Welcome to the Central Analytical Lab at Oregon State University. We analyze plant tissue, soil and water for nutrients.

Research in the agricultural, natural resource, and environmental sciences requires timely access to accurate chemical analyses of plants, soils, and waters. The Central Analytical Laboratory (CAL) in the Department of Crop and Soil Science meets this need by providing fee-based analytical services to OSU scientists and cooperating investigators. The CAL also serves as an important resource for Oregon students and extension clientele seeking information and advice about plant, soil, and water analysis.

Objectives:

• Provide chemical analysis of plant tissues, soil extracts, water mixtures, biosolids, and geologic material digests in support of research, teaching, and extension in soil, fertility, plant nutrition, soil chemistry, and earth science.
• Develop and maintain expertise in analyzing soils, plants, and waters for essential ecosystem nutrients as well as elements posing environmental hazards.
• Provide physical analysis of soil materials and geologic substrates in support of research, teaching, and extension in land use and management, ecosystem management, and environmental protection.
• Develop and maintain expertise analyzing soils and geologic materials for intrinsic physical properties.

Previous Work and Present Outlook:

The Central Analytical Laboratory has it’s roots in a number of OSU laboratories, some of which date back nearly fifty years. Analytical laboratories combined within the last decade to form the CAL include the OSU Soil Testing Laboratory, the Dept. of Crop Science Plant Analysis Laboratory (formerly Dept. of Soil Science Plant Analysis Laboratory), the Dept. of Horticulture Plant Analysis Laboratory, the Dept. of Forest Science Analytical Laboratory, and the Dept. of Crop and Soil Science Soil Physical Characterization Laboratory.

---

If you are looking at a plant disease, call the Plant Disease Clinic in the Botany and Plant Pathology Dept. (541) 737-3472.

If you need your water tested for bacteria, call the Microbiology Dept. (541) 737-4441.