First meeting of the Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN), 1 - 2 Nov 2017 at FAO HQ in Rome. This network will be composed of national soil reference laboratories as a means to exchange resources, knowledge and experience. The goal of GLOSOLAN is to strengthen the performance of laboratories in support of the harmonization of soil data sets and information towards the development of standards. Indeed, the harmonization of soil analysis is a critical component of making soil information comparable and interpretable across laboratories, countries and regions. Presentations by Nopmanee Suvannang, Land Development Department (LDD), Bangkok.

1. First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO
Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
1

2. Ms. Nopmanee Suvannang, LDD
& Mr. Christian Hartmann, IRD
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
2
Experiences from the South-East
Asia Laboratory NETwork
(SEALNET)

3. 3
From the past…
Our vision
for the future.
…to the present.

4. The first seeds…
4First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017

5. 1983
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
5
IBSRAM
International Board for
Soil Research and
Management
Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research
www.cgiar.org
International organization funded by donors
IRRI, CIAT, IWMI, etc.
≈
at the invitation of Thai government
(Land Development Department,
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives,Bangkok)
1985
Thailand is the Chair of the Asian Soil Partnership

6. Goal
Poverty alleviation & food security in tropical regions.
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017 6
IBSRAM
International Board for
Soil Research and
Management
How:?
partnership with 50 national institutions
Main constraint
To be able to compare soils data
provided by these 50 institutions!
NEED FOR STANDARDISATION

7. The first SEALNET
pre-draft manual
about analytical
methods
7First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017

8. 1999
8
IBSRAM not only provided technical support
for the laboratories…
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017

9. 9
Also created a specific network: SEALNET!
The South East Asia Laboratories NETwork!
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
1999
Objectives: - Standardisation of analytical procedures;
- Improving data quality.

10. 10
Another meeting in Bangkok/IRD
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
2002

11. But…2003
Internal governance problem
X was merged
Continue networking strategy
with its regional laboratories.
But the SEALNET (that is international)
remained inactive for 10 years

12. After dormancy,
new leaves on our trees…
12First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017

13. 13
“In response to adverse conditions, plants go’
dormant’ :
leaves die, but life is still in the roots”.
SEALNET was dormant for about 10 years,
then the environment improved
and it started to grow again
...

14. 14
The environement improved:2013
Land Development Department
(LDD, www.ldd.go.th )
&
Institut de Recherche pour le Dévelopement
(IRD, www.ird.fr )
launched an ‘International Joint Laboratory’
The impact of rapid Land Use changes on Soil Ecosystem Services.
(www.luses.ird.fr )

15. • To understand the dynamic of soil characteristics under
the effect of land use changes in SEA.
One of its objectives was:
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017 15
2 UMR from IRD
+ 7 institutions from
3 Asian countries

16. needs COMPARABLE
soil data.
16
Like IBSRAM, the LMI-LUSES
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
2 UMR from IRD
+ 7 institutions from
3 Asian countries

17. 17
LMI-LUSES launched
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
2014
- standardisation of analytical procedures;
- checking the quality of analytical results.
Objectives:

18. 18
LMI-LUSES launched
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
2014
1. Standardisation of analytical procedures,
2. Implementing Good Lab Practices (GLP),
3. Running inter-laboratory comparison (ring test).
Activities:

19. Vientiane (Lao PDR) first training-workshop
19
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
2014

20. 20

21. First interlaboratory comparisons
(or ‘ring test’)
21
The same soil samples sent to different labs!
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
2014
The soil samples were prepared to get:
- homogeneity of all replicates;
- random distribution of the replicates.

22. Ring test SEALNET methodology
• samples preparation (20 kg soils)
22First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017

23. • Homogenization
23First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
Ring test SEALNET methodology

24. our 6 soil samples + 2 certified reference
soil samples
24First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
Low cost High cost
to test lab’s
PRECISION
6 rep/soil
to test lab’s
ACCURACY &
PRECISION
4 rep/soil

25. 6 rep. x 6 soils
= 36
4 rep. X 2 soils
= 8
25
Low cost High cost
6 rep
4 rep
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017

26. Every lab received a
set of
44 soil samples
26First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
but did not know:
 how many different
soils;
 how many
replicates.

27. Randomization
inside every set
27
Moreover
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
impossible to copy
between ≠
laboratories

28. Ring test results presented at our
Bangkok meeting
28First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
December 2015

29. What did we learn from
the ‘ring test’?
29

30. 30
17 labs in 3 countries: do NOT
provide the same results…
Some examples
Laboratory (confidential code)
P

31. 31
17 labs in 3 countries: do NOT
provide the same results…
Some examples
Laboratory (confidential code)
P

32. 32
17 labs in 3 countries: do NOT
provide the same results…
Some examples
Laboratory (confidential code)
pH

33. What did we learn from the ‘ring test’?
33
One soil sample sent
to several labs
High probability to get
different results!
WHY?
Because of:
1. non-standard procedures;
2. no inter-calibration.

34. …already obtained ISO 17025
Hanoi meeting
(Soil and Fertilisers’ Research Institute)
22-24 November 2016
34
Lectures/exercises Good Laboratory Practices
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017

35. Our first fruits…
35First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017

36. Synergies between SEALNET
and the Global Soil Partnership
36
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
Pillar 5 on
“Harmonization of methods, measurements
and indicators for the sustainable
management and protection of soil
resources”

37. SEALNET included in the ASP implementation
plan, which was endorsed by Asian member
countries
The GSP Plenary Assembly endorses the global
implementation plan for Pillar 5:
GLOSOLAN and RESOLAN
37
14-16 December 2015
20-22 June 2017
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
SEALNET is RESOLAN for Asia

38. First lab managers meeting
(Bogor, Indonesia)
Hosted and co-financed by IAARD
38First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
20-25 November, 2017
Objectives:
1. start defining calibration and harmonizing
soil testing procedures and practices in
reference laboratories in ASP countries;
2. set up a regional inter-laboratory
proficiency program to implement QA/QC
procedures and processes.
Expected outcomes:
- decide some SOPs;
- decide priorities of GLP to have quick impact on lab quality (precision);
- launch INTERLAB COMPARISON (accuracy);
- start implementing error measurement;
- decide safety priorities.

39. 39
70 % of the
world population
18 out of 24 ASP countries will attend the meeting
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017

40. 40
How can we know the lab quality?
SEALNET suggests to rank the lab according to:
Precision Accuracy Safety

41. 41
Each lab can have different ranks for each criteria:
Precision Accuracy Safety

42. It is important to reach
the highest step….
It is also important to help
each other to reach
the highest step!

43. 43
It is important to remember that
mistakes CANNOT be avoided, thus…
…to keep going up, a lab needs to
implement quality control on a regular basis!

44. Harvest the fruits:
link the RESOLANs with GLOSOLAN
44First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017

45. 45
We need GLOSOLAN to coordinate the diversity
existing between RESOLANs
To know what you can do all together
you need to know each lab

46. 46
SEALNET has suggested a questionnaire
[under consideration at this meeting]
This questionnaire is easy to fill: we can easily get a lot of information
on the existing situation & possible improvements.
We tested the questionnaire on a few labs in Asia. Some considerations:
Laboratory staff
Results
• Staff numbers ranged from 12 to 29
• Temporary staff comprised 21 to 42% of total staff
• All staff had formal lab analysis qualifications but on-the-job training was undertaken in
all labs
Comments
• Large percentages of temporary staff indicate that
o Staff turnover may be high in the labs
o Retaining trained staff is a high priority of lab management
o Structured in-house training programs will be essential to maintain staff skills

47. SUMMARY OF QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTSSoil analyses
Results
• Labs analysed between 2,000 to 15,000 samples per year
• Soil pH in water: Soil:solution ratio ranged from 1:1 (2 labs); 1:2.5 (1 lab); 1:5
(3 labs)
• Soil EC: Soil:solution ratio ranged from 1:1 (1 lab) to 1:5 (5 labs)
• Organic carbon: all labs used Walkley-Black method.
Soil sample particle size ranged from <2mm (2 labs) to <0.5mm (4 labs)
• Available potassium: all labs determined exchangeable K in M NH4Ac, pH7
• Available phosphorus methods: Olsen-P (4 labs); Bray P1 (2 labs); Bray P2 (4
labs)
Comments
• Variation in methodology for soil pH and soil EC (different soil: solution ratios) and
Walkley-Black organic carbon (different sample particle sizes) will result in different
values for the same soil property
• Comparing results for the same soil property across methods will require:
o One Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) for each method
o Regression equations that allow values from one method to be calculated
for another method

48. SUMMARY OF QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS
Lab clients and soil test interpretation
Results
• All labs had multiple clients (government, research providers, farmers, private sector);
• All labs provided advice and interpretation of reported analyses;
• Three different soil P tests are reported (Olsen-P, Bray P1, Bray P2)
Comments
• Different interpretation guidelines are required for each soil P test;
• It is unlikely that one soil P test can be predicted from another because they
measure different soil P pools
Lab Quality Assurance/ Quality Control
Results
• All labs had method SOPs;
• All labs included internal reference soils in each batch;
• All labs used certified reference material and /or certified standards;
• Four labs had ISO accreditation, five labs had ASPAC certification for some soil analyses
Comments
• Only three labs had certified reference material available. It is therefore very
important to have all labs able to participate in a Proficiency Testing Program to
benchmark its performance against other labs

49. 49
Concerning the possible improvement:
it will never be possible to get a single procedure for each
analysis !
With 12 standards, what is important is…
HARMONISATION!

50. we would like to thank our colleagues that had a vision and planted the seeds so that we
can get the benefit of eating the fruits from the tree::
K. Nualsri
50
Roland Poss Jean Petard Rod Lefroy
K. SomsakK. Samruay

51. Thanks for your attention
First Meeting of the GLOSOLAN, FAO
Headquarters, Rome, 1-2 Nov 2017
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