First lab managers’ meeting of the South-East Asia Laboratory NETwork (SEALNET 2.0) - Quality improvement in Asian soil laboratories: towards standardization and harmonization of soil analyses and their interpretation, Bogor, Indonesia, 20 - 24 November 2017.

1. Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory
MYANMAR
Yezin, Nay Pyi Taw
Department of Agricultural Research
(Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation)

2. 1. Laboratory staff
Number of staff: 14 persons
(10 women, 4 men)
Experience in lab testing:
> 5 years
< 5 years
6 persons
8 persons
Experience in lab management:
> 5 years
< 5 years
2 persons
2 persons

3. 2. Group photo(s) of SPAL staff

4. 3. Laboratories
How many different rooms?
9 rooms
+ 1 separate room
for dinning room+ 2 rooms for staff
and 1 room for study/meeting room
How many m2 of laboratory space? (approximately)
301a 29.4 m2 (3.2 x 9.2)
301b 34.9 m2 (3.8 x 9.2)
302 64.4 m2 (7.0 x 9.2)
303 32.3 m2 (3.8 x 8.5)
305a 39.5 m2 (7.9 x 5)
305b 39.5 m2 (7.9 x 5)
102 Chemical store 64.4 m2 (7.0 x 9.2)
103 Soil sampling room 31.6 m2 (3.4 x 9.3)
104 Plant Sampling room 31.6 m2 (3.4 x 9.3)

5. 4. Photos of SPAL laboratories
301a
302
301b
303
305a
305b
102
103 104
DAR Land Mark
DAR MAIN GATE
Side view of Soil
and Water
Sections
Front view of Soil
and Water
Sections

6. 5. Photos of SPAL equipment

7. 6. Proficiency testing
Has your lab joined a proficiency testing (PT) program?
 Through ACIAR project SMCN/2011/047, we have to send our internal check to Soil Lab of
University of New England, Armidale, Australia and we receive ASPAC (Asia Pacific Network
of Science and Technology Centres) Check Samples.
This soil check sample is sent by
Dr.Chris Guppy from UNE.
Objective: To test accuracy of soil
analysis done by Soil Science Section.
Reference:
SoilCheck Reference Material ASPAC
SOIL (origin): NSW RM:S12264-C2
Issue date:14 November 2011 Expiry
Date: 14 November 2014
Analytical
Item
SOIL SCIENCE ASPAC
Unit Value Method Unit Value Method
pH - 6.77
1:2.5 w/v
soil:water Medium - 6.901:2.5 w/v soil:water
Minimum - 6.87
Maximum - 6.93
EC dS/m 0.196
1:2.5 w/v
soil:water Medium dS/m 0.111
Minimum dS/m
Maximum dS/m
Available P mg/kg 8.96Olsen's Medium mg/kg 8.980Olsen's
Minimum 8.762
Maximum 9.199
This plant check sample is sent by
Dr.Chris Guppy from UNE.
Objective: To test accuracy of plant
analysis done by Soil Science Section.
Reeference:
PlantCheck Reference Material ASPAC
Plant: Pea Straw, PSRM:P87102-C2
Issue date:24 October 2011 Expiry
Date: 24 October 2012
Sr
.N
o.
Analytical
Item
SOIL SCIENCE ASPAC
Unit Value Method Unit Value
1Total N % 0.8467Kjeldahl's Medium % 1.0000
Minimum 0.9859
Maximum 1.0141
2Total P % 0.0597Yellow vanadomolybdate Medium % 0.0670
Minimum 0.0664
Maximum 0.0676

8. 7. Accreditation
Does your lab have any accreditation or certification?
[Accreditation (or certification) is the process in which certification of
competency is provided by an authority, like the government for example.
A certificate of competency shows that the holder is authorized to perform
specific analyses in the name of an authority, like the government.]
NO!
If ‘yes’, which institution/agency provides the
accreditation/certification?

9. 8. Data interpretation
If your answer is ‘yes’, please fill the table and indicate
what is considered as low/medium/high by your lab.
Do you provide interpretation of soil results to your clients?
Method Units Rating
Low Moderate High
Carbon Tyurin’s Organic matter % 0.68 -2.00 2.00-3.00 3.50-4.90
Nitrogen Alkaline permanganate Available N mg/kg 30-60 60-90 90-120
Nitrate-N - (ppm or mg/kg?) - - -
Phosphorus
9C-Olsen’s P-Malachite
green Available P mg/kg <10 10-20 20-40
Potassium
1 N Ammonium Acetate
Extraction Available K mg/kg <150 150-250 250-800
YES!

10. 9. Interpretation report for your clients
If you provide interpretation of soil analysis to your clients,
show here an example of the interpretation report

11. 10. Soil analysis in your country
How many routine laboratories exist in your
country?
Are they ‘mobile’ laboratories?
Are the soil test kits commonly used?
NO!
YES!
•DAR (SPAL)
•LUD- Yangon and Mandalay + 6 (Installation stage)
• YAU – Yezin (for academic)
• Companies/private?

12. 11. Strength/weakness
What do you think your lab is strong at?
• Staffs – They are interested in laboratory analysis
• Equipments and Chemicals – Capital budget and
International assistance through IAEA/ ACIAR/
KOPIA/IRRI/ICRISAT
• Protocols – Better collaboration with IAEA/ ACIAR
What do you think that could be improved?
What do you wish to get improved after our meeting ?
• Method validation to have better analyis data
• The way how the other labs are managed systematically
and which kind of methods and equipments are used

13. Thank you for your attention…