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| March 2000 | Newsletter |
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Providing analytical services
in the areas of
soil, plant, feed, water
and environmental samples Soil, Plant & Water Laboratory (SPW) 2400 College Station Road Athens, Georgia 30602-9105 Phone: (706)542-5350 FAX: (706)369-5734 ********** Feed & Environmental Water Laboratory (FEW) 2300 College Station Road Athens, Georgia 30602-4356 Phone: (706)542-7690 FAX: (706)542-1474 ********** Pesticide & Hazardous Waste Laboratory (PHW) 2300 College Station Road Athens, Georgia 30602-4356 Phone: (706)542-9023 FAX: (706)542-1474 ********** Tri-Lab News Edited by: C. Wayne Jordan Head, Agricultural & Environmental Services Laboratories C. Wayne Jordan March, 2000 |
New Program Coordinator The Feed & Environmental Water Lab (FEWL) has a new program coordinator, Dr. Paul F. Vendrell. Formerly the director of the Water Quality Laboratory at the University of Arkansas, Dr. Vendrell began his service for the University of Georgia on February 1, 2000. He comes to Georgia with 18 years of agricultural-service-lab experience, including graduate study (Ph.D.) at the University of Arkansas' Soil Testing and Plant Analysis Lab, technical director of the Servi-Tech Lab in Nebraska, and director of the Water Quality Lab at the University of Arkansas. This new program coordinator plans to spend a good portion of his first few months getting to know Georgia agriculture and the Cooperative Extension Service programs and staff. He feels strongly that the county offices are the avenues to strengthen the FEWL. Goals that Dr. Vendrell thinks important are to:
Sample Numbers During the last fiscal year we received almost 120,000 different samples among all the Labs and most of these had multiple tests run on each sample. The largest category of samples is soils. Soil sample numbers for the routine fertility analyses were up about 19 percent from the previous year at almost 96,000. Water samples make up the second largest category of samples received followed by plants, feed/forages, manures and various environmental materials such as industrial and municipal sludge. There were also a host of miscellaneous samples including paint chips, alligator eggs and panda bear feed. The vast majority of these samples come to us through County Extension offices with the results being returned by computer. Without the splendid support and cooperation of County Extension faculty and staff the Labs would not be as useful and effective for the public.
Which Soil Samples Are Paid or Free? Soil samples are divided into paid or free categories based on crop codes but there are some areas in which there is confusion. For example, commercial sod farms are in the free category with commercial agriculture since they produce a raw agricultural product for sale. All other turf goes into the paid category such as lawns of all types (home, business, industrial, school grounds), golf courses, athletic fields and roadsides. Commercial vegetables are free samples while a vegetable garden is in the paid category. We depend upon the County office to ask the right questions and use the correct crop code. Any time there is a question call the SPW Lab and we will help with the interpretation.
Soil Test Trends Eighty percent of all the soil samples tested by the SPW Lab last year represented commercial agriculture with the remainder in the homeowner or some other non-farm category. Cotton and peanuts were the two most requested crops for recommendations. These two major row crops present some interesting contrasts in soil fertility levels. Cotton samples showed the need for phosphorus fertilization 57 percent of the time compared to only 16 percent of the peanut samples. The differences in potassium levels were even more striking with 84 percent of cotton samples testing low or medium compared to only 6 percent for peanuts. Soil test levels for most other crops to showed the same pattern as cotton except for soybeans and forage crops which had a higher percentage of samples testing low in fertility. Commercial vegetables and general homeowner samples tend to have more samples testing in high and very high categories. Liming practices appear to be a little better for cotton and peanuts than other crop categories. Last year about 30 percent of both cotton and peanut samples tested below pH 6.0 and received a lime recommendation. Forty three percent of samples for other crops tested below pH 6.0 indicating a need for lime.
Animal Waste Sample Update Our sample load of lagoon and poultry litters has increased considerably in the last few months as greater emphasis is being given to nutrient management plans.
Many of you are continuing to submit these samples in the same package as soils, waters, plants, etc...instead of individually packaged with the I.D. Label. Please refer back to the "Fee Schedule" update of August, 1999. Instructions for submitting these type samples were outlined along with a copy of a label to attach to the outside of the mailing container. This information is also available to you in the June, 1999 issue of Tri-Lab News. It is very important that animal waste samples be handled and submitted properly to insure the safety of yourselves and our laboratory employees. To reduce the bulk for shipping and for later disposal, please instruct your clients to use pint-sized zip-loc bags for litter and pint plastic bottles for liquid samples. This is an adequate amount to test.
Testing Well Water for Coliform Bacteria The Feed and Environmental Water Lab (FEWL) is planning a pilot program to expand its ability to serve county Cooperative Extension Service offices throughout Georgia. When the pilot program is completed, this expanded service will be a new system for testing bacteria in well water. Presently, only the clients within a convenient drive to Athens can reliably use the FEWL for their bacteria testing needs. Bacteria must be tested on samples that are less than 24-hours old from the time of sample collection. New equipment and methods will permit us to reduce the one-gallon sample volume presently required, down to only 125 milliliters (about one cup). Smaller samples will make it feasible from any county in Georgia to use this testing program by express mailing or next-day shipping samples to the FEWL. The new equipment will also improve the value, reliability, and usability of the information provided by the test. New and innovative methods allow us to simultaneously count both total coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Counting both bacteria makes the testing more reliable and helps determine the source, if contamination is present. Plans are to provide sampling kits to the county CES offices. Kits will contain a sample container, sampling instructions, information sheet, and a pre-addressed mailer. Our vision for implementing this program is to send sampling kits to the county offices. The clients would pick-up the kit, collect the sample, fill-out the information sheet, and next-day ship the sample to the FEWL in Athens. After analyzing the sample, the FEWL will send results along with information and interpretations back to the county office. Clients will return to the county office for their results. If these bacteria were present in a client's well, county staff with the aid of publications will help diagnose possible causes and make recommendations for treatment. The new equipment has been ordered. County offices participating in the pilot will be relied upon to help streamline the entire program.
New Instruments for Feed Testing A planned effort to increase the efficiency and productivity of the Feed & Environmental Water Lab has lead us to adopt the Ankom system for measuring neutral detergent fiber (NDF). This change in instrumentation is due to a need to replace old systems that are past their expected lifetime. The Ankom system is less expensive, requires less labor to operate, and can analyze more samples per day (100 analyses/8-hour day). The Ankom system employs a type of alpha-amylase that results in a more vigorous and thorough removal of starch from the fiber. As a result, the Ankom system produces lower but truer NDF values. Our future plans are to continue replacing older and less automated instrumentation with new, automated, and state-of-the-art instrumentation that will give our clients faster turn-around, economical analysis, and reliable results. The next most immediate upgrades will be to use the Ankom system for crude fiber and acid detergent fiber.
Springtime Shallow Well Problems Every year, shallow groundwater is recharged or replenished by water that moves through the soil. Recharge starts in December and continues through March. As this recharge water percolates downward, organic matter, bacteria, nutrients, minerals, metals, and possibly pesticides are moved along with this recharge water. Bacteria begin to grow rapidly when springtime temperatures warm in combination with organic matter and nutrients. This rapid bacterial growth or bloom consumes all the oxygen in the soil and groundwater. Without oxygen, anaerobic bacteria take over. Taste and odor problems are created when bacteria use iron, manganese, or sulfate instead of oxygen. Iron and manganese minerals become soluble and concentrations can become very high, giving the water a metallic taste. Sulfate can be changed into hydrogen sulfide and the water will smell like rotten eggs. Organic matter can be converted to methane gas. Methane gas is odorless but sulfur compounds accompanying the methane will impart a smell similar to commercial natural gas. Indications that the groundwater is undergoing these transformations are (1) red, reddish-brown, or black sediment in the water, (2) stains on your porcelain fixtures, (3) a metallic taste, (4) rotten-egg smell, or (5) natural gas smell. Shock chlorinating the well can reduce the bacterial activity for a period of weeks. The chlorine will also remove iron and manganese. But, until the organic carbon levels and anaerobic bacterial activity decline, taste and odor problems may return. Anticipate that potentially everyone with a shallow well (less than 50 feet deep) may need help understanding the sudden change in his or her well water. Assure the client that this is a normal response to seasonal recharge. However, this reiterates that shallow wells are vulnerable to contamination from activities at or near the surface and the importance limiting activities that could impact their groundwater. Activities that should be avoided in the vicinity of the wellhead are (1) excessive fertilizer or manure applications, (2) pesticide mixing or misuse (3) on-site wastewater treatment (4) chemical, paint, solvent, fuel or lubricant storage, (5) vehicle washing, or (6) disposal of any waste. Encourage shallow well owners to test their well for Total Coliform (W34) and the Basic Water Test (W1) at least once a year. Since these shallow wells are vulnerable, other tests may be appropriate for special situations such as pesticide, fuel, lubricant, or solvent spills near the wellhead.
Contributors to this issue: Jeannie Dawson Program Coordinator Soil, Plant and Water Lab
Paul Vendrell
Parshall Bush
C. Wayne Jordan
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