Ninth Working Session of the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS), 10 ‐ 12 October 2018, FAO HQ, Rome, Italy

1. Global Soil
Laboratory Network
(GLOSOLAN)
Lucrezia Caon

2. Outcomes of the 5thGSP Plenary Assembly
Endorsement of Pillar 5
Implementation Plan and
support to its execution,
includingthe establishment
of regionalanda Global
SoilLaboratory Network

3. RegionalSoilLaboratoryNetworks
(RESOLANs)

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

5. When sending a same soil sample to any soil
lab…

6. When sending a same soil sample to any soil
lab…
…your expectation is to get
the same result
(+/- uncertainty)

7. When sending a same soil sample to any soil
lab…
…and to obtain the same soil
classification or provide
similar recommendations, etc.

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

9. P
Laboratory(confidential code)
pH
Laboratory(confidential code)
Example provided by SEALNET2.0 (ring
test, South-EastAsia)

10. In conclusion, if you sendthesamesoil
sampleto differentlabs…
Sometimesyougetdifferentresultsandconclusions

11. In conclusion, if you sendthesamesoil
sampleto differentlabs…
But which laboratory is right?

12. 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

13. Identify research gapse.g. which promising methods
require refinement and furtherdevelopment?
Area for investment,
technical cooperation,
extension services
Provision of reliabledata
to support the
establishment of the
Global Soil Information
System(GLOSIS)
Improve the basis for decision making regarding e.g.soil
fertility, SOCmanagement

14. Chair
Mrs. Nopmanee Suvannang (Thailand)
Vice-Chair
ITPS Chair for Pillar 5
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

15. FirstGLOSOLANmeeting: Roadmapandmain decisions
Action Status
Finalize the list of labs inGLOSOLAN
Dueon December2017
Executed!

16. Action Status
Finalize the list of labsin GLOSOLAN Executed!
Dueon December 2017
Onlinesurvey (lab characteristics) Executed!
Surveyparticipation:
-73 questions divided in 10 thematicareas
-300 submitted responses on 30 March 2018 (112 were complete
and used for the evaluation)
-732 views

17. Action Status
Finalize the list of labs inGLOSOLAN
Dueon December2017
Executed!
Onlinesurvey(lab characteristics) Executed!
Survey evaluation Executed!
Main conclusion: There is a dramatic need to develop a
Quality Control andAccreditation system.
Results to be presented and discussed at the 2nd
GLOSOLAN meeting

18. Action
Support the establishmentof
RESOLANs
Status
• Asia (SEALNET)
20-24 November 2017
Chair:Mr.Jamyang,Bhutan
• SouthAmerica+CentralAmericaand the
Caribbean(LATSOLAN):
1-3March2018
Chair:Mrs.FloriaBertsch,CostaRica

19. Action Status
Support the establishmentof
RESOLANs
• Undergoing:
• EuropeandEurasia
(EUROSOLAN?)
• Pacific(SPACNET?)
• NearEastandNorthAfrica
• Africa
• NorthAmerica

20. Action Status
Concept Note for a
"Best practices manual" Submitted!
Report from GLOSOLANChair Executed!
during the 6th GSPPlenaryAssembly

21. Despite multiple existing guidelinesand
handbooks, the variability of methods,
machinery and analytical quality is
immense.
Pillar5–Harmonization–foresees the development of abest practicesguideline.
•
•
• acompendiumofdifferentmanuals,oneforeachparameter and laboratory
operation, allows forthebest flexibleapproach
the collection of manuals could grow over time, depending on the time for
review,timeforallowing inputbyregional partners, and otheraspects
In specific cases,regionalspecificscouldalsobehighlighted,or even summarized
inannexesordifferent volumes.
link to the work done by the Regional Soil Laboratory Networks
(RESOLANs) in term of regional harmonization of the procedures to
assesssoil nutrientparameters.

22. To disseminate the knowledge collected in the manuals, it is proposed that
each RESOLAN select one laboratory that will be called a ‘Regional
ReferenceCenter (RRC).
-
-
-
to provide regional and international trainings(CAPACITYBUILDING)
to facilitate standardization and harmonization of the methods within
and between regions (also exchangeprogrammes)
to facilitate the execution of activities inGLOSOLANasneeded

23. Regional Reference Centers (RRC): Activities
WITHIN regions

24. Regional Reference Centers (RRC): Activities
BETWEEN regions (link to proficiency testing)

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

26. Action Status
Concept Note to launchan
international proficiency tests Underway
(collaboration with WEPAL) Regional proficiency tests are undergoing in
LatinAmerica andAsia– RESOLANs:
• Need for supportto exchangingsoilsamplesfor
researchpurposesunder GLOSOLAN
“The 6th GSP Plenary Assembly endorsed the proposal for
writing a planning document for proficiency tests under
GLOSOLAN and expressed the need for facilitating the
exchange of soil samples for research and technical
exchange purposes and asked the Secretariat to submit a
proposal in this regard.”

27. Action Status
Develop the agenda of the 2nd
GLOSOLAN meeting (28-30
November 2018
Core topics of discussion:
- Establishment of RESOLANs in Africa, NENA, the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia
- Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs) including the involvement of ISO
• How many SOPs are we going to develop under GLOSOLAN?
• Who to develop them?
• How to manage SOPs developed at the regional level in GLOSOLAN?
• Role of ISO
- Proficiency test including the involvement of WEPAL and the preparation of a planning document
plus a resolution to facilitate the exchange of soil samples under GLOSOLAN
• How are we going to manage regional and global ring tests? Regional ring tests need to be
harmonized!
• Capacity building at the national and regional level
• Data ownership and management (link to the GSP Soil Data Policy)
• Budget
• The issue of soil data results interpretation (how and when are we going to deal with it?)
• Implementation of the 6th GSP Plenary Assembly decisions
Executed!

28. Action Status
Develop the agenda of the 2nd
GLOSOLAN meeting (28-30
November 2018
Core topics of discussion:
- “Best practice manual”
• Is it needed or would it be a repetition of existing work?
• Objectives
• Timeline
• Leading authors
• Link to the Guidelines under development in SEALNET
- Data policy
- Lab accreditation
- New innovation techniques
Executed!

29. RESOLAN Asia:
SEALNET

30. Establishmentof SEALNET
20-25 November 2017
• Appointment of Chair andCo-Chair
• Establishment of the workinggroup
• Agree on the objectives ofSEALNET
• Setup of the Roadmapfor 2018
Appointed on 20-25 Nov2017
Established on 20-25 Nov2017
Agreed upon on 20-25 Nov2017
Setup on 20-25 Nov2017
All participating countriesdecidedto join SEALNET

31. Internal & External qualityassessment
•
•
•
Writing of “Guidelines for implementinggood
laboratory practices and quality managementin
soil laboratories
Internal quality assessment
Ringtest on agreed upon soil parameters (using
agreed upon methods)
Draft underpreparation
Duein July2018
Data results due in July2018
Results’analysisdue in September
2018
•
•
•
•
pHin water(method: 1:2.5, unit of measure: N/A);
Organic carbon (method: Walkley & Black,unit of measure:%Cairdry)
Exchangeable potassium (method: Ammonium acetate, unit of measure: cmolc K/kg or mg K/kg
airdry)
Available phosphorus (method: Olsen, unit of measure: mgP/kgairdry)
Workinggroupfor SEALNETto develop StandardOperational Procedures(SOPs)for the 4
parameters listed above
First draft to be delivered on: August2018
Internal revision: August– September 2018
Final draft: end of September 2018
Endorsement at 2nd SEALNETmeeting

32. Topics for discussion at the second SEALNETmeeting
(Bhopal, India,19-23 November 2018)
o Review of the ring testresults;
o Review of the internal quality controlassessment;
o Review and endorsement of the SOPsfor pHin water, organiccarbon,
exchangeablepotassium and available phosphorus; and
o Identification of new soil parameters to developSOPson

33. RESOLAN Latin
America:
LATSOLAN

34. Launch of the Latin American Soil Laboratories Network (LATSOLAN),
1-3 March, 2018, Mexico
Participating countries: Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panamá, Dominican Republic,
Jamaica, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile
and Argentina
Pending countries: El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti and Cuba

35.  ADirective Groupwas established
 Launchofa regionalring test
Advances
 3 samplesof 250 geach
(Specialletter forthe phytosanitary control offices of eachcountry allowed
the entry of 100%of the sampleswithout 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:
• Labroutine
• Consensusprotocols (SOPs) 2nd LATSOLAN meeting:
11-14 March 2019