The 21st World Congress of Soil Science Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 12 - 17 August 2018

1. Global Soil Laboratory Network
(GLOSOLAN)
Natalia Rodríguez Eugenio

2. GSP Pillars of Action
1. Promote sustainable management of soil resources and
improved global governance for soil protection and sustainable
productivity;
2. Encourage investment, technical cooperation, policy,
education, awareness and extension in soils;
3. Promote targeted soil research development focusing on
identified gaps, priorities and synergies among economic,
environmental and social dimensions;
4. Enhance the quality and availability of soil data and
information: collection, analysis, validation, reporting, monitoring,
integration with other disciplines;
5. Harmonization of methods, measurements and indicators
for the sustainable management and protection of soil resources.

3. Area for investment,
technical cooperation,
extension services
Provision of reliable
data to support the
establishment of the
Global Soil Information
System (GLOSIS)
Improve the basis for decision making regarding e.g.
soil fertility, SOC management
Identify research gaps e.g. which promising methods
require refinement and further development?

4. Why is GLOSOLAN necessary?
Remember that
most soil characterizations
& recommendations
are based on…
Soil analytical results!

5. This network aims to strengthen the performance
of laboratories in support of the harmonization of soil
data sets and information towards the development
of global standards.
The harmonization of soil
analysis is a critical
component of making soil
information comparable
and interpretable across
laboratories, countries and
regions.
GLOSOLAN was launched on November 2017

6. When sending the same soil sample to any soil
laboratory…

7. …your expectation is
to get the same
result (+/- uncertainty)
…and to obtain the same
soil classification or provide
similar recommendations,
etc.

8. In reality…
Large differences are
observed between
laboratories
(even for something as
simple as pH)

9. P
Laboratory (confidential code)
pH
Laboratory (confidential code)
Example provided by SEALNET 2.0
(ring test, South-East Asia)

10. But which laboratory is right ?
If you send the same soil sample to
different labs…

11. Support the establishment of RESOLANs
Undergoing:
• Europe and Eurasia
• Near East and North Africa
• Africa
• North America
• Pacific

12. Action Status
The list of labs in GLOSOLAN
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
South
America
Central
America
and the
Caribbean
Pacific North
America
Eurasia Europe Africa
South of
the
Sahara
Near East
and North
Africa
Asia
Laboratories registered in GLOSOLAN on 7 June 2018
National reference labs Other member labs
Executed!

13. Action Status
Finalize the list of labs in GLOSOLAN
Due on December 2017
Executed!
Online survey (lab characteristics)
Survey evaluation Underway
Executed!

14. Main findings – General information on the
laboratory
1. Staff
< 50 % have formal education
for analysis or soil analysis.

15. 2. Building and equipment
30 % of the labs don’t have
special room for soil preparation.
 risk of contamination by soil dust
Main findings – General information on the
laboratory

16. Procedures are highly variable
from one lab to another
3. Methodology
Main findings – General information on the
laboratory

17. Example from pH
0
5
10
15
20
25
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 5 10 15 20 30 60 120
Numberofresponses
Minutes of stirring
0
5
10
15
20
25
0
1
2
5
10
15
20
25
30
45
55
60
120
240
720
1000
1200
Numberofresponses
Minutes of settling
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
The clear supernate
The soil settled at the bottom of the vessel
Others
Number of responses
• Different stirring time
• Different resting time
• Different probe position

18. 1. Inside a single lab
2. Between labs in different countries
and regions
4. Data quality control
Main findings – General information on the
laboratory

19. 1. Inside a single lab
25 % labs do not use quality control samples
quite threatening because errors cannot be
avoided…
For the labs using QC
samples:
40 % use only 1
sample/batch, which is not
enough to make conclusions
on the quality of the
analysis.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Numberofresponses
Number of control samples per batch
Answer option RESOLAN-Africa SEALNET LATSOLAN RESOLAN-Europe RESOLAN-NENA Global
Yes 71% 72% 88% 88% 83% 83%
No 29% 28% 13% 12% 17% 17%
Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

20. 37
19
9
7
4
6
13
7
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Yes, performance is tracked every day
Yes, performance is tracked every week
Yes, performance is tracked every month
Yes, performance is tracked every 3 months
Yes, performance is tracked every 6 months
Yes, performance is tracked every year
No
Others
Number of responses
Number of responses: 102
Frequency of quality controls
1. Inside a single lab

21. 2. Between labs in different countries
and regions
< 50 % labs participates
in an international ring test
harmonization of the
results is not possible
International
45%
National
40%
Others
15%
Number of responses: 112

22. In conclusion
There is a dramatic need to develop a
Quality Control and Accreditation
system.

23. Action Status
Launch an international ring
test (collaboration with
WEPAL)
Underway
Regional ring tests are undergoing in Latin
America and Asia – RESOLANs
Need for support to exchanging soil
samples for research purposes
under GLOSOLAN

24. CHARACTERISTICS OF “Ring Test”
ESTABLISHED in LATSOLAN
 3 samples of 250 g each
(Special letter for the phytosanitary control offices of each
country allowed the entry of 100% of the samples without problem)
 Soil parameters to evaluate:
pH
Total Carbon and Total Organic Carbon
Oxydized Organic Carbon, (Walkley & Black)
Total Nitrogen (Kjeldahl y Dumas)
Exchangeable Ca-Mg-K (Ammonium acetate)
 Two protocols:
Lab routine
Consensus protocols (SOPs)
Results will be available by end September

25. Despite multiple existing guidelines
and handbooks, the variability of
methods, technologies and
analytical quality is immense.
HARMONIZATION – Best practices guideline.
• a compendium of different manuals, one for each
parameter and laboratory operation, allows for
the best flexible approach
• In specific cases, regional specifications could also
be highlighted, or even summarized in annexes or
different volumes.

26. Conclusions
To get good quality and comparable data:
 Spread the voice on the network
 Need for laboratories to join network’s
activities
 Need to ease the distribution to soil samples
for the ring test
Thank you!