Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
GLOSOLAN globally harmonizes standard operating procedures (SOPs) and make them available online - to all users - for FREE. All our SOPs are compiled in the GLOSOLAN’s Best practice manual, an online document structured as a flexible compendium of volumes to be published as soon as ready. SOPs offer step-by-step instructions on how to perform laboratory analyses.
SOPs are a critical component in ensuring the replicability of a measurement and the credibility and traceability of data. They are so important to be the first thing to look at in case of errors in the measurement or variable results in internal and external quality control exercises.
Before investing in new equipment, make sure that your staff is well trained and that SOPs are implemented!
SOPs go hand-in-hand with the execution of internal and external quality control exercises.
Publications
Standard operating procedure for soil total nitrogen - Dumas dry combustion method
2021
This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) describes, in general terms, the quantification of TN content in soil samples by an elemental analyzer. The...
Standard operating procedure for soil total carbon - Dumas dry combustion method
2021
SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality of output and uniformity of performance while reducing miscommunication and failure to comply with laboratory...
Standard operating procedure for soil pH determination
2021
Soils are referred to as being acid, neutral, or alkaline, depending on their pH, with 7 being neutral, below 7 acidic and above 7 alkaline. The pH...
Standard operating procedure for soil organic matter using the loss on ignition method
2026
This standard operating procedure (SOP) provides a harmonized method for determining soil organic matter (SOM) content using the loss on ignition (LOI)...
Standard operating procedure for soil organic carbon: Tyurin spectrophotometric method
2021
This protocol applies to the determination of the oxidizable organic carbon content in the soil. The organic carbon content is calculated from the amount...
Standard operating procedure for soil organic carbon. Walkley-Black method: titration and colorimetric method
2021
SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality of output and uniformity of performance, while reducing miscommunication and failure to comply with laboratory...
Standard operating procedure for soil nitrogen - Kjeldahl method
2021
This standard operating procedure (SOP) describes, in general terms, the quantification of the Kjeldahl nitrogen(KjN) content in soil samples. The advantages...
Standard operating procedure for soil moisture content by gravimetric method
2023
Soil moisture content is one of the fundamental properties used in making decisions related to soil management, such as land preparation, design of...
Standard operating procedure for soil microbial biomass (carbon): chloroform fumigation-extraction method
2025
This standard operating procedure (SOP) focuses on the determination of soil microbial biomass using the chloroform fumigation-extraction method, which...
Standard operating procedure for soil enzyme activities: β-glucosidases, arylsulfatase, N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, dehydrogenase, phosphomonoesterases
2025
This standard operating procedure (SOP) has been harmonized by the joint working group of the FAO's Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN) and the...
Standard operating procedure for soil electrical conductivity (soil/water, 1:5)
2021
This method determines the electrical conductivity (EC) of a soil/water suspension in the ratio of one:five (1:5). Aqueous extracts of soil samples...
Standard operating procedure for soil calcium carbonate equivalent - volumetric calcimeter method
2021
SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality of output and uniformity of performance, while reducing miscommunication and failure to comply with laboratory...
Standard Operating Procedure for soil calcium carbonate equivalent - titrimetric method
2021
SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality of output and uniformity of performance, while reducing miscommunication and failure to comply with laboratory...
Standard operating procedure for soil bulk density, cylinder method
2024
Soil bulk density is an indicator of soil compaction and soil health and is an important factor to consider when assessing the physical behaviour of...
Standard operating procedure for soil available phosphorus - Mehlich I Method
2021
Mehlich I method is suitable for determining bioavailable P in acid soils with low cation exchange capacity; (CEC) less than 10 cmolc kg-1. The amount...
Standard operating procedure for soil available phosphorus - Bray I and Bray II method
2021
P-Bray 1 and P-Bray 2 methods are normally limited to acid soils with water pH values less than 6.8. The P-Bray 1 Method removes a fraction of the “adsorbed”...
Standard operating procedure for soil available micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) and heavy metals (Ni, Pb, Cd), DTPA extraction method
2023
The method provides a potential indicator of the plant available copper, iron, manganese and zinc, which are essential soil micronutrients for plant...
Standard operating procedure for quasi total elements in soil by acid digestion, including heavy metals
2023
This method is applicable to the determination of trace element metals (MTE) as well as metalloids in soils by acid digestion using aqua regia.
Standard operating procedure for heavy metal determination in phosphate fertilizer materials
2024
The globally harmonized protocol for detecting heavy metals in fertilizers was developed with the assistance of 85 laboratories from 60 countries. Its...
Standard operating procedure for handling and preparation of soil samples for chemical and physical analyses
2020
SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality of output and uniformity of performance, while reducing miscommunication and failure to comply with laboratory...
Standard operating procedure for cation exchange capacity and exchangeable bases by 1N ammonium acetate, pH 7.0 method
2023
This procedure outlines the process for the determination of cation exchange capacity (CEC) and exchangeable bases (calcium, magnesium, potassium and...
Standard operating procedure for boron determination in soil: Hot water extraction
2025
The aim of this SOP is to guide users on the determination of hot water-soluble B in soils through the application of three routine procedures, using...
