Nutrient Analysis in Plant Tissues, Food Grains, Manure, Fertilizers

Nutrient Analysis in Plant Tissues, Food Grains, Manure, Fertilizers

Agriculture Testing Laboratories use sample data to provide growers with recommendations to determine water suitability and to increase plant productivity and yields for farming operations. The recommendations include nutrient and soil management practices and fertilizer applications. These laboratories use distinct types of instrumentation to report accurate and reliable data. The instrumentation prepares and analyzes a wide range of samples such as plant tissue, fruitlet, compost, feed, forage, manure, fertilizer, water, and soil.

Trace Metals Analysis in Agriculture Products – ICP Analysis

Trace metals analysis in agriculture products is essential in providing growers with data to manage operations. After a sample arrives at the lab at the sample receiving it typically goes through drying, grinding, and scoping process. An accurately weighed amount of sample is transferred to a vial and a technician prepares the sample by adding hazardous acids and reagents, followed by heating, cooling, mixing, filtering, and transferring the sample before it is ready for ICP Analysis on an ICP-OES or ICP-MS. This process is mundane, labour-intensive, and dangerous for the technician and the lab.

Automated Solutions for Agriculture Laboratories

Vulcan Automated Digestion and the Work-Up system is a sample preparation system that will automate this entire process. It will automate the addition of hazardous reagents and acids. Furthermore, the heating (digesting), cooling, mixing, and final dilution are also automated. After the final dilution, the system will transfer an aliquot to an autosampler rack which is then ready for analysis on the ICP-OES, ICP-MS, AA, or Mercury Analyzer. Read more about Vulcan Automated Digestion and the Work-Up system.

Nitron High-Temperature Automated Digestion and Dispensing system are designed for routine and customizable methods that require heating up to 400°C. Nitron is ideal for automating applications involving acids like sulfuric and phosphoric acid. Common applications include Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen and Total Phosphorous.

Automated Solutions for Agriculture Laboratories

QPrep Automated Workstation is an offline dilution system that provides an integrated solution for precise sample dilutions, transfers, dispensing and other liquid handling functions. QPrep liquid handling system is designed to handle precise reagent delivery to samples in multiple rack configurations which can then be introduced to an AA, ICP-OES, ICP-MS, or Mercury Analyzer. Automating the handling of expensive and hazardous chemicals helps to increase the profitability and safety of the laboratory.

Microwave and Manual Solutions

QLabPro Microwave Digestion system provides versatility, safety, productivity in closed and open vessel digestions, extraction, evaporation and synthesis. QLabPro Microwave Digestion system monitors the temperature and pressure of each digestion vessel and has user-independent safety features guarantee safe digestions.

QBlock Wireless Digestion system can wirelessly control up to 8 QBlocks providing temperature control, data computation, and ease of operation through its touchscreen-based wireless controller. QBlock Temperature Controller Systems are available for commonly used vessels (15, 25, 50, 100 mL) and non-standard sample vials. QBlock is made from PTFE coated graphite and anodized aluminium. They cover a wide heating range from 180°C to 400°C.

Accessories and Technical Support Expertise

Questron offers a range of accessories including portable and bench-top fume hoods, acid-resistant blowers, acid fume scrubbers, sample storage carts, and reagent bottle storage cabinets. These accessories are designed to work with our products or as stand-alone tools to increase productivity in the laboratory.

Contact us to learn more about increasing the reliability, productivity, accuracy, and precision of your sample processing.