California Soil and Plant Testing Requirements in an Increasingly Monitored Environment.

Commercial soil and plant analysis in California has a long and rich history.   Since the 1940’s laboratories have served agriculture.   Labs were not regulated so quality and suitability depended upon individual integrity.   Sampling was not required so Lab owners had to convince clients of its value.   Services included soil, plant tissue and water analysis, mostly using methods suitable for the west.   However, other methods were used, some of questionable applicability.   Certification of drinking and wastewater analysis was required by the Department of Health (DHS) as early as the 1950’s.  In 1969, prior to the 1974 Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, enactment of the  Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act  (PCA) established the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCB).  The PCA required laboratory certification and the SWRCB had its own lab certification program.   RWQCBs regulate agronomic reuse of wastes requiring agronomic soil and plant analysis.  The 1988 California Environmental Laboratory Improvement Act Combined the DHS, SRWRCB and several other laboratory certification programs in the Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP).  Laboratory methods were prescribed for drinking water, wastewater, hazardous waste, food, and a number of other substrates but not soil or plant material.  In 2007 the Central Valley RWQCB issued a General Order for existing dairies.   The order requires analysis associated with nutrient management.  Drinking water and wastewater methods are prescribed.  Soil and plant methods from the NAPT and manure methods from the MAP are prescribed.  Soil laboratories must participate in the NAPT and MAP.  Some prescribed methods are inappropriate, total P in soil for example.  The regulations were written by people unfamiliar with agronomic methods and who resisted input from agronomic and soil scientists.  Regulation is increasing the market for testing but also increasing complexity and sometimes frustration.