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 General Lab Information

 Laboratory User Guide Laboratory User's Guide

 

Turnaround Time:

 

Samples for routine analysis are normally analyzed and reported within 2 to 5 working days after they are  received. Forage nitrate results are reported the next day by email and web. Results are usually returned via U.S. Mail or printed from the web, but can be returned by fax.
 

Submitting Samples:

 

Samples should be submitted through County Extension Offices or directly to the lab. County Extension Offices throughout the state provide sample bags, tools and technical assistance for collecting and shipping samples, and result interpretation.
 

Confidentiality:

 

Results of all tests are available only to the client, unless released by client's written notification.
 

Instrumentation:

 

SWFAL employs state-of-the-art equipment capable of handling a wide range of analytical tasks. The main instruments used in the lab include:

  1. Two Lachat Flow Injection Auto-analyzers

  2. Two Spectro CirOs ICP Spectrometers

  3. Two Ankom Fiber Analyzers

  4. Two LECO TruSpec Carbon and Nitrogen Analyzers

Membership:

  1. National Forage Testing Association

  2. Soil and Plant Analysis Council

Quality Assurance:

 

Accuracy and precision of test results are assured through daily analysis of quality control samples, a three step internal data review process, and participation in external certification and sample exchange programs. All instruments are calibrate with certified standards and maintained according to the specification.

Internal quality control standards listed below are included in each sample run. The permissible ranges are set at two times the standard deviation (mean ± 2 std.) If results are outside the permissible ranges, corrective action will be taken.

  1. One check sample is included in every 9 samples for soil pH, nitrate, phosphorus and potassium analyses;

  2. Alfalfa and orchard leaf check standards are part of forage analyses: protein, ADF and NDF;

  3. Salinity check samples and blanks are used for soil and water salinity analyses. Anion and cation balance is also used to ensure accuracy.

External Certification or Sample Exchange Programs:

  1. North American Proficiency Testing Program since 1994, soil, water and plant sample analyses quarterly;
  2. Agriculture Interlaboratory Proficiency (ALP) Program since 2006, soil, water and plant samples three times per year;
  3. Manure Analysis Proficiency Program  since 2004, three times per year;
  4. National Forage Testing Association's Forage Analysis Certification Program since 1993, five times per year, certification has been granted every year since 1995.
  5. Environmental Resource Associates, water samples 6 times per year since 2006.

Lab Personnel:

  1. Hailin Zhang, Director

  2. Mike Kress, Manager

  3. Barbara McCray, Financial and Data Management

  4. Jason Ray, Technician

  5. Arron Moore, Technician

  6. Diane Becker, Technician

  7. Kendall Taylor, Technician

  8. Josh Daniels, Technician

  9. Justin Eubanks, Technician

  10. Byron Walden, Technician

  11. Leslea Thurber, Technician

  12. Shannon Anderson, Technician

  13. Mike Transue, Lab Assistant

  14. Colby Wade, Office Assistant

  15. Atul R., Software Programmer