Methods of Soil, Plant, and Water Analysis: A manual for the West Asia and North Africa Region: Third Edition

Abstract

This laboratory manual of analytical methods has been compiled to be used primarily by research assistants, technicians and student trainees working in the laboratory. The methods have been selected from different sources and adapted for routine analyses in the WANA region. A detailed description of the methods can be found in the original publications listed in the references. As analytical techniques are developed and improving, this manual will be subject to continuous revision. Any helpful suggestion and feedback from users is most appreciated.

The Third Edition of the manual reflects the changes that have occurred within the past few years in the region, particularly will respect to water and irrigation. While it is still focused on production agriculture, it reflects an increasing concern about environmental pollution, mainly from nitrates, heavy metals, and toxic organic compounds. With greater sophistication in methodologies and equipment, most soil laboratories can now deal with both agricultural and environmental concerns. In addition, improvements have occurred in electronic handling of data and establishing databases. As with the Second Edition, we anticipate translating the Third Edition into Arabic for the WANA region in general as well as into French, particularly for North Africa.