SoilChek & PlantChek

SoilChek

PlantChek

General Information

LabChek, Proficiency Services Ltd is contracted by the Australasian Soil and Plant Analysis Council (ASPAC) to provide the Soil and Plant Inter-Laboratory Proficiency Programs (ILPPs). We work with specialist contract providers to prepare the soil and plant materials for the required range of analytes.

These programs are used by more than 60 laboratories in 10 countries and are accredited to ISO Guide 43 and ILAC G-13 - the internationally recognised standard for competence of proficiency providers.

SoilChek and PlantChek supports ASPAC's overall goals to:

• promote excellence in all aspects of soil analysis,
• encourage and promote the adoption of preferred methods and protocols used in soil analysis within Australasia.

SoilChek and PlantChek are designed to enable valid comparisons between results from laboratories who use a range of methods, and who may aim to achieve quite different levels of performance in terms of detection limits, precision of measurement and repeatability. In each case, informed interpretation of the results is important to determine whether differences are significant, whether corrective action is necessary and what corrective action is appropriate.

If acceptable performance criteria are met over the 12 month cycle, ASPAC issues internationally recognised certification for individual tests for both SoilChek and PlantChek participants. ASPAC certification, in association with international accreditation through the local accreditation body, provide valuable assurance to the public on the capability and performance of a laboratory. For more information on ASPAC certification and ASPAC related topics such as membership and technical assistance, please visit their website at www.aspac-australasia.com.

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SoilChek

Program Description

The SoilChek program comprises of 3 rounds spread throughout September to May (refer timetable below). Each round consists of 4 samples of varying composition.

Sample Description

Samples are sourced from Australia, New Zealand and North America.

Reporting

Each participant receives an individual report, usually within 2 weeks of submitting results. An Annual Report is prepared after the conclusion of the  series of proficiency rounds.

If you wish to view our available soil reference materials, please click here, and if you would like to order any soil reference materials, please click here. 

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Timetable Soils 2009/2010

PlantChek

Program Description

The PlantChek program comprises of 3 rounds spread throughout September to April (refer timetable below). Each round consists of 4 samples of varying composition.

Sample Description

Samples are sourced from Australia, New Zealand and North America. Four categories of plant materials are covered in each round:

Reporting

Each participant receives an individual report, usually within 2 weeks of submitting results. An Annual Report is prepared after the conclusion of the series of proficiency rounds.

If you wish to view our available plant reference materials, please click here, and if you would like to order any plant reference materials, please click here.

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Timetable Plants 2009/2010