A new state-of-the-art soil testing laboratory was officially opened by Sir Ben Gill last Thursday, 21 November 2013. The new laboratory has been purpose-built by NRM Laboratories, part of the Cawood Scientific Group, the UK’s largest independent one-stop shop for agricultural and associated analytical testing services.
Based in Swaffham, Norfolk, in the UK’s arable heartland, the new laboratory is the first East Anglia based facility fully accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 for analysis of agricultural soils to the standards required in both the UK and Ireland. It will be managed by Annie Sneath, section head for NRM Swaffham.
Opening the new laboratory, NRM chairman Sir Ben Gill said: “Soil is the basic raw material of farming. Gaining an understanding of it is fundamental to improving crop yields and quality so that farmers can produce more but impact less.”
He continued: “The traditional UK advisory soil test allows informed decisions to be made on fertiliser and lime requirements and we have seen the demand for standard soil testing increase year on year. However, as farmers and their agronomists and advisers adopt and adapt to precision farming techniques, they are keener than ever to learn more about their soils, including the impact of trace elements such as boron and manganese on major nutrient uptake as well as physical characteristics such as texture, water holding capacity and compaction.
“Here in Swaffham we now have a laboratory focussed exclusively on soils, fully equipped to deliver comprehensive specialist soil testing packages for customers throughout East Anglia and across many other parts of the UK.”
The investment required to establish this new facility and achieve full accreditation is a further example of NRM’s commitment to provide a high quality testing service for farmers in the UK and Ireland.
With over 40 years' experience, NRM is one of the UK’s most innovative and experienced independent analytical businesses. The company has an extensive testing capability covering all aspects of water, soil and plant tissue, inputs and outputs associated with crop and livestock production. Working to internationally recognised analytical methodology and standards NRM’s team of skilled scientists offer rapid turnaround combined with high quality results providing the information on which to make sound farming decisions.
