In 2004, the title “Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory” is a bit misleading.

Nearly a century ago, the Wisconsin legislature mandated a soil testing facility for Wisconsin farmers. Since its inception, the Soil and Plant Analysis Lab has been evaluating soil fertility, helping farmers throughout the state to determine plant nutrient needs. Over the years the lab has added plant analyses and lawn and garden soil testing, allowing producers to optimize nutrient applications and homeowners to pinpoint their lawns” fertilizer requirements. The lab still analyzes soils and plants for farmers and homeowners, but it now offers analytical services for campus researchers as well — ion chromatography, HPLC fluorescence, and a host of other tests that legislators never dreamed of back in 1913.

UW-Madison researchers are invited to the official opening of the lab”s new 8,000 square foot facility, March 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the West Madison Agricultural Research Station.

“If you have perceptions of the facility based on our previous site at the Charmany Farm or the name ”Soil and Plant”, you”ll change those perceptions at our new state-of-the-art facility,” says lab director Sherry Combs. “You”ll also have a chance to visit with our staff, discuss your analytical needs, and find out how much we have to offer to your research program. We can do much more than just plant tissue and soils, and have a lot of flexibility with our staff and facility, both in modifying what we do and in adopting new techniques.

“The lab can now provide more ”customized” analytical methods, ranging from modifying sample preparation in the lab to staff developing protocols for clients to use at their own facility,” Combs says. “These project-based consulting services help clients produce results quickly and overcome possible staffing, equipment and/or expertise limitations. Lab professionals can provide needed expertise to minimize clients” time invested in method development and sample analysis because of their extensive experience with a variety of sample types and laboratory instrumentation.”

Some of the lab”s instrumentation and staff”s analytical experience include:
∑ ICP-MS and ICP-OES spectrometry
∑ stable isotope ratio determination
∑ hydride sample preparation
∑ HPLC fluorescence
∑ GC-MS
∑ ion chromatography
∑ flow injection analysis
∑ accelerated solvent extraction
∑ flame-AAS
∑ cold vapor-ICP-MS
∑ UV/visible spectrophotometry
∑ FT-IR
∑ carbon analysis
∑ XRF
∑ XRD
∑ SEM
∑ microwave digestion systems.

Two experienced instrumentation specialists, Ibrahim Saeed (Ph.D., soil science) and Ling Zhang (Ph.D., chemical oceanography), are available for project-based consulting and developing analytical services.

Samples can be dropped off at the Department of Soil Science for daily pickup. Researchers can submit sample information online; they”ll receive a barcode for each sample set that will be scanned at the lab when the samples arrive, enabling all unique sample identification to be retained and available on the report.

The new lab is at the West Madison Ag Research Station, 8452 Mineral Point Rd. (west of Menard”s). For more information on the lab, see The Spectrum newsletter at http://uwlab.soils.wisc.edu/ourindex.htm