The laboratory of soil chemistry has existed since the establishment of the institute (1945)

Its leaders in different years were E.S. Sushko, Cand.Ag.Sc. Yu.F. Pil, I.I. Emelyanov, I.S. Mezhenin, I. Imangaziyev, Dr.Ag.Sc. P.G.Grabarov, Cand.Ag.Sc. S.N. Fedosov, Cand.Ag.Sc. S.M. Seifullina, Cand.Ag.Sc. Suleimenov B.U.

The department consisted of 36 people, including 3 research fellows, including 1 Doctor of science, 2 Candidates of science, scientific and technical personnel - 33 people. The scientific profile of the laboratory - mass soil analyses, soil studies in Kazakhstan on concentration of macro- and microelements and conducting a number of experiments, improvement and development of new methods of chemical analyses.

Currently, the department is headed by Rakhimova Asel Muratovna. The Laboratory of Chemical Analysis includes 16 analytical engineers.

Main research areas

- Mass analysis of soil and plant samples and water samples for fundamental and applied researches of the Institute.

- Improvement of chemical and physico-chemical methods of soil research.

Services provided by the laboratory

- chemical analyses of samples of soil, water, plants and fertilizers.

Main achievements

Creation of 14 medium-scale soil maps and essays on the regions of the Kazakh SSR would have been impossible without soil analyses carried out by the laboratory of soil chemistry of the Institute, headed by P.G. Grabarov. Under his leadership, 96 regional and 15 republican cartograms of concentration of mobile microelements in soils were made, 16 reports were written, materials were summarized for determination of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium in soils, removals of elements by crops were determined, experiments were carried out on the effectiveness of fertilizers with microelements.

Over the years, together with the department of agrochemistry, analytical work was carried out on tours of agrochemical soil surveys, which formed the basis of the developed agrochemical cartograms. Analysts conducted agrochemical soil analyzes (more than 60 thous. analyzes) for concentration of gross and mobile forms of microelements (boron, manganese, zinc, molybdenum, cobalt and copper), the results of which were used to make cartograms for all regions of the republic on concentration of microelements on a scale of 1:2500 000 with explanatory notes.

In 1966-1975, desk processing of extensive analytical data on concentration of humus, gross and mobile forms of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in soils of the northern and southern regions of Kazakhstan was carried out. Calculations of concentration of these microelements for arable, half-meter and meter layers were made (performed by I.A. Kazantseva). This work showed that soils of the northern and southern regions are well supplied with mobile potassium, enough with available nitrogen and insufficiently with mobile phosphorus.

The study of the reserves and forms of soil phosphates in irrigated soils of Kzyl-Orda, Chimkent, Dzhambul, Alma-Ata and Taldy-Kurgan regions would not have been possible without the results of analyses which were done by the analysts.

Methods of determining soil absorption capacity and alkalinity were developed and recommended, which increased productivity by 2.5 times. Method of preparing soils for mechanical analysis using ultrasound has been mastered: it speeds up mechanical analysis by 1.5 times. It is also used in determining Р2О5 mobile form according to Machigin method, which increases labor productivity by 20-25%. A new spectrocolorimeter "Spekol" has been mastered and used to determine mobile manganese, mobile and bulk forms of phosphorus. The following methods were mastered and recommended:

 - trilonometric method for determining soil absorption capacity when they are saturated with solutions of a mixture of salts of alkaline soil elements;

- polarography to detect zinc and copper in soils;

- colorimetric method for determining total phosphorus in soil and groups of different solubility.

-  new method of monitoring chemical analyzes of soil water extracts and natural waters using emission flame photometry.

Various catalysts for acceleration of soil burning by the Kjeldahl method in determining total nitrogen were tested in the laboratory, alcohol flame in flame photometric determination of mobile and total potassium in soil, and emission of fulvic acids from soil acid solution in the form of barium salts.

Method of atomic absorption analysis in soil research has been mastered, with the help of which mobile forms of microelements (zinc, copper, manganese, cobalt); gross forms of lead, cadmium, zinc, copper, iron, aluminum, calcium, magnesium, manganese, soluble calcium and magnesium in soils and natural waters are determined.

Currently, chemical analysis laboratory has a State license for activities related to circulation of precursors No. 19008267 dated 10.04. 2019 for a period of 5 years.

In 2017, chemical laboratory was certified (Certificate No.31 on assessment of the state of measurements in the laboratory) dated 27.03. 2017 (until March 27, 2020)

In 2020, laboratory was accredited (Accreditation certificate No. KZ.T.02.2374 dated 12.08.2020). Valid until 12.08.2025.