Significant events in the development of Waite Analytical Services

• 1985 Professor Robin Graham purchased an ARL 3580 ICPOES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer) with GRDC (Grains Research and Development Corporation), and University of Adelaide funds, to analyse plant tissue from his field and glasshouse trials. This technology enabled cheap, quick, simultaneous analysis of many elements and proved to be a powerful tool in understanding the complex interactions of plant nutrition.

• 1993 The laboratory began a fee-for-service role at the suggestion of Peter King, who needed reliable analyses to service his farm consultancy business. Waite Analytical Services (WAS) is its registered business name.

• 1994 Professor Graham became involved in projects through IFPRI - The International Food Policy Research Institute and WAS began receiving samples from plant breeding centres around the world.

• 1998 Lyndon Palmer joined the WAS team. Lyn had been head of the Elemental Analysis section of South Australian Analytical Laboratory; his extensive knowledge of elemental analysis significantly improved the quality of WAS outputs.

• 2000 Spectro Axial view ICPOES installed.

• 2001 Agilent 7500 ICPMS was installed at CSIRO Land and Water, Waite Campus. WAS shares this instrument with CSIRO and University of SA.

• 2005 Spectro Radial view ICPOES installed.
  
  • Titanium and Chromium added to standard plant suite as an indicator of soil contamination, particularly of interest to clients targeting Iron.
  • Chloride analysis by axial view ICPOES instigated.
  • Routine check for grinder contamination instigated

• 2006 H+ Capacity-building project - Lyndon to work with labs in Mexico, China, Nigeria, and India to improve the trace-element analysis capability.

• 2008 Professor Robin Graham resigns as director of WAS, Professor Mark Tester appointed as chair of the management committee.

• 2009 Doctor Matthew Wheal employed to learn the ropes from Lyndon and to begin writing up WAS methods development for peer-reviewed journals.

• 2010 Professor Mark Tester resigned from the WAS management committee and Professor Bob Gibson appointed as chair.
  
  • Capacity building project completed
  • Chloride by axial ICPOES method published