CIFOR-ICRAF Soil and Land Health Theme Laboratories
Our clients are based around the globe and are engaged in broad range of research. When you simply receive samples for analysis it’s always interesting to find out how they’re being used and the difference that individual research streams can make in the world.
Today we focus on The CIFOR-ICRAF Soil and Land Health Theme Laboratories which support three core functions: sample analysis, innovation, and capacity building. For wet chemistry (conventional) reference analysis, the laboratories use IsoLab Scientific (UK) as the designated reference laboratory.
The laboratories host the Dry Spectroscopy – Soil–Plant Spectral Diagnostics Laboratory, which has invested extensively in the development of Mid-Infrared (MIR) spectroscopy methods for rapid and cost-effective analysis of soils, plants, and agricultural inputs. These dry spectroscopy approaches reduce analytical costs by over 80% while enabling high-throughput analysis without compromising accuracy and precision. This work plays a significant role in advancing land and soil health assessments at scale.
The analytical approach involves scanning all samples using an MIR spectrometer, then selecting approximately 10% of the sample population for wet chemistry analysis at IsoLab Scientific UK. The wet chemistry results are used to build calibration models and perform cross-validation of predictive models applied to the remaining 90% of samples. It is critical that reference samples are analysed by a credible, ISO-certified laboratory, as the integrity of wet chemistry data directly determines the reliability of the calibration models.
The CIFOR-ICRAF spectral laboratory has developed a spectral library of over 200,000 soil samples, supported by robust calibrations. IsoLab Scientific UK was identified as a trusted reference laboratory, and standard reference samples have been sent there for many years for conventional analysis.
UK PACT PROJECT, KENYA
One example where over 1000 soil samples were analysed using MIR Spectroscopy is the UK PACT project in Kenya, titled “Delivering Nature-Based Solution Outcomes through Strengthened Policy Implementation, Institutional Capacity, and Enhanced Monitoring and Reporting of Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR).” The project involved soil sampling using the LDSF approach at the Chawia site. Reference samples from this project were submitted to IsoLab under Job No. ICR-23-2024 (UK PACT Project – Chawia Standards) for CN analysis.
The CIFOR-ICRAF Soil–Plant Spectral Diagnostics Laboratory has over 20 years of experience in dry spectroscopic analysis and serves as a reference laboratory for more than 20 regional spectroscopy laboratories worldwide. It is also a key partner in the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) The CIFOR-ICRAF Soil and Land Health Theme Laboratories, contributing to global harmonization of soil spectral data.
If you are looking for a high quality and reliable lab to partner with in support of your research, , please email us at sales@isolab-scientific.com.
