The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Soil & Plant Analytical Laboratory has closed its doors, says Mark Lagrimini, head of the university's agronomy and horticulture department.

“For at least five years the lab has been running under a significant deficit, and we have tried increasing our pricing and cut down on staff to make it solvent. We haven't been able to get any headway.” Competi-tion from private labs has also hurt business, Lagrimini adds.

The decision to close the lab was made after the building it was housed in was scheduled for a two-year renovation, he says.

“We are still willing to take people's results that they obtained in private labs and give our recommendations. The best way to do that is go through county extension offices,” Lagrimini says.