Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Standard Operating Procedures:
All operations at Soil-Plant Spectral Diagnostics Laboratory of World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) are guided by the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) developed in line with ISO procedures and practices. The purpose of SOPs is to make sure that each task in the laboratory is carried out the same way each time it is carried out by clearly defining and documenting the procedures and processes that are to be used to complete the task. The SOPs are therefore task specific documents and describe clearly all actions that are required to complete the task clearly, concisely and completely and help in achieving and maintaining high levels of accuracy and repeatability of experimental results regardless of changes in personnel or equipment or other operating conditions used. The development of SOPs is a continuous process to make sure that they integrate new aspects of analysis, change in equipment and other aspects such as changes in regulatory, technical or organisational requirements.
The following are the SOPs currently in use:
Particle size distribution by laser diffraction
Soil sample processing at ICRAF soil laboratory
Soil sample processing at regional laboratories
Total elemental analysis by XRF
Total organic carbon and nitrogen
