Laboratory Analysis

After the collection of soil data and samples, the development of the SIS continues with laboratory analysis on the soil samples. Soil samples collected during field surveys or monitoring programs need to be analyzed in a consistent way to permit sound interpretations. This can be done in laboratories that analyze soil. The aim is to deliver consistent and comparable results of sufficient or high quality within and between labs in time and on a wide range of soil properties. To this end many lab methods have been and continue to be developed and standardized into standard operating procedures (SOPs). Most reputable labs have adopted quality assessment and control procedures, and several tools and communities exist that aim to standardize methods, improve quality, and provide capacity building. This workflow step provides an overview of categories of lab methods and introduces various standards and (digital) tools available to facilitate good quality soil lab analysis.

The Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN) was established in 2017 to build and strengthen the capacity of laboratories in soil analysis and to respond to the need for harmonizing soil analytical data. Harmonization of methods, units, data and …

By recognizing the potential of spectral technology in soil analysis and soil mapping and monitoring, GLOSOLAN aims to address the constraints that still hamper the wider uptake of this technology. Major constraints include (1) the lack of standards …

GLOSOLAN globally harmonizes standard operating procedures (SOPs) and make them available online - to all users - for FREE. All our SOPs are compiled in the GLOSOLAN’s Best practice manual, an online document structured as a flexible compendium of …

This page attempts to catalogue all freely-downloadable primary soils information usable in a GIS either as ‘points’, lines, polygons or grids (‘rasters’). This compilation has been maintained first at University of Twente/ITC …

Laboratory data are critical to the understanding of the properties and genesis of a single pedon, as well as to the understanding of fundamental soil relationships based on many observations of a large number of soils. The development of an …

This laboratory manual presents the procedures for soil analysis as they were in use at ISRIC at the time of writing (1986-2002). Indeed, because of changes within procedures or the introduction of new procedures and laboratory equipment such a …