Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Alabama Soils Lab analyzed 25,000 samples in 2011, which was about 3000 more than 2010 at the same time. Alabama Soils Lab has published, The Basis of Soil Testing in Alabama and Nutrient Recommendations Tables for Alabama Crops online and hardcopy. The Agricultural Diagnostic Laboratory located in Fayetteville, AR performed fee-based elemental analyses on a total of 26,653 samples including 1,032 forage, 283 plant and 198 soil (for diagnosis of nutrient deficiencies and/or toxicities), 1,355 dry- and 205 liquid-manure, 11,228 research plant, 2,376 research soil, and 9,446 prepared special samples during 2011. Additional samples were analyzed for the strawberry (386) and orchard (38) nutrient monitoring programs with clients from several states. Samples were submitted by growers, the general public, and researchers from various institutions and industries. For the 5th consecutive year the University of Arkansas-Marianna Soil Test Laboratory analyzed a record number of soil samples. The total number of soil samples analyzed in 2011 was 178,632. Of this total, 163,721 were samples submitted by clientele and the remaining 14,911 samples were standard check soils analyzed for quality assurance. The number of grid soil samples analyzed in 2011 was 110,784 (up from 84,763 in 2010), which is approximately 68% of client samples received. Grid soil samples have increased about 19,000 samples per year since 2006, whereas the number of field average samples has remained relatively constant (52,000 - 55,000). At the University of Florida, the number of samples analyzed, during FY11-12, at the Extension Soil Testing Lab increased by nearly 11% to 16,973 over FY10-11 and at the Analytical Research Lab the samples increased by nearly 6% to 23,089, during the same period. The Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories (AESL) of the University of Georgia analyzed 97,476 samples in 2011. The University of Kentucky analyzed a total of 55,200 samples in 2011. The LSU AgCenter Soil Testing and Plant Analysis Laboratory analyzed 15,393 routine soils samples in 2011, which reflected an increase of 17% over the previous year and was primarily due to the implementation of a box sampling kit for home consumers. In addition, the lab analyzed 6278 plant samples and 6557 optional soil tests. The lab has made progress in becoming a self-supported operation. The Mississippi State University-Extension Service Soil Testing Laboratory analyzed 24,406 soil and 2,517 tissue samples. These are 5.0 percent less soil samples and 32 percent less tissue sample than in 2011. A nutrient management manual was published in both hard copy and web versions: Nutrient management guidelines for agronomic crops grown in Mississippi. Mississippi State University Extension Service Publication 2647. A series of four 4-day trainings in nutrient and pest management was provided for all local and regional employees of the Natural Resource Conservation Service. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture Soil Testing Section, analyzed 373,532 soil samples and issued 43,409 reports with fertilizer and/or lime recommendations in FY2011. Workloads continue to increase by a few percent each year. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture Plant/Waste/Solution/Media Section (PWSM) Section analyzed 11,621 plant tissue samples; 16,943 waste samples; 2,235 solution samples; and 347 soilless media samples in FY2011. It issued a total of 12,439 reports. This workload exceeds that of the previous year by about 2,000 samples. Oklahoma State University Soil, Water and Forage Analytical Laboratory analyzed 60,279 samples in 2011, which included 33,846 soil, 4,787 water, 9,184 forage, 992 waste, 8 growth media, and 11,462 various research samples during the year. Clemson Soils Lab analyzed 57,609 soil, 3,058 plant 1,112 feed, 386 water, 1,961 waste, 146 compost, and 6,064 other samples in 2011. Over 24,400 soil tests were conducted and fertilizer/lime recommendations provided to Tennessee farmers and home owners during 2011 by the Tennessee lab. A plant analysis program is now available to Tennessee producers through the Soil, Plant and Pest Center in Nashville. Factual information to assist NRCS in interpreting Mehlich 3 soil data was provided in the form of a web fact sheet. Interpreting Mehlich 1 and 3 Soil Test Extractant Results for P and K in Tennessee. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory processed 24,744 soil, 2259water, 4759 plant/forage, 1177 biosolid and 8288 research samples during the 2011 calendar year. The Virginia Tech Soil Testing Lab received about 50,000 soil samples, which is about 7% less than the year before.