This document outlines the goals and implementation plan of Pillar 5 of GLOSOLAN, which aims to harmonize soil characterization and analysis globally. It discusses developing (1) guidelines for best practices in soil sampling, preparation, and analysis; (2) a network of reference soil laboratories to support application of guidelines; and (3) a global spectral library for soil properties. The plan also establishes Regional Soil Laboratory Networks to coordinate application of recommended procedures regionally through workshops, meetings and proficiency testing. Next steps include defining GLOSOLAN's membership, roles, and operational details to embed it within the Global Soil Partnership's harmonization efforts.

1. Goals and Implementation
Plan of Pillar 5 – Purpose and
concept of GLOSOLAN
Rainer Baritz (acting Chair Pillar 5)

2. Pillar 5
Harmonization principles Objectives
Commonality
Inclusiveness
1. Cooperation
Efficiency
Multilinguality
2. Harmonization operations
Interoperability
Extensibility
Scalability
Develop an over-arching system
for harmonized soil
characterization
Exchange data using a variety
of data sources
Develop and agree on target
standards
 Plan of Action: areas of harmonization
 Recommendations

3. Global Soil Information System
Pillar 4
Evaluation/Interpretation
Pillar 3 research
Pillar 1 monitoring
Pillar 2 awareness
P I L L A R 5
Indicators
SoilAnalysis
Dataexchangestandard
SoilMappingMethods
SoilDescription&Classification
Areas of
harmonization
Pillar 5

4. Pillar 5  Regional Implementation Plans/Actions
RIP Product Description Activity Description
AfSP
Network of well-
equipped and/or ISO
certified soil reference
laboratories
 Inventory of facilities and capacities
 Establish at least one ISO certified reference laboratory
per sub-region (Western, Central, Eastern, Southern
Africa)
Eurasia Manual
 Manual for field sampling, laboratory analyses and data
use (e.g. remote sensing)
Central
America
Soil sampling and
analysis
 Inventory of laboratories and methodologies
 Establish a network of laboratories including reference
laboratories and a portal to facilitate the exchange of
information and comparison of results
South
America
Monitoring the quality
of laboratory analyses
 Analysis of reference samples
 Inventory of the soil analysis laboratories and methods
ESP Soil Analysis
 Europe-wide network of soil laboratories
 Establishing soil reference laboratories
 Develop best practice recommendations and procedures
for soil sampling, storage, analysis

5. Pillar 5  Implementation Plan
 Actions (global)
I. Review of existing practices for field sampling, sample
preparation and measurement
A. Collection of existing analytical methods and local variants
B. Coding of soil analytical data
II. Specifications and guidelines for harmonized approaches to the
determination of the main functional properties of soils
A. Manual: Standards and best practice in soil analysis
B. Reference soil laboratories
C. Spectral library
D. Regional soil laboratory networks (GLOSOLAN for
coordination)

6. 1. Review of existing practices
A. Collection of existing analytical
methods and local variants
 existing common practices
and standards
 sampling, sample preparation
and sample analysis
 Current restrictions to operate See P5GIP Annex: reference publications,
overview of ISO standards
Build content information
system (CMS) for the
documentation of laboratory
methods

7. Method selection and description
Criteria to describe soil analytical methods
1 Name of the analytical method
2 Methodological principles including measuring unit
3 Quality characteristics (e.g. reproducibility and
reliability, validation data) (for methods for which this is
applicable)
4 Scope and limitations, difficulties and
recommendations for use
5 Requirements for sampling, transport and storage
6 Sample treatment and preparation
7 Apparatus (analysis and additional devices)
8 Plausibility criteria (e.g. value range for typical soils)
9 Restrictions and methodological errors
10 Criteria for method selection
11 Bibliography (e.g. reference method, applications)
Selection of
parameters
Purpose (e.g. soil
monitoring)
Forest Grass-
land
Crop-
land
Method
selection

8. B. Coding of soil analytical data
1. Review of existing practices
Generic laboratory coding
system for analytical
metadata (code lists see
CMS)
1. Sampling
code
1 Sample material (e.g. mineral soil)
2 Sampling procedure (e.g. satellites)
3 Type of sample (e.g. mixed)
4 Sampling device (e.g. 15x15 cm frame)
5 Material of sampling device (e.g. steel)
6 Material of transport device (e.g. PE plastic bag)
7 Transport conditions (e.g. average temperature)
2. Sample
preparation
1 Storage (e.g. temperature)
2 Drying (e.g. temperature)
3 Initial crushing of the sample
4 material of the crusher
5 Type and material of the sieve
6 Mesh size
7 Grinding (e.g. apparatus)
8 Material of the grinder
9 Type of Filter (e.g. soil water samples)
10 Mesh size of filter
3. Analysis
code
1 Code of method
2 Chemical medium
3 Extraction method
4 Final treatment (e.g. filter)
4. Apparatus
code
1-6 Description of type of apparatus/measurement
system

9. A. Manual: Standards and best practice in soil analysis
2. Specifications and guidelines for
harmonized approaches to the
determination of the main functional
properties of soils
sampling, sample preparation, soil
analytical procedures, including soil
chemical and soil physical analyses for a
core set of parameters
SEALNET manual on “Analytical
methods for agricultural and
environmental samples: soil, plant,
fertilizer and water”
Example:
Guideline for soil analytical
reference procedures as an
easy-look-up laboratory good
practice

10. A. Core soil parameters (proposal)
 pH
 Carbonate content
 Gypsum and salt content
 Electrical conductivity
 Organic C
 Total N and nitrate
 Phosphorous
 Potassium
 Cation exchange capacity
 Exchangeable Aluminum,
Iron and Manganese
 Exchangeable bases
 Particle size distribution
 Bulk density
 Coarse fragments
based on GlobalSoilMap; SOTER
Selection criteria?
Best method?
Micronutrients? e.g B, Mn, Zn
Soil monitoring (Pillar 4):
Methods for soil biological
parameters (e.g. abundance of
earthworms, soil respiration)

11. B. Reference soil laboratories (RSL)
2. Specifications and guidelines for
harmonized approaches
[one or several reference soil laboratories
in RSP, if possible for each country]
 support the broad application of
recommended methods at the
best quality possible, regional
information exchange,
interlaboratory comparisons and
trainings
 develop reference materials,
organize and evaluate inter
laboratory ring tests, and
support analytical harmonization
Develop the requirements
catalogue and procedure to
designate RSL
Conduct soil ring tests
[decide on parameters, analytical
procedures and timing and coordination of
ring tests ]

12. B. RSL criteria
 qualified, trained, and experienced staff
 right equipment - appropriately calibrated and
maintained
 adequate quality assurance and quality control
procedures
 appropriate (sub-)sampling practices
 sound testing and/or inspection procedures
 accurate recording and reporting of data
 appropriate testing environment
 safety and disposal of hazardous wastes standards
 accreditation needed? (ISO 17025)

13. C. Spectral library
2. Specifications and guidelines for
harmonized approaches to the
determination of the main functional
properties of soils
Develop guidelines for
collecting spectral data sets
(incl. metadata scheme)Soil visible near- and mid-infrared
(Visible-NIR/MIR) reflectance
spectroscopy
• Laboratory
• in situ (portable spectrometers)
• air- and space borne sensors
Objective: produce robust prediction
models for soil properties over large
areas, large spectral libraries
Analyse methodical
laboratory-specific effects
Prepare and distribute standard soil
samples, calibrate spectral data against
reference soil analytical data
Develop a global spectral
library (database)

14. C. Overview: existing spectral libraries
Shepherd & Walsh (2002) 1,000 samples (eastern and southern Africa)
Brown et al. (2006) 3,768 samples (USA); 400 samples (globally)
ICRAF-ISRIC 4,436 samples from 785 soil profiles (world-wide)
Viscarra Rossel and Webster (2012)
21,500 samples from 4,000 soil profiles
(Australia)
Stevens et al. (2013) (LUCAS Soil data) 20,000 samples (Europe, 23 countries)
Rapid Carbon Assessment (2013) 144,833 samples at 6,017 locations (USA)
USDA Kellogg Soil Survey Lab (2017)
100,000+ samples with corresponding analytical
data (USA)
US Geological Survey (2017)
mineral, field, airborne, and spacecraft libraries
(USA)
Africa Soil Information Service (2013)
17,000 samples from 60 sentinel sites (Sub-
Saharan Africa)
Goge et al. (2012) 2,200 samples (France)
Knadel et al. (2012) 2,851 samples (Denmark)
Brodsky et al. (2011) 500+ samples (Czech Republic)
Vasques et al. (2010) 7,120 samples (Florida)
Suvannang et al. (2016) 7,433 samples(Thailand)
Costantini et al. (2016) 1,500 samples (Italy)

15. D. Regional Soil Laboratory Networks (RESOLAN)
2. Specifications and guidelines for
harmonized approaches to the
determination of the main functional
properties of soils
Establish Regional Soil
Laboratory Networks
(RESOLAN)
Workshops, Meetings
 Application of recommended
procedures and laboratory
performance can best be managed
by region
 Members: one or several leading
soil laboratories, which may act as
national reference centres for soil
analysis

16. Regional Laboratory Networks: Asian Soil Partnership -
SEALNET
— workshops (incl. training) (2014/15/16)
— Inter-Laboratory Proficiency Program (ring test,
2016/17)
— standard operation procedures (SOPs) for organic
carbon and available phosphorus (drafted during
2016 workshop)
— soil lab capacity survey (2016)
— lab registration and infrastructure assessment (in
discussion)

17. GLOSOLAN: Discussion/next steps
- Memberships/roles of participants
- GLOSOLAN/RESOLAN: engage in regional
networks
- Embed in GSP harmonization system and
GLOSIS
- Operation of GLOSOLAN needs to be
developed (prioritization, detailed tasks,
homework for GLOSOLAN members)
- Elect Chair; member of P5WG
- Roadmap: Plenary Assembly 2018