Alabama Administrative Code Chapter 80-1-21 — Requirements for Certification of Soil Testing Laboratories

80 Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries

Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-1-21-.01 Advisory Committee for Certifying Soil Testing Laboratories

For the purpose of advising whether a laboratory should be certified as a soil testing laboratory, a committee composed of the Director of the Agricultural Chemistry and Plant Industry Division of the Department of Agriculture and Industries, the Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station of Auburn University, and the Director of the Cooperative Extension Service of Auburn University, or their designated representatives, is hereby designated. This committee is empowered to evaluate all requests for certification and give their recommendations to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries. This committee is also empowered to review renewal applications and recommend renewal certifications.

History

• Author: Charles H. Barnes
• Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §2-24-3.
• Filed June 7, 1984.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-1-21-.02 Requirements For Certification And Renewals

(1) A laboratory desiring to be certified as a soil testing laboratory under the provisions of Code of Ala. 1975,§§2-21-1, et seq., must first request certification to the Director of the Soil Testing Laboratory, Auburn University. That office will then provide information on the procedure and supply necessary forms and applications.

(2) Completed applications and requests will then be forwarded to the advisory committee for their evaluation and recommendations.

(3) Laboratories previously approved are also required to submit a renewal application annually, prior to July 1 of each year. The advisory committee will review each renewal application and recommend approval or disapproval to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries annually prior to September 1 of each year.

(4) The Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries may at any time disapprove or revoke the certification of a soil testing laboratory that fails to maintain certification standards.

History

• Author: Charles H. Barnes
• Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §2-24-3.
• Filed June 7, 1984.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-1-21-.03 Laboratory Personnel Requirements

Certified laboratories must be operated under the supervision of a qualified chemist. The person making the lime and fertilizer recommendations should have training in both the field of chemistry and agriculture. A graduate of an agricultural college with training in soil chemistry and agronomy and/or horticulture and with some experience in agricultural research would be highly desirable. The advisory committee on certification may consider certain substitutions in experience or training suitable for certifying laboratories. In addition, one or more persons from certified laboratories shall spend at least two days with the soil testing staff at Auburn. The person making recommendations shall devote one or more days annually to a study of calibration data and recommendations with the soil testing staff at Auburn.

History

• Author: Charles H. Barnes
• Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §2-24-3.
• Filed June 7, 1984.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-1-21-.04 Chemical Procedure Requirements

(1) Laboratory analysis done by certified laboratories must be made by suitable electrical instruments and not by visualcomparators using the human eye. Detailed chemical procedures prescribed by Auburn University will be followed. Normally, when changes in laboratory procedures are necessary, Auburn University will notify certified laboratories in time for the change to go into effect July 1.

(2) If any procedure, instrument or method varies from that prescribed by Auburn University's Soil Testing Laboratory, the certified laboratory must supply justification for the deviation and a factor or equation that will convert the values obtained to those obtainable by the Auburn procedure.

History

• Author: Charles H. Barnes
• Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §2-24-3.
• Filed June 7, 1984.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-1-21-.05 Laboratory Report Requirements

Laboratory reports from certified laboratories shall show ratings based on Auburn University's calibration curves. Numerical soil test values, when shown, must be those obtainable by procedures prescribed by Auburn University. Such values must be rated, i.e., very high, high, medium, low, or very low or described in terms of a fertility index that will indicate percent sufficiency. Laboratory reports shall always show the farmer's name and address where the samples were collected. The report shall be similar to those used by Auburn University. Certified laboratories shall send a copy of every tenth report on Alabama samples to the Soil Testing Laboratory, Auburn University. In July of each year, laboratories shall also submit a summary showing the number of Alabama samples by counties analyzed in the previous year.

History

• Author: Charles H. Barnes
• Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §2-24-3.
• Filed June 7, 1984.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-1-21-.06 Requirements For Fertilizer And Lime Recommendations

(1) Specific rates of N, P O , and K O recommended by 2 5 2 certified laboratories must be taken from the keys provided by Auburn University, and no alternate recommendations shall appear on the reports of the certified laboratory. Recommendations for grass and legume crops that may be eligible for ASCS payments will follow the Auburn University key without variation. On all other crops, recommendations may vary from the key by up to 10pounds per acre of N, P O , or K O or by 10% of the amount in the 2 5 2 key for recommendations over 100 pounds.

(2) Fertilizer brand names shall not be a part of the recommendation. Brand names may be referred to in accompanying literature if such is desired.

History

• Author: Charles H. Barnes
• Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §2-24-3.
• Filed June 7, 1984.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-1-21-.07 Check Sample Requirements

Standard check samples shall be sent by the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory to all certified laboratories. These shall be analyzed promptly and recommendations made for crops specified when samples are sent. If the analyses and recommendations are found to be within recognized standards, the recommendations will be made that the laboratory certification be continued.

History

• Author: Charles H. Barnes
• Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §2-24-3.
• Filed June 7, 1984.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-1-21-.08 Rules For Out-Of-State Laboratories And Expenses

(1) Laboratories located outside the state or within the state, but where their agronomist, horticulturist, or soils specialist is located outside the state, shall be subject to all of the rules set forth in Chapter 80-1-21 for certification in Alabama.

(2) Expenses involved in certification will be borne by the laboratory being certified.

History

• Author: Charles H. Barnes
• Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §2-24-3.
• Filed June 7, 1984.