Introduction
Soil Testing & Service Section (STSS) at central level under the department of agriculture was established in 1992 to conduct and facilitate soil management activities in order to support agriculture development in the country. After restructuring of the Department of Agriculture in 2004 with the additional responsibility STSS has upgraded in to Soil Management Directorate (SMD) to carryout the job of:
• Soil and land resources survey
• Land evaluation and land suitability studies
• Soil fertility evaluation and studies
• Soil test, fertilizer test and soil management services
At present under the Soil Management Directorate one Central, five Regional and one Industrial soil labs have been working to support the agricultural soil management.

Soil labs under SMD are as follows:
• Central Soil Testing Lab, Hariharbhawan - Lalitpur
• Regional Soil Testing Lab, Jhumka - Sunsari
• Regional Soil Testing Lab, Hetauda - Makawanpur
• Regional Soil Testing Lab, Pokhara - Kaski
• Regional Soil Testing Lab, Khajura - Banke
• Regional Soil Testing Lab, Sundarpur- Kanchanpur
• Soil Testing Lab, Surunga, Jhapa