Edito

INRAE has two central laboratories in complementary fields:

• The Service and Research Unit for Plant and Environmental Analysis (USRAVE) in Villenave d'Ornon is INRAE's central laboratory for plant analysis.

• The Soil Analysis Laboratory (LAS) in Arras is INRAE's central laboratory for soil analysis.

These two laboratories provide service offerings and methodological development within their respective fields of expertise for research purposes at the French and European levels.

USRAVE is a laboratory of the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (INRAE). It specializes in the analysis of mineral elements in plants. The laboratory conducts a large number of analyses for researchers, environmental research observatories, professional organizations, and companies. USRAVE's analyses focus on major elements essential for plant growth (phosphorus, potassium, etc.), trace elements (iron, copper, etc.), as well as heavy metals that have a direct impact on the environment or health (cadmium, lead, mercury, etc.).

USRAVE has been accredited by COFRAC since March 1, 2007, for the analysis of these elements in the following plant families: trees (deciduous, coniferous, fruit trees), cereals, grasses, vegetables for the following parts: fruits, grains, stems, leaves, roots, and flours (the scope of accreditation is available at http://www.cofrac.fr/ under accreditation number 1-1838).

Accreditation is a recognition of the laboratory's technical competence. To carry out the analyses, USRAVE uses the latest techniques. Rigorous quality controls, using reference samples, ensure optimal quality of the analyses. The traceability of the various operations inherent to sample processing is managed using efficient software. USRAVE meets all the conditions required to produce accurate and precise results.

The laboratory also conducts methodological research, such as developing sample preparation methods (e.g., answering the question: how to analyze a lettuce sample with equipment that can only process liquids?) or developing innovative analysis techniques to handle very small samples (on the order of a few milligrams). Always at the forefront of research and technology, USRAVE continuously improves its performance and the quality of its services in partnership with its clients.