The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has implemented a nation-wide program for promoting the efficient and wise use of plant nutrients to protect the nation's quality of water and soil. The purpose of the program is the production of agricultural crops with commercial fertilizer and agricultural waste products while protecting the soil and water environment. Many of the 256,000 animal operations in the country deal with manure. Livestock producers are less familiar with using soil testing to guide crop management decisions than are crop and orchard producers. A basis for the efficient and safe use of fertilizers and manners is a soil test. Soil testing has been the cornerstone of our scientific basis for recommending crop nutrients. Through the promotion of nutrient management there has been an increased emphasis in soil and tissue testing. For NRCS projects, the state Land Grant University is the technical guidance for the conservation practice standard. The standard for soil testing frequency and method varies from state to state, and is set by NRCS policy to be at least once every five years. Since soil testing is the integral basis for nutrient management, both for crop sufficiency and environmental impact. During 2004, approximately 4.5 million acres of cropland and grazing land were newly managed for nutrients. This means increased soil testing. To assure that conservation planning and USDA programs are well maintained there is a requirement that soil sampling and soil test analysis be credible and meet a standard level of proficiency. NRCS is working with the NAPT program to make sure that soil test labs are delivering a quality analysis and that the results are being interpreted correctly according to the land grant university recommendations.