Accreditation of the Laboratory Analytical Advisory Services - Kari Kabete
Gachini G N

The analytical soil and plant analytical laboratories at KARI Kabete are a major provider of laboratory analytical services in soil fertility evaluation, plant tissue analysis, soil and plant products quality, irrigation water suitability, quality control of fertilizers and other soil amendments. With advancement of agricultural technology the transfer of information and knowledge of soil health to farmers and other clients requires efficient advisory services in quality and delivery time in order to ensure the results are accurate and timely. As farmers increasingly take up farming as a business, the analytical advisory reports help them to rationalize farm inputs and adhere to export regulations as they embrace precision agriculture. Farmers worldwide practicing precision agriculture are taking soil testing as one of the tools used in provision of information employed at farm level in the optimization of agricultural production while still conserving the environment. Farmers whose soils are tested regularly are benefiting through establishing a history of their farm characteristics and practices which assist them in agronomic practices decision making. The analytical data provided for various materials is very important in decision making and research.  Moreover, a balanced and adequate supply of soil nutrients is a requirement for a healthy and high quality crop production. This is only possible when the inherent soil fertility is determined through the soil testing and shortfalls established for external inputs supplement.
                                                                                                        
In order to help farmers and researchers meet these challenges, KARI Kabete sought to have her analytical laboratories to be ISO/IEC 17025:2005 international standard accredited by Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS). This is to ensure that the services provided by the laboratories  follows an agreed standard way which is internationally acceptable.  Accreditation is a means of assessing in public interests the technical competence and integrity of the organizations offering testing services. It is the preferred mechanism for ensuring that the players in a common field of specialization follow an agreed standard way of provision of services. Accreditation has many potential benefits for the quality of goods and provision of services throughout the supply chain. Therefore an accredited testing laboratory can be a good source of impartial advice and knowledge transfer. An accredited testing laboratory is internationally recognized and has a competitive edge in its provision of products and services. It also gives confidence to consumers by ensuring consistently high standards in quality of products and services.

The laboratories are equipped with the state of the art equipment that are calibrated to give precise and accurate results

The accreditation process started in 2007 through the support of KARI management. The laboratory personnel were trained on various subjects relevant to accreditation process. The laboratory and the staff went through the rigorous vetting exercise by KENAS from January 2007 to March 2010. KENAS did a thorough evaluation of the entire laboratory system and staff competency and verified that the laboratories met the desired international standard. KARI Kabete laboratory was issued with an ISO/IEC 17025 international standard accreditation certificate in May 2010. The ISO/IEC 17025 International Standard accreditation acquisition was inaugurated and celebrated on 8th November 2010 during the 12th KARI Biennial Scientific Conference held on 8th-12th November 2010.

Accreditation is helping the laboratory personnel to undertake the various activities in accordance with international standard and monitor the various operations in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as it is stipulated in the Laboratory Quality Management System. The acquisition of ISO/IEC 17025 International Standard strengthens clients’ confidence, laboratory’s quality assurance, risk management and overall service provision management system. This contributes towards customer satisfaction through the delivery of superior and sustainable services while increasing efficiency in our operations. It enables farmers to use the appropriate fertilizer recommendations and rectify the soil fertility problems in order to realize the full potential of their land productivity.

The objectives of the laboratory
• To provide laboratory analytical services to researchers and farmers on soils, plant tissues, inorganic fertilizers, manures, animal feeds and irrigation water
• To interpret soil and plant tissue analytical results and provide recommendations on appropriate farm inputs (fertilizers, lime, etc.) applications for enhanced productivity of various soil types and farming systems
• To interpret water analytical results and provide recommendations for appropriate suitability in irrigation of various soil types and farming systems
• To provide appropriate soil fertility and water management, crop production, irrigation and drainage recommendations
• To provide training services in soil fertility and water management and laboratory services to researchers and technical staff
• To disseminate technologies through participation in agricultural shows and field days
• To generate funds through laboratory analytical services and training
• To promote and market analytical advisory services
• To maintain ISO/IEC 17025:2005 test laboratory accreditation.

 

Advantages of accreditation
1. Fulfillment of organization’s obligations as a result of the quality management
2. Guarantees clients confidence and satisfaction in the reliability and integrity of services offered by the institution
3. Offers consistently high quality products and services according to internationally recognized standards
4. Enables laboratories entry to competitive national and international market of analytical services while stimulating competition in the same field of service provision
5. Promotion of the up-to-date level of technological development in the field of accredited testing
6. Good source of impartial advice and knowledge transfer
7. Regular objective inspections of the quality management system and continual potential of improvement
8. Increased performance of laboratory personnel
9. Ensuring traceability of test and measurement results

Way forward

In order to maintain ISO/IEC 17025 and sustain laboratory equipment in good operational condition, the laboratory has contracted NMS Company Ltd. to service and repair equipments twice in a year. The maintenance contract should be renewed each year. This is very important since most of the existing Laboratory Analytical Service analytical equipments are over 10 years old and in the last years of their working life span. It is also important for the management to note that these equipments can pack any time, and it is, therefore, imperative to replace them with newer versatile and more sensitive models. This calls for the replacement of analytical equipments gradually to avoid a situation where the laboratory might be grounded and be unable to fulfill its mandate.