With global accreditation, ICRISAT soil laboratory set to serve as focal point for soil analysis

ICRISAT’s soil laboratory has recently been accredited by the FAO Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN), becoming only the second lab in India to achieve this distinction. The laboratory can now serve as a focal point for all soil laboratories in India and help develop a regional laboratory network in the country.

With this accreditation, the laboratory is now looking at:

• Contributing inputs to FAO for developing best practices in soil analysis
• Upgrading performance of soil labs in the region by providing technical training
• Improving quality assurance and quality control processes for soil analysis.
• The ICRISAT Development Center (IDC) has initiated the process for upgradation of two referral soil testing laboratories at Bhubaneshwar and Sambalpur in Odisha state as a part of the Bhoochetana project. Once upgraded, these labs will be equipped to validate soil data generated by other district-level soil testing labs in the state. To aid capacity building of the staff of these government labs, IDC recently conducted a five-day exposure visit-cum-training workshop at the ICRISAT soil lab – Charles Renard Analytical Lab.