The report details the renovation of the Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory at DZARC to modernize its facilities for accreditation to international standards (ISO 17025) and expand its service capacity beyond soil research. Key renovations included room divisions for different analytical processes, installation of modern equipment, and creating a dust-free environment, allowing for effective testing of a variety of agricultural samples. The laboratory now supports multidisciplinary research efforts to enhance agricultural productivity and quality sustainably.

1. Report o
Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory
ANRL, Debre
Report on Laboratory Renovation
Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory
ebre Zeit Agricultural Research Center

2. Introduction
Agricultural chemistry laboratory at DZARC is one of renovated laboratories to modernize its
facility for generating quality analytical data in agricultural research system. Before renovation
(as Soil Laboratory), its facility was not suitable to accrediting the laboratory systems on the
way to international standard (ISO, 17025). It has been also limited capacity to provide services
for different research process other than soil research process. As a result of this, the updating
of the laboratory facility as well the management system is very important to accrediting this
laboratory with international standard plus to growing its scope of testing services to other
research process. After the renovation, the laboratory design, configurations and equipment
setups changed as agricultural chemistry laboratory that allow to used by a different research
disciplines for their purpose.
After the laboratory management changes, the following renovation activities conducted on
chemistry laboratory at DZARC.
1. The single laboratory room divided by the aluminum partions based on different analytical
process to prevent the interference effect between different testes.
2. The laboratory floor and the roofs is covered by epoxy and plastic tile, respectively to
maintain dust free environment in the laboratory.

3. 3. Offices materials
The office materials such as tables , chairs and Wi-Fi ICT materials also purchased for
researchers and custodian. However, the tables for researchers are not used so far due to
office limitation for and internet capacity limitation for Wi-Fi facility in the center.
3.1. Custodian office (Room 1)
The custodian office is furnished with office tables, chairs, disk top computer and other office
materials. The soil, plant, water ,feed and food samples are received in the custodian room for
registration, coding and distributed to technician for analysis and collected back the samples
and the result.

4. 2.2. laboratory head /QMR office( Room 2)
The room equipped with office materials and shelf's to document the laboratory quality
manual and different files.
4. The laboratory is furnished by benches, Laboratory stools, and cabinets in all rooms.
Kaliti Construction Materials Production Factory offered the laboratory bench , storage cabinet
and safety showers based on his agreement. but the laboratory Lab Trollys and white board are
not availed until now.

5. Table 1. Lab benches and cabinets installed by KCMPF
Sr
No
Materials Unit Request
ed Qnty
Offered
Qnty
Location room Remark
1 Lab Bench Wall Stand
(3.25*0.75*0.90 m)
PCS 3 3 Room 7,8,9
2 Lab Bench Wall Stand
(2.55*0.75*0.90 m)
PCS 5 5 Room
5(2),7,8,11
3 Lab Bench Wall Stand
(4.05*0.75*0.90 m)
PCS 4 4 Room 7,8,9,11
4 Lab Bench Wall Stand
(8.95*0.75*0.90 m)
PCS 1 1 Room 10
5 Lab Bench Wall Stand
(7.26*0.75*0.90 m)
PCS 1 1 Room 10
6 Lab Bench Wall Stand
(5.41*0.80*0.90 m)
PCS 1 1 Room 6
7 Lab Bench Wall Stand
(1.88*0.80*0.90 m)
PCS 1 1 Room 3
8 Lab Bench Wall Stand
(1.50*0.80*0.90 m)
PCS 1 1 Room 5
9 Lab Bench Wall Stand
(2.50*0.80*0.90 m)
PCS 1 1 Room 11
10 Lab sinks Pcs 14 14 Room 5(2), 6(2),
7(3), 8(2), 9(2),
10(3), 11(1)
The water tap
is not standard
for lab
11 Base Cabinet (900*600*600mm) 2-
drawer & 2-doors 18mm L-MDF
PCS 40 40 All rooms It is better if it
has a key to
locked
12 Base Cabinet (1350*600*600mm)
2-drawer & 2-doors 18mm L-MDF
PCS 6 6 All rooms not lockable
13 Base Cabinet (450*600*600mm) 2-
drawer & 2-doors 18mm L-MDF
PCS 10 10 All rooms not lockable
14 Storage Cabinet(0.80*0.40*2.00m)
20mm MOP T
PCS 3 3 Room 10
Room 6
Room 4
not lockable
15 Storage Cabinet (1.20*0.40*2.00m)
20mm MDF
PCS 4 4 Room 7,8, 11
and Seed lab
not lockable
16 Storage Cabinet (1.50*0.40*2.00m)
20mm MDF
PCS 12 12 Room 2(2), 3(2),
4, 5 ,6(3),9 &
Corridor
not lockable
17 Emergency Shower & Eye Wash PCS 2 2 Room 6, 10 Good
18 White Board Movable (1.90*1.20m) 2 Not
offered
19 Lab Trollys (0.90*0.60*0.90) 2 Not
offered

6. Generally, Agricultural chemistry research laboratory of DZARC has the following facilities in
each room for the specific testing process.
4.1. Balancing room (Room 3)
Balancing room equipped with different types of analytical balances to weighing the samples
and chemicals for analysis and cabinets for temporary storage of samples and chemicals during
ongoing analysis activity

7. 4.2. Digestion room (Room 4)
The facilities includes fume hood, block digester and furnaces are available in this room . The
pressure plate apparatus also facilitated in this room for soil water holding capacity
determination. Wet Digestion of soil, plant, feed and food samples are conducted in this room
for macro and micro nutrient analysis. it is the first steps of chemical analysis in chemistry
laboratory. In addition, for the digestion and preparation of reagents, chemicals carry out in the
Fume Hood.

8. 4.3. High tech instrument room ( Room 5)
This room is furnished with three benches including one small bench for AAS placement and
the other two benches used as working bench during analysis. One water sink and One cabinet
(150cm width ) are also available in this room. The instrumental reading of micro nutrients
and heavy metals under take in this room by AAS . The room has also enough space and facility
if ICP-MS will installed in this room.

9. 4.4. Food, feed and water sample preparation and washing room (Room 6)
In this room one bench with two water sinks are installed for washing of different glassware's
and plant sample preparation. It is equipped with various equipment such as washing machine,
refrigerator, plant grinding mail, safety shower and four different size cabinets plant sample and
glassware storage.

10. 4.5 Distillation room (Room 7)
This room is equipped with three benches , one cabinets, water distiller and distillation units for
TN, NO3 ,NH4 , CEC contents and protein contents determination of soil, food and feed
samples. The distilled water also produced in this room for analysis.

11. 4.6. Titration room (Room 8)
In this room the more traditional analytical processes are carried out, e.g., pH, electrical
conductivity, and anions and cations. Various items of equipment and associated with titration
such as digital burette, titrat , calcimeter , pH meter, and conductivity meter are generally found
in this room.

12. 4.7. Instrumental Room (Room 9)
In this room the instrumental reading are conducted by using different instruments including
flame photometer ,spectrophotometer and near infrareds spectroscope. This room is also
equipped with refrigerator for storage of standard reagent chemicals and computer for data
calculation and records.

13. 4.8 Extraction room (Room 10)
In the extraction room the analytical processes of shaking, stirring, filtering and centrifuging are
done almost exclusively with the aid of electrical machines and devices. In addition, preparation
of reagents, chemicals carry out in this room.

14. 4.9. Ashing and Oven dry room (room 11)
This is where the sub-samples are dried in oven for moisture content determination . the
hygroscopic natured chemicals are also dried in oven to remove the moisture content for
measuring the actual weight in reagent preparation. Dry ashing process and ash content
determination is also conducted in this room. The room generally equipped with furnace ,
ovens and different hot plates.

15. 5. Soil and plant Preparation & storage Room(Separate building)
In this room the bulk soil and plant sample from customers are received for preparation (dried
and sieved). This facility is equipped with drying oven, soil grinder, plant mill, stainless steel
soil sieve sets, different types of soil sampling (augers, spade, and metal rings), shelves and
sample containers . Soil and plant samples are dried and placed in clean containers and then
transferee to the chemistry laboratory for requested analysis. All samples after analysis will
retained in this room until discarded date reached.

16. 6. Chemical store rooms (separate building)
This is where the solid and liquid chemicals stored for chemistry laboratory in separate
sections. and all chemicals in each shelves arranged alphabetically and the bin cards prepared
for prober stoke management.
. Chemical store rooms (separate building)
This is where the solid and liquid chemicals stored for chemistry laboratory in separate
sections. and all chemicals in each shelves arranged alphabetically and the bin cards prepared
This is where the solid and liquid chemicals stored for chemistry laboratory in separate
sections. and all chemicals in each shelves arranged alphabetically and the bin cards prepared

17. With the above facility and current arrangement system, this laboratory can be provide
effective analytical service for different research process including crop research process to
testing nutritional profile for their newly released crop verities, Animal production research
process to testing animal nutrition and animal product quality , land and water research process
used to soil, water plant and fertilizer testing. This facility also allows ANRL researchers to
make agricultural chemistry and nutritional research related agricultural product quality,
environmental sustainability, food chemistry and nutritional quality researches. This
multidiscipline laboratory service approach will benefit the researchers to working together to
raises overall agricultural productivity and product quality , promote open communication, and
facilitates resource sharing.
Thank you for the nice work
Mohammed Yimam