2nd AFRILAB meeting Zoom platform, 30 September - 1 - 8 October (English) Mr. Washington Mutatu, Zimbabwe Sugar Association Experiment Station, Agricultural Chemistry & Soil Laboratory, Zimbabwe

1. Zimbabwe Sugar Association
Research Institute
Zimbabwe
Washington Mutatu, PhD

2. Status of establishment: not established yet
Official name of the National Soil Laboratory Network: _Zimbabwe Soil Laboratory
Network (ZISOLAN)
Actual or expected procedure for establishing the National Soil Laboratory
Network :
1. Identify the Labs (UZ, TRB, SIRCD, DRSS, ZSARI, )
2. Call for a meeting to draft Terms of reference and establish a structure
3. Elect leadership
4. Harmonize Laboratory methods
5. Run proficiency testing schemes

3. Actual or expected number of laboratories in the network: __10___
Please specify if you received any help to establish the network by a
donor/international initiative/etc. (please specify) : ____No donors have been
approached yet____
Obstacles encountered
during the establishment
of the network
How did you overcome
the obstacle?
Notes
Financial support Individuals laboratories
have to meet the costs
COVID-19 Once lockdown
restrictions have been
relaxed meetings can be
held. Zoom conferences
can still be done.

4. In case you are presenting about a already established network, please briefly
report on the main activities (including meetings) implemented by the network so
far:
No meetings so far
However I was able to visit some of the laboratories who expressed interest in
forming an association i.e DR&SS, UZ Soil Science Dept, SIRDC, Tobacco Research
Board (TRB),
There is in existence a Zimbabwe Soil Scientists Society (ZSSS) which can be tapped
into.

5. Thanks for your
attention