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Update on NAPT Programs and Activities. Janice Kotuby-Amacher NAPT Coordinator. NAPT Program.
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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.
State Programs Using NAPT • Iowa Travis 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 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
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?
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
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: • 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 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