Update on NAPT Programs and Activities

Janice Kotuby-Amacher

NAPT Coordinator

NAPT Program• The goal of the North American Proficiency Testing

(NAPT) Program is to assist soil, plant and water testing laboratories in their performance through inter-laboratory sample exchanges and a statistical evaluation of the analytical data.

• The program guidelines have been developed for the agricultural laboratory industry by representatives from groups familiar with and involved in standardizing methods and developing nutrient recommendations for soil and plant analysis methods within the U.S. and Canada. It is operated as an activity of the Soil Science Society of America and overseen by an oversight committee.

NAPT CommitteeRepresenting Group Name Position Term Ends

SSSA Ed Hanlon Member 2008

SPAC (Soil+Plant Anal Council) Mark Flock Member 2010

CSSS (Canadian Soil Sci Soc) Rigas Karamanos Member 2010

NCR-13 Manjula Nathan Member 2008

NEC-107 Renuka Rao Member 2009

SERA-6 Frank Sikora Member 2008

WERA-103 Donald Hormeck Chair 2009

Reg. Agency from state that oversees soil/plant proficiency programs

D. Keith Reid Chair-elect 2009

Private Labs (Canada) Clive Dawson Member 2009

Private Labs (South) Steve Harrold Member 2008

Private Labs (West) Victoria Normandin Past Chair 2009

Private Labs (North Central) Randall Warden Member 2010

Private Labs (Northeast) Tim Horner Member 2010

State Programs Using NAPT

• IowaTravis Knight

• Minnesota– Jerry Floren

• Missouri– Manjula Nathan

• Nebraska– Herbert Bates (takes over July 1 for Charlie Focht)

• Ontario– Keith Reid

NAPT Summary - 2007

• 164 labs enrolled– 40 States, – 8 Canadian Provinces– Mexico– Guatemala– Argentina– the Philippines

2008 Soils

Collected from -

Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, and Utah

pH (sat paste): 4.04 – 7.90

Salinity (sat paste): 0.42 – 3.54 dS/m

Soil nitrate: 3.67 – 140 mg/kg

2008 SoilsSoil pH - sp pH (1:1) 2007-115 4.04 4.34 2007-103 4.58 4.70 2007-120 5.08 8.36 2007-117 5.36 5.56 2007-108 5.39 5.60 2007-116 5.40 5.56 2007-101 5.41 5.60 2007-114 5.42 5.65 2007-118 5.80 5.96 2007-107 5.89 6.00 2007-106 5.96 5.94 2007-112 7.30 7.60 2007-102 7.40 7.80 2007-105 7.40 7.69 2007-119 7.47 7.50 2007-111 7.58 7.89 2007-109 7.59 8.00 2007-110 7.80 8.27 2007-104 7.88 8.40 2007-113 7.90 8.35

2008 Soils

• Greatest Precision (typically <10% variability)– Soil total organic carbon (TOC)– Soil total carbon (TC)– Soil total nitrogen by combustion (TN)– Nitrate-N by CTA– Olsen K

• Variability set at 10% if lower

2008 Soils

• Greatest Variability– Nitrate (sat paste extract)– Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3)– Extractable sulfate (SO4-S)– Al by KCl extract– Hot-water boron

Reducing Variability

• Addition of calculations to reporting spreadsheet– mg/L to mmol/L

• Year-end report of variability

• Morgan P research– Modified vs True Morgan– Bruce Hoskins

Morgan P

Median RSD Median RSD Median RSD Median RSD

Modified Morgan 8.7 20.7 8.29 2.9 8.61 14.1 7.5 2.7True Morgan 8.85 15.3 9.55 21.5 12.0 22.6

2007-101 2007-108 2007-114 2007-116

Using NAPT Reports to Diagnose Problems

– Just one sample?• Reporting error?• Rerun sample.

– All samples of similar pH, etc.?• Something with method probably.

– All the samples that quarter?• Definite problem with this analytical method.• Are you following NAPT manual?

Using NAPT Reports to Diagnose Problems

Soil Soil 2007-101 Soil 2007-108 Soil 2007-114 Soil 2007-116 MEAN STD DEV RSD, %Analysis Units 1st Quarter Result 2nd Quarter Result 3rd Quarter Result 4th Quarter Result

Salinity

Sat. Paste Moisture % 25.00 26.20 26.00 26.00 25.80 0.54 2.1

pH - sp Unit 5.35 5.39 5.17 5.23 5.29 0.10 1.9

ECe - sp dS/m 0.60 1.06 1.12 1.18 0.99 0.26 26.7

HCO3 - sp mmolc/L 2.19 1.71 2.74 1.64 2.07 0.51 24.6

Ca - sp mmolc/L 4.56 4.53 5.20 4.98 4.82 0.33 6.8

Mg - sp mmolc/L 2.64 2.64 2.93 3.05 2.82 0.21 7.4

Na - sp mmolc/L 3.49 2.92 2.77 2.60 2.95 0.39 13.1

SAR - sp value 1.54 1.38 1.30

Cl - sp mmolc/L 3.55 2.37 4.20 2.31 3.11 0.93 29.8

SO4 - sp mmolc/L 0.96 1.11 1.00

NO3 - sp mmolc/L 1.56 6.25 1.23 1.47 2.63 2.42 92.1

B - sp mg/L 0.14 0.11

Laboratory ID2007 North American Proficiency Testing ProgramWithin Laboratory Precision On Multi-Quarter Sample

What’s New in 2008• Updated NAPT website –

– www.naptprogram.org– Website is in “constant” revision – with new data,

newsletter, etc.

• Electronic seal for labs participating in year-long programs + PAP program– Labs participating in 4 quarters in 2007 have received

seals

What’s New in 2008

Future Plans

• Addition of metals to water program

• Workshops

• Articles in newsletter – Morgan P – Bruce Hoskins

• Videos

• Webcasts

Future Workshops

• Aimed primarily at lab managers– New methods– New instruments– What the customer really wants– Lab management

Future Workshops

• Aimed at technician level / students– QA/QC – what it means, statistics, how to use

QA/QC- Basic lab techniques – making stds, diluting,

pipetting, weighing- Instrument maintenance (general)

- Analytical troubleshooting- Instruments – ICP, Combustion analysis,

colorimetric analysis

Future Articles

• Aimed at CCA’s– Column in Crops and Soils

• What is soil testing• Why soil test• How to collect soils• How to read and how to use soil test

reports• Other topics of interest

Acknowledgements• The NAPT program would like to thank the following for providing soil and plant materials and

water for the 2007 NAPT program:• Don Horneck, Oregon State University• Randy Alvey of Alvey Labs, Belleville IL• Mary Matava of Agri-Service, San Diego CA• Dellavalle Labs, Fresno CA• Steve Newman, Colorado State University• Bruce Hoskins, University of Maine• Rolly Groenink, Michigan Blueberry Growers Association, Grand Junction MI• David Hole, Utah State University• Robert Miller, Colorado State University• Richard Boudrero, Utah State University• Vicki Normandin, Motzz Laboratory, Phoenix, AZ• Bob Charter, United Soils Inc, Fairbury IL• Ed Hanlon, University of Florida• Sam Modesitt, Valley Tech Lab, Tulare CA• Steve McGeehan, University of Idaho• Mary Hubbard, Utah State University• Randall Warden, A&L Great Lakes Lab, Fort Wayne IN• John Lawley, Utah State University• Logan Christensen, Utah State University• I would especially like to thank Karen Gartley of Delaware State University for arranging a week-

long soil collection trip in the mid-Atlantic states and spending a week with John Lawley and myself collecting soils.

Update on NAPT-PAPPrograms and Activities

Janice Kotuby-Amacher

NAPT Coordinator

NAPT-PAP Program Intent• Develop a means to assess and improve laboratory

performance with respect to accurate and precise analytical results using appropriate routine soil analytical methods

• Continue to provide the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) with a means to assess laboratories for NRCS related work. This assessment requirement could also comply with other entities requiring proficiency assurance in soil, plant, and water analyses.

• Continue to provide a program to assess laboratories at a reasonable cost.

• Provide a flexible assessment program that other states or agencies could use in the future.

NAPT-PAP Program

To be enrolled as a PAP participant, the laboratory must:

a) Also be enrolled in the NAPT program and fully participate in that program;

b) Agree to share performance results with NRCS or any other entity cooperating with NAPT;

c) Each laboratory is responsible for an annual fee that will be established by the NAPT Oversight Committee;

d) Participating laboratories must sign and adhere to a code of ethics.

NAPT-PAP ETHICS DECLARATION

• Article II. Relation of Professional to the Public

• Article III. Relation of Professional to Employer and Client.

• Article IV. Relation of Professionals to Each Other

• Article V. Duty to the Profession

NAPT-PAP Program

The program shall assess lab performance by grading laboratories quarterly on NAPT proficiency samples.

PAP-approved laboratories must submit results for a minimum of pH, P, K, and N03 analyses in every NAPT exchange. There will be an initial limited number of test methods [pH, EC, Buffer pH, P, K and Soil Organic Matter] allowed in the PAP program. This list will be continuously reviewed by the NAPT Oversight Committee and NRCS, or any other cooperating entities and updated as needed.

NAPT-PAP LimitsAnalysis Limits

pH - sp +-0.25pH 1:1 +-0.25pH 1:2 +-0.25SMP/Sikora Buffer pH +-0.25Mehlich Buffer pH +-0.25EC - sp +-2.5MADS or 10%EC 1:2 +-2.5MADS or 10%EC 1:1 +-2.5MADS or 10%NO3-N (multiple methods) +-2.5MADS or 10%PO4-P Olsen +-2.5MADS or 10%PO4-P Bray 1:7 +-2.5MADS or 10%PO4-P Bray 1:10 +-2.5MADS or 10%PO4-P Mehlich III +-2.5MADS or 10%K NH4OAc +-2.5MADS or 10%K Olsen +-2.5MADS or 10%K Mehlich III +-2.5MADS or 10%SOM -WB +-2.5MADS or 10%SOM - LOI +-2.5MADS or 10%

PAP Results - 4th Quarter 2007

Lab ID Number: SOIL pH - sp SMP Buffer pH ECe - sp Soil EC (1:1) PO4-P Olsen/Bicarb

2007-116 7.10 0.24 26.1

Median 5.40 6.86 0.95 0.26 36.00MAD 0.16 0.07 0.12 0.04 3.00LOW LIMIT 5.15 6.61 0.66 0.17 28.50HIGH LIMIT 5.65 7.11 1.23 0.36 43.50

NAPT-PAP Committee

• Mark Flock - PAP sub-committee chair• Don Horneck - NAPT chair• Manjula Nathan• Brent Thyssen• Rebecca Burt – NRCS Rep

• Janice Kotuby-Amacher – NAPT-PAP program coordinator

NAPT-PAP Approved Labs for 2008

SOILTEST FARM CONSULTANTS Moses Lake WA

NORTHWEST AGRICULTURAL CONSUTLANTS INC Kennewick WA

CASCADE ANALYTICAL INC Wenatchee WA

TWISS ANALYTICAL LABORATORIES INC Poulsbo WA

AGRI-CHECK INC Umatilla OR

CSU SOIL, WATER AND PLANT TESTING LAB Fort Collins CO

UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO Moscow ID

STUKENHOLTZ LABORATORY Twin Falls ID

WESTERN LABORATORIES Parma ID

TREMBLAY CONSULTING INC Jerome ID

A&L WESTERN AGRICULTURAL LABS Modesto CA

BROOKSIDE LABS INC New Knoxville OH

KSU SOIL TESTING LAB Manhattan KS