The Southern Arava R&D – Soil, Water and Plant Testing Laboratory, was established in 1964. It is a leading regional testing lab for soil, water and plant analysis.
The laboratory serves the farmers, landscapers and gardeners of the Arava, Eilat and Ramat Negev regions as well as the researchers at Southern Arava R&D. The laboratory also provides support for extension professionals in soil, water and plant management.
Every year we process more than 2,500 samples which are over 11,000 tests. The materials tested are: soil, water, sewage and effluents, fertilizers, manures, compost and sludge, soilless growing media, feeding solutions and plant material (Samples submission form At the bottom of the page ).
Tests performed in our laboratory: soil and water salinity – electrical conductivity (EC) chlorides (Cl). Fertility monitoring – N, P, K and microelements in soil, water and plants. Composition of cations and anions. Composition of compost and manure, organic matter content and C / N ratio. Element concentration, including heavy metals in soil, sludge, compost, plants, water and wastewater by means of an atomic absorption spectrometer and other analytical techniques. Comparison of W.H.O standards and Ministry of Environment standards for wastewater and sludge – Soil analysis including percentage of saturation, pH, mechanical composition (texture), limestone percentage, boron, sodium, calcium, magnesium and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR).
