Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Please refer to 2009 meeting minutes at the following URL: www.clemson.edu/agsrvlb/sera6 The 2009 annual meeting was hosted by Texas A&M University. Tony Provin welcomed the group to College Station. Mississippi State University agreed to host the 2010 meeting. The meeting will be held June 13-15, 2010. Tony Provin continues to serve on the North American Proficiency Testing (NAPT) programs board representing SERA6.

The work-group continues to be a forum for interaction of members concerning soil, plant, waste, and water analysis testing and appropriate recommendations given to agricultural producers and others as a result of such testing. Standardization and cooperative activities are encouraged whenever possible within the region. This strengthens national efforts to effectively and efficiently utilize our lime and fertilizer resources while protecting the environment and improving water quality by providing opportunities, if taken, for combining manpower and physical resources within the region wherever appropriate. The white paper, Public Agricultural Services/Soil Testing Laboratories: their value and contributions in the Land Grant University, developed by SERA was proving to be beneficial. Rao Mylavarapo utilized it with deans and county /district extension directors in FL. It was decided that the authors of the paper bring it to a final form and then forward it to the SERA-6 Research Administrative Advisor for comments with onward transmission to the Director-at-large at the Southern Region Directors office. The paper is found at http://www.clemson.edu/agsrvlb/sera6/announcements1.htm. Cooperative Research Projects/Bulletins: Dave Kissel discussed the need for a publication on calibration. In this effort, a Soil Test Calibration Subcommittee was formed to consist of membership from AL, GA, TN, TX, MS, NC, FL, and OK with Kissel leading the effort. Hugh Savoy mentioned that he still had not received a publication number for SCSB-#190D (Procedures used by State Soil Testing Labs in the Southern Region). He will contact the sub-regional office in NC for assistance. The bulletin has been revised as of August, 2009. Debbie Joines discussed the publication- DRAFT: Mineral Status of Forage in TN. A fact sheet would be developed by Debbie and Tony Provin; Charles Mitchell and Kathy Moore agreed to review it before a link is established from the SERA site for other states use. Charlie Mitchell passed out the DRAFT- Soil Testing and Recommendations for Cotton on Coastal Plains Soils. The regional cotton publication is to be reviewed this summer before seeking a publication number and placing it on-line. Frank Sikora proposed developing a soil testing methods manual to replace the original 1983 and supplemental 1992 publications. The group agreed on its need. A subcommittee (FL, MS, AL, AR, SC, LA, GA, TX) was developed to develop its contents and chapter assignments. The group would meet four times a year and Frank would lead the effort. Prepared by: David H. Hardy

Debbie Joines discussed the publication- DRAFT: Mineral Status of Forage in TN. A fact sheet would be developed by Debbie and Tony Provin; Charles Mitchell and Kathy Moore agreed to review it before a link is established from the SERA site for other states use. Charlie Mitchell passed out the DRAFT- Soil Testing and Recommendations for Cotton on Coastal Plains Soils. The regional cotton publication is to be reviewed this summer before seeking a publication number and placing it on-line. Frank Sikora proposed developing a soil testing methods manual to replace the original 1983 and supplemental 1992 publications. The group agreed on its need. A subcommittee (FL, MS, AL, AR, SC, LA, GA, TX) was developed to develop its contents and chapter assignments. The group would meet four times a year and Frank would lead the effort.