Information Package / Course Catalogue
Laboratory Techniques
Course Code: ORT213
Course Type: Area Elective
Couse Group: Short Cycle (Associate's Degree)
Education Language: Turkish
Work Placement: N/A
Theory: 1
Prt.: 1
Credit: 2
Lab: 0
ECTS: 2
Objectives of the Course

To provide students with the ability to work safely and effectively in the laboratory; to introduce basic tools, equipment, and chemicals used in organic agriculture analysis; to teach the theoretical and practical foundations of sampling, solution preparation, physical, chemical, and instrumental analysis methods to establish a baseline for professional applications.

Course Content

Laboratory safety and first aid principles; introduction and use of laboratory equipment; sampling techniques; balances and weighing processes; solution preparation and concentration calculations; basic physical, chemical, and instrumental analysis methods used in soil, water, and plant analysis for organic agriculture and their application in the laboratory environment.

Name of Lecturer(s)
Learning Outcomes
1.Methodically applies laboratory safety rules, executes first aid steps in case of potential accidents, and works in accordance with occupational health and safety principles.
2.Accurately and effectively uses basic tools, equipment, and instrumental devices deployed in laboratories.
3.Takes samples properly for organic agriculture analysis, performs weighing, and prepares samples for analysis.
4.Prepares laboratory solutions without errors at desired concentrations and performs necessary calculations.
5.Conducts basic physical, chemical, and instrumental analysis processes on soil, water, plants, and organic products, evaluating them according to quality standards.
Recommended or Required Reading
1.Laboratuvar Tekniği. Doç. Dr. Ünal Rıza Yaman, Öğr. Gör. Dr. Nazan Kavas.
2.Laboratuvar Tekniği. Cem Karagözlü, Necati Akbulut. Ege Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Yayın No:570,2010
3.Laboratuvar Tekniği. İsmet Türker. Ankara Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Yayın No:381,1969
4.Laboratuvar Güvenliği ve Kimyasal Hijyen Planı. 2009. Ankara Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi Gıda Mühendisliği Bölümü. Nevzat Artık, Kadir Halkman, Aziz Tekin, Ayla Soyer, Özay Menteş
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
Week 1 - Theoretical & Practice
Laboratory Safety, Laboratory Accidents, and First Aid Basic safety rules to be followed in the laboratory, use of personal protective equipment, chemical hazard pictograms, types of accidents frequently encountered in laboratories, and first aid interventions in emergencies.
Week 2 - Theoretical & Practice
General Laboratory Information, Equipment, and Devices Used Physical structure of the laboratory environment, arrangement of workbenches, introduction of glassware and porcelain equipment, operating principles and safe usage guidelines for basic devices such as heaters, stirrers, and centrifuges.
Week 3 - Theoretical & Practice
Laboratory Techniques and Sampling Process Basic laboratory techniques determining analysis quality, homogenization, filtration, and centrifugation processes; methods for collecting, transporting, and storing soil, water, and plant samples from the field in compliance with analysis rules and regulations.
Week 4 - Theoretical & Practice
Laboratory Balances and Weighing Process Operating principles of rough and analytical balances, calibration requirements for laboratory balances, weighing room rules, weighing substances in different physical states (solid, liquid, moist) in accordance with strict analytical rules, and prevention of weighing errors.
Week 5 - Theoretical & Practice
Solutions and Concentration in Solutions - I Concept of solution, solvent and solute relationships, introduction to concentration units; theoretical explanations of mass percentage (%), volume percentage (%), parts per million (ppm), and parts per billion (ppb), and basic laboratory calculations related to these units.
Week 6 - Theoretical & Practice
Solutions and Concentration in Solutions - II Detailed examination of molarity (M) and normality (N) concepts commonly used in analytical chemistry, equivalent weight calculations, formulas for preparing dilute solutions from concentrated acid/base stocks with known density and purity levels, and calculation problems.
Week 7 - Theoretical & Practice
Applications of Solution Preparation and Calculations in the Laboratory Practical laboratory preparation of stock and standard solutions at specific concentrations from theoretically calculated solid and liquid chemicals, use of volumetric flasks, labeling rules, and safe storage of prepared solutions.
Week 8 - Theoretical & Practice
Midterm Exam (Topic: Evaluation of Weeks 1-7) A written and/or practical evaluation exam covering the theoretical knowledge, laboratory safety rules, use of tools and equipment, sampling techniques, and solution preparation calculations covered during the first 7 weeks.
Week 9 - Theoretical & Practice
Physical Analysis Methods - I (Moisture, Texture, and Color Analysis in Soil and Products) Physical methods used to determine soil and plant quality in organic agriculture; determination of moisture/dry matter using the oven-drying method, determination of soil texture using the hydrometer method, and color analysis in agricultural products using the Munsell color scale.
Week 10 - Theoretical & Practice
Physical Analysis Methods - II (pH and Electrical Conductivity-EC Measurements in Liquid Samples) Principles of potentiometric pH measurement in soil extracts, irrigation waters, and organic liquid fertilizers; operating principles of electrical conductivity (EC) meters, calibration and maintenance of electrodes, and interpretation of measured values according to organic production standards.
Week 11 - Theoretical & Practice
Chemical Analysis Methods - I (Principles of Titrimetric and Volumetric Analysis) Principles of titrimetry as a classical chemical analysis method, use of burettes and Erlenmeyer flasks, indicator selection, acid-base titrations, neutralization reactions, end-point determination, and quantification calculations utilizing titration data.
Week 12 - Theoretical & Practice
Chemical Analysis Methods - II (Organic Matter and Nitrogen Determination Methods in Organic Agriculture) Determination of organic carbon and organic matter content in organic farming soils using the Walkley-Black method; stages of total nitrogen determination in plants and soils using the Kjeldahl method (digestion, distillation, titration) and calculations for converting to protein content.
Week 13 - Theoretical & Practice
Instrumental Analysis Methods - I (Spectrophotometric Measurements and Color Comparisons) Interaction of light with matter and the Lambert-Beer law; components and operating principle of UV-Vis (Ultraviolet-Visible) Spectrophotometers, use of blank solutions, preparation of standard curves (calibration graphs), and spectrophotometric determination of elements such as phosphorus in plant extracts.
Week 14 - Theoretical & Practice
Instrumental Analysis Methods - II (Chromatographic Methods and Introduction to Residue Analysis) Basic principles of separation techniques, general introduction to Gas Chromatography (GC) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) instruments; working logic of pesticide and heavy metal residue analysis, which is vital for certification and quality control processes in organic agriculture.
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Type of AssessmentCountPercent
Assignment1%10
Term Assignment1%10
Midterm Examination1%20
Final Examination1%60
Workload Calculation
ActivitiesCountPreparationTimeTotal Work Load (hours)
Lecture - Theory140114
Lecture - Practice140114
Assignment1202
Term Project1505
Midterm Examination1516
Final Examination19110
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours)51
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
PÇ-1
PÇ-2
PÇ-3
PÇ-4
PÇ-5
PÇ-6
PÇ-7
PÇ-8
PÇ-9
PÇ-10
PÇ-11
PÇ-12
PÇ-13
PÇ-14
PÇ-15
PÇ-16
PÇ-17
PÇ-18
OÇ-1
3
5
3
1
2
2
3
2
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
4
2
1
OÇ-2
4
3
5
4
3
2
3
3
2
1
2
2
1
3
4
4
2
2
OÇ-3
4
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
2
1
3
3
2
3
5
4
2
2
OÇ-4
3
3
4
3
4
3
2
2
1
1
2
3
1
3
4
3
1
1
OÇ-5
5
3
5
3
5
4
3
3
4
2
3
4
3
4
5
5
3
3
Adnan Menderes University - Information Package / Course Catalogue
2026