Illinois Soil Testing Association
The Illinois Soil Testing Association (ISTA) is an organization of professionals dedicated to:
Our organization was founded on the premise that farmers and others in need of soil analyses must have information that is reliable, consistent and accurate. To ensure our members provide data that meet these standards, ISTA maintains an accreditation program that is developed by the organization's board of directors and approved by the voting members.
ISTA includes some 50 individual members and represents nearly 30 labs and businesses throughout Illinois and neighboring states. We are involved in research funding, information sharing and quality control for the member labs and consultants. Our advisory board includes members on-staff at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and other key universities.
The organization holds two meetings annually - a winter meeting normally held in February and a summer meeting in July. The meetings are designed to allow members to share information on new techniques and products, share new findings on old techniques and products, discuss on-going projects, conduct business, review field research, and get to know our fellow members a little better.
The primary objective of ISTA is to promote the interest of agriculture in Illinois by increasing the efficiency of production of the state's farm crops and the profits resulting through the development, use and acceptance of proper soil testing methods and fertilizer recommendations principles. These purposes are accomplished by: