (Ukraine)
Ms. Olga Yakimenko (Russia)
The working group is open to further members
GLOSOLAN’s governance

First GLOSOLAN meeting: Roadmap and main decisions
Action Status
Finalize the list of labs in GLOSOLAN
Due on December 2017
Executed!

Action Status
Executed!
Online survey (lab characteristics)
Survey participation:
-73 questions divided in 10 thematic areas
-300 submitted responses on 30 March 2018 (112 were complete
and used for the evaluation)
-732 views
Executed!

Action Status
Executed!
Online survey (lab characteristics) Executed!
Survey evaluation Underway
Main findings – General information on the laboratory
- staff
< 50 % have formal education
for analysis or soil analysis.

Action Status
Executed!
- Building and equipment
30 % of the labs don’t have
special room for soil preparation.
( risk of contamination by soil dust)
Main findings – General information on the laboratory

Action Status
Executed!
Main findings – Analyses & Details of the procedures
Procedures are highly variable
from one lab to another

Example from pH
• Different stirring time
• Different resting time
• Different probe position

Action Status
Executed!
Main findings – Control of the quality of the data
1. Inside a single lab
2. Between labs in different countries
and regions

1. Inside a single lab
25 % labs do not use quality control samples
quite threatening because we know that errors
cannot be avoided…
For the labs using QC samples:
40 % use only 1 sample/batch
which is not enough to make
conclusions on the quality of the
analysis.
Answer option RESOLAN-Africa SEALNET LATSOLAN RESOLAN-Europe RESOLAN-NENA Global
Yes 71% 72% 88% 88% 83% 83%
No 29% 28% 13% 12% 17% 17%
Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

This is a significant amount of laboratories
Main findings – Control of the quality of the data

2. Between labs in different countries and regions
< 50 % labs participates
in an international ring test
harmonization of the
results is not possible

Action Status
Executed!
In conclusion
There is a dramatic need to develop a
Quality Control and Accreditation
system.

Action Status
Support the establishment of
RESOLANs
• Asia (SEALNET)
20-24 November 2017
Chair: Mr. Jamyang, Bhutan
• South America + Central America and
the Caribbean (LATSOLAN):
1-3 March 2018
Chair: Mrs. Floria Bertsch, Costa Rica

Action Status
Support the establishment of
RESOLANs
• Undergoing:
• Europe and Eurasia
(EUROSOLAN?)
• Near East and North Africa
• Africa
• North America
• Pacific

Action Status
Concept Note to launch an
international ring test
(collaboration with WEPAL)
Underway
Regional ring tests are undergoing in Latin
America and Asia – RESOLANs:
oNeed for support to exchanging soil samples for
research purposes under GLOSOLAN
Report from GLOSOLAN chair
during the Plenary
Concept Note for a
‘Best practices manual’
Executed!
Submitted!

Despite multiple existing guidelines and
handbooks, the variability of methods,
machinery and analytical quality is
immense.
Pillar 5 – Harmonization – foresees the development of a best practices guideline.
• a compendium of different manuals, one for each parameter and
laboratory operation, allows for the best flexible approach
• the collection of manuals could grow over time, depending on the
time for review, time for allowing input by regional partners, and
other aspects
• In specific cases, regional specifics could also be highlighted, or even
summarized in annexes or different volumes.
link to the work done by the Regional Soil Laboratory
Networks (RESOLANs) in term of regional harmonization of
the procedures to assess soil nutrient parameters.

To disseminate the knowledge collected in the manuals, it is proposed that
each RESOLAN select one laboratory that will be called a ‘Regional
Reference Center (RRC).
- to provide regional and international trainings (CAPACITY BUILDING)
- to facilitate standardization and harmonization of the methods within
and between regions (also exchange programmes)
- to facilitate the execution of activities in GLOSOLAN as needed

activities WITHIN Regions
Regional Reference Centers (RRC).

Regional Reference Centers (RRC)
activities BETWEEN Regions

Regional Reference Centers (RRC)
Ring test = same soil to different labs…
BETWEEN Regionsactivities BETWEEN Regions

Estimated required budget
USD 500 000 to
- Write and publish the manuals
- Build the capacity of RRC
- Organize regional trainings in the RRCs

Roadmap and main decisions:
Action Status
Develop an agenda for a second
meeting with an operational focus in
October/November 2018.
- Ring test
- Data policy
- Standard Operational Procedures
- Lab accreditation
- New innovation techniques
Undergoing: inputs for discussion
at the next meeting are being
collected

The Regional Soil
Laboratory Network for
Asia (SEALNET)
Mrs. Nopmanee Suvannang
GLOSOLAN Chair

Establishment of SEALNET
20-25 November 2017
• Appointment of Chair and Co-Chair Appointed on 20-25 Nov 2017
• Establishment of the working group Established on 20-25 Nov 2017
• Agree on the objectives of SEALNET Agreed upon on 20-25 Nov 2017
• Set up of the Roadmap for 2018 Set up on 20-25 Nov 2017
All participating countries decided to join SEALNET

Internal & External quality assessment
• Writing of “Guidelines for implementing good
laboratory practices and quality management in
soil laboratories
• Internal quality assessment
• Ring test on agreed upon soil parameters (using
agreed upon methods)
Draft under preparation
Due in July 2018
Data results due in July 2018
Results’ analysis due in September
2018
• pH in water (method: 1:2.5, unit of measure: N/A);
• Organic carbon (method: Walkley & Black, unit of measure: %C airdry)
• Exchangeable potassium (method: Ammonium acetate, unit of measure: cmolc K/kg or mg K/kg
airdry)
• Available phosphorus (method: Olsen, unit of measure: mg P/kg airdry)
Working group for SEALNET to develop Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs) for the 4
parameters listed above
First draft to be delivered on: August 2018
Internal revision: August – September 2018
Final draft: end of September 2018
Endorsement at 2nd
SEALNET meeting

Topics for discussion at the second SEALNET meeting
(Bhopal, India, 19-23 November 2018)
o Review of the ring test results;
o Review of the internal quality control assessment;
o Review and endorsement of the SOPs for pH in water, organic carbon,
exchangeable potassium and available phosphorus; and
o Identification of new soil parameters to develop SOPs on

By Floria Bertsch
The Regional Soil
Laboratory Network for
Latin America (LATSOLAN)

Launch of the
Latin American Soil Laboratories Network
March 1-3, 2018

México
Guatemala
El Salvador *
Honduras *
Nicaragua *
Costa Rica
Panamá
RepDominicana
Jamaica
Haití
Cuba *
Colombia
Venezuela
Ecuador
Perú
Bolivia
Brasil
Paraguay
Uruguay
Chile
Argentina
Costa Rica
*in inclusion process

• National Reference Lab are identified in almost
every country of the region
• There is a detailed diagnosis of 16 labs present in
México
• A Directive Group was established
• A Whatsapp group was established among all the
members
ADVANCES
MAIN ACHIEVEMENT
•First round of “Ring Test” was established

CHARACTERISTICS OF “Ring Test” ESTABLISHED
 3 samples of 250 g each
(Special letter for the phytosanitary control offices
of each country allowed the entry of 100% of the
samples without problem)
Soil parameters to evaluate:
pH
Total Carbon and Total Organic Carbon
Oxydized Organic Carbon, (Walkley & Black)
Total Nitrogen, (Kjeldahl y Dumas)
Exchangeable Ca-Mg-K, (Ammonium acetate)
Two protocols:
Lab routine
Consensus protocols (SOPs)

CALENDAR FOR FUTURES ACTIVITIES:
•Samples are in the countries since March
•Labs are doing lab routine process
•During June SOPs will be send
•June 30, Round 1 will begin
•July 31, Round 1 will finish
•Sep 15, Results of Round 1 will be send by Ring Test
Coordinator (A Guerrero)
• August 12-17, presentation of GLOSOLAN and
RESOLANs at the World Congress of Soil Science
(WCSS)
• Next meeting of LATSOLAN will happen during the next
Latin American Congress of Soil Science in Uruguay,
2019

Conclusions
If you want to get good quality data, there is the need to
invest in GLOSOLAN and RESOLANs’ activities:
-Need to spread the voice on the network (experts to
contribute);
-Need for laboratories to join network’s activities;
-Need to ease the distribution to soil samples for the ring
test;
-Need to mobilize financial resources to implement
network’s activities.

Ring test: the highest priority because…
It will never be possible to have one standard
For >100 years :
- meter/hectares/grammes/liter are standards,
but miles/acres/pounds/gallons are still used…
- all countries have electricity,
but they are still 12 standards for the plugs.

Ring test: the highest priority because…
It will never be possible to have one standard
For >100 years :
meter/hectares/grammes/liter are standards,
but miles/acres/pounds/gallons are still used…
all countries have electricity
but they are still 12 standards for the plugs.
harmonization

Regional Reference Centers (RRC).
With minimal financial investment
we can improve the quality of soil
data & we can also monitor
annually this lab improvement.
needs financial support..

Soil Lab Networks Harmonize Global Soil Analysis

Soil Lab Networks Harmonize Global Soil Analysis

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