Collaborative Testing Services - Agriculture Laboratory Proficiency (ALP) Program

An Experienced & Knowledgeable Director

Dr. Robert Miller serves as the ALP Program Technical Director. Dr. Miller has wide-ranging expertise in agricultural laboratory analyses, coordinating multiple interlaboratory proficiency programs and laboratory QA/QC.

Dr. Miller received his BS and MS degrees from the University of Nebraska. He went on to manage a plant nutrition laboratory at Texas A&M University before earning his Ph.D. degrees at Montana State University in Soil Fertility and Soil Chemistry. He served as the Director of the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of California Davis and as Extension Soil Specialist from 1988 to 1997. While director, in 1992, he co-founded the Western States Proficiency Testing Program, a pioneering agricultural interlaboratory program in the western United States.

In 1997 Dr. Miller joined the faculty of Colorado State University as an affiliate Professor in Soils and Crop Sciences, where he was a leader in the development of the North American Proficiency Testing program, which superseded the Western States Program. He worked closely with state agencies, which certified Ag analysis laboratories. In 1997 he founded interlaboratory proficiency programs for geo-technical materials for the United States Golf Association and the Compost Analysis Proficiency Program (CAP) for the United States Compost Council; he continues to coordinate both programs. In 2002 he co-authored a US-EPA grant with the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture (MDA) to support the Manure Analysis Proficiency (MAP) Program, which today he coordinates with MDA.

Dr. Miller conducts educational lab workshops, provides consulting services and continues to conduct research into agricultural analysis. He has authored over twenty five papers in the agricultural analysis and authored chapters in: Soil, Plant and Water Reference Methods for the Western Region, (1996 and subsequent editions); contributed multiple chapters in Test Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost and Soil Test Methods from the Southeastern United States. He has served as president of the Soil and Plant Analysis Council and Council Secretary, serves as Chair of the USGA Putting Green Advisory committee and is internationally recognized for his expertise.

With more than three decades coordinating soil analysis proficiency programs and related PT programs, Dr. Miller has developed extensive knowledge of statistical analysis, method performance, and laboratory quality. CTS encourages all ALP participating labs to contact Dr. Miller with analysis and proficiency questions.

CTS ALP Program Schedule

Enroll at any time during the year. A subscription includes three cycles, which are outlined below. Note that data due dates occur approximately 6 weeks after a shipment date and that results must be submitted on or before a data due date in order to be included in the report. Participants can track shipments, submit data and access reports through the CTS Customer Portal.

Enroll Between August 16 - February 15

Samples Ship	Data Due	Report Issued
mid March	late April	late May
late June	early August	early September
mid September	late October	late November

Enroll Between February 16 - May 15

Samples Ship	Data Due	Report Issued
late June	early August	early September
mid September	late October	late November
mid March	late April	late May

Enroll Between May 16 - August 15

Samples Ship	Data Due	Report Issued
mid September	late October	late November
mid March	late April	late May
late June	early August	early September

Properties & Soils

You can view information about soil collection sites since 2006.

Our extensive list of properties for soil, botanicals and water analyses is presented below.

Properties tested: Soil Analyses

Salinity
   Sat. Paste Moisture (%)
    pH - sp
    ECe - sp (dS/m)
    HCO3 - sp (mmolc/L)
    K - sp (mmolc/L)
    Ca - sp (mmolc/L)
    Mg - sp (mmolc/L)
    Na - sp (mmolc/L)
    SAR - sp
    Cl - sp (mmolc/L)
    SO4 - sp (mmolc/L)
    NO3 - sp (mmolc/L)
    B - sp (mg/L)
Soil pH & EC
Soil EC (1:1) (dS/m)
Soil EC (1:2) (dS/m)
   pH (1:1) Water
   pH (1:2) Water
   pH (1:1) 0.01M CaCl2
pH (1:2) 0.01M CaCl2
Soil EC (1:5) H2O (dS/m)
Soil pH (1:5) 0.01 M CaCl2
Buffer pH, Lime Req.
    SMP Buffer pH
    Sikora Buffer pH
    Adams-Evans Buf pH
    Woodruff Buf. pH
    Mehlich Buffer pH
Inorganic Nitrogen (NO3-N & NH4-N)
     NO3-N Cd. Rd. (mg/kg)
     NO3-N ISE (mg/kg)
     NO3-N CTA (mg/kg)
     NO3-N Ion Chr. (mg/kg)
     NH4 - N   (KCl Extr.) (mg/kg)
     Amino Nitrogen (mg/kg)
Phosphorus and Sulfur
    PO4-P   Bray P (1:10) (mg/kg)
    PO4-P   Bray P1 (1:7) (mg/kg)
    PO4-P   Olsen/Bicarb (1:20) (mg/kg)
    PO4-P   M. Morgan (mg/kg)
    PO4-P   Mod. Kelowna (mg/kg)
    PO4-P   Strong Bray (1:10) (mg/kg)
    PO4-P   Water Soluble (mg/kg)
    SO4 - S (PO4 Extr.) (mg/kg)
Bases (1:10)
     K Ammonium Acetate (mg/kg)
     Ca Ammonium Acetate (mg/kg)
     Mg Ammonium Acetate (mg/kg)
     Na Ammonium Acetate (mg/kg)
     Bray Extractable K (mg/kg)
     K- Bicarb. (mg/kg)
     K Modified Morgan (mg/kg)
     Ca Modified Morgan (mg/kg)
     Aluminum KCL Extr. (mg/kg)
Mehlich-1 Multi Element (scoop)
     P (mg/kg)
     K (mg/kg)
     Ca (mg/kg)
     Mg (mg/kg)
     Mn (mg/kg)
     Zn (mg/kg)
Mehlich-3 Mult-Element
    Scoop Density (g/cm3)
     P   Colorimetric (mg/kg)
     P    ICP-AES (mg/kg)
     K (mg/kg)
     Ca (mg/kg)
     Mg (mg/kg)
     Na (mg/kg)
     S (mg/kg)
     Al (mg/kg)
     Zn (mg/kg)
     Mn (mg/kg)
     Fe (mg/kg)
     Cu (mg/kg)
     B (mg/kg)
Micronutrients
     Zn - DTPA (mg/kg)
     Mn - DTPA (mg/kg)
     Fe - DTPA (mg/kg)
     Cu - DTPA (mg/kg)
     Zn - HCl (mg/kg)
     Mn-H3PO4 (mg/kg)
     Cl - Ca(NO3)2 Extr. (mg/kg)
     B - Hot Wat. (mg/kg)
     B-DTPA/Sorbitol (mg/kg)
Soil Organic Matter
   Soil Kjeldahl N (%)
   Soil TN (combustion) (%)
   Soil TOC (Combustion) (%)
   SOM - Walkley-Black (%)
   SOM - LOI ( % Wt loss) (%)
   SOM - Actual (Unregressed) (%)
    CaCO3 Content (%)
    CEC - Cation Displacement (cmol/kg)
    CEC - Estimation (cmol/kg)
    Soil Density (Scoop) (g/cc)
Particle Size Analysis
   Sand 2000 - 50 um (%)
   Silt   50 - 2 um (%)
   Clay   2 - 0 um (%)
Moisture
Field Moisture Capacity (FC) (%)
Permanent Wilting Point (%)
Available Water Content (%)
Total Soil P (EPA-3050/3051/3052) (mg/kg)
Solvita CO2 Soil Respiration Test (mg/kg)
Soil Nitrogen Mineralization Potential (mg/kg)
DTPA-sorbitol extractable S (mg/kg)
DTPA-sorbitol extractable Al (mg/kg)
ISU Wet Soil K test (mg/kg)

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Properties tested: Botanicals Analyses

Dry Matter (%)
NO3 - N Cd Rd. (mg/kg)
NO3 - N   ISE (mg/kg)
NO3 - N   Oth. (mg/kg)
NH4-N (mg/kg)
PO4 - P (mg/kg)
SO4 - S (mg/kg)
Cl (%)
TKN (%)
N- Dry Comb. (%)
S- Dry Comb. (%)
Wet Digestion
    P (%)
    K (%)
    Ca (%)
    Mg (%)
    S (%)
    Na (%)
    Al (mg/kg)
    B (mg/kg)
    Zn (mg/kg)
    Mn (mg/kg)
    Fe (mg/kg)
    Cu (mg/kg)
    Mo (mg/kg)
Dry Ash
    P (%)
    K (%)
    Ca (%)
    Mg (%)
    Na (%)
    Al (mg/kg)
    B (mg/kg)
    Zn (mg/kg)
    Mn (mg/kg)
    Fe (mg/kg)
    Cu (mg/kg)
    Mo (mg/kg)
Heavy Metals
    As (mg/kg)
    Ba (mg/kg)
    Cd (mg/kg)
    Co (mg/kg)
    Ni (mg/kg)
    Pb (mg/kg)
    Sr (mg/kg)

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Properties tested: Water Analyses

pH
EC (dS/m)
Cations
Ca (mmolc/L)
Mg (mmolc/L)
Na (mmolc/L)
K (mmolc/L)
NH4-N (mmolc/L)
Sum Cations (mmolc/L)
SAR
Adj-SAR
Anions
HCO3 (mmolc/L)
CO3 (mmolc/L)
Cl (mmolc/L)
NO3 (mmolc/L)
SO4 (mmolc/L)
Sum Anions (mmolc/L)
Cation-Anion Difference
Boron (mg/L)
PO4-P Phosphorus - Spec (mg/L)
Phosphorus - ICP (Total) (mg/L)
TKN (mg/L)
Nitrogen Combustion (Total) (mg/L)
Total Organic Carbon (mg/L)

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