Congratulations to Dr. David C. Weindorf, Assistant Professor at the School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Science, Louisiana State University Agriculture Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on receiving an Innov-X Systems Academic Research Relations Grant Award. Dr. Weindorf's research project, Use of Field Portable XRF for the Characterization of Gypsic Soils is being carried out in West Texas. Dr. Weindorf is working in conjunction with Dr. Nelson Rolong and Dr. Susan Casby Horton of USDA-NRCS and Dr. B. L. Allen and Dr. Juan Herrero-Isern of Texas Tech University. According to Dr. Weindorf, his research team "seeks to use field portable XRF to quantify the amount of gypsum in soils in situ. Gypsic soils pose two key challenges to soil scientists: 1: certain soils contain high amounts of gypsum and accurate quantification of gypsum percentage is cumbersome and 2: lab methods for gypsum determination are difficult because of its high solubility."
Portable XRF provides fast and simple in-situ elemental analysis of Mg through U, from PPM to high percentage levels. In a matter of seconds, it allows simultaneous measurements of up to 25 elements. The Innov-X Academic Relations Program encourages and supports research into applications where in-situ XRF measurements expand or enhance a knowledge base. It puts the power of portable XRF in researchers' hands allowing them to take it to the field, where it really counts. Innov-X Academic Research Grants include the loan of an analyzer, technical training and/or consultation, and sponsorship at a technical conference to present the research findings.
