Quality Assurance/Quality Control:
SHL has a QA/QC plan to ensure that the results we report are accurate. If you believe that your results may be erroneous, we will reanalyze them at no additional charge.
SHL participates in the NAPT soil and plant programs and ALP soil program. Samples are submitted quarterly, and any methods in which values were not in range are examined for sources of error. Contact the lab for up-to-date information on our PAP-accreditation status.
Methods used in the Soil Health Laboratory:
The Soil Health Laboratory has standard methods that we use for sample analysis. If there is a different method that you would like used, please contact us to see if it will be possible. If you would like a method used that the laboratory has not used before, you will need to pay for the time needed to develop the method and any QA/QC parameters required.
Methods Used in the Soil Health Laboratory
Instruments used in the Soil Health Lab include:
CNS: Elementar Vario Macro Cube
Analyzes ~100mg of solid, dried, ground soil or plant samples for Total C, N, and S. We use Total C to estimate % organic matter.
TOC/TN: Shimadzu TOC-L and TN-L
Analyzes soil extracts or water samples for total organic carbon and total nitrogen.
Microbial respiration/Mineralizable C: Picarro G2131-i
Measures carbon dioxide (CO₂) released from soil during a short incubation period. This CO₂ is produced by microbes as they decompose organic carbon, so it reflects microbial activity and the amount of carbon that is readily mineralizable.
pH/EC: Hanna HI5522
Analyzes soil or water samples for active or exchangeable pH and slurry EC.
Microwave digestor: Anton Paar MultiwaveGO
Digests samples in preparation for total elemental analysis. Extracts analyzed on ICP-OES.
ICP-OES: Agilent 5110 VDV ICP-OES
Analyzes dissolved liquid plant and soil extracts and water samples for a variety of elements: P, K, Ca, Na, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe, B, As, Cd, Ni, Pb, Mo, and other elements on request.
Implen N80 and VWR V1200 Spectrophotometer
Analyzes soil extracts or water samples for colorimetric reactions. Used in Active Carbon ("POxC"), ACE Protein, nitrate-nitrogen, and phosphate-phosphorus.
Dry ash/LOI: Thermolyne F-A1730
Heats soil samples and plant samples to the ashing temperature for estimates of soil organic matter and analysis of the inorganic elemental composition of plants. Plant extracts analyzed on ICP-OES.