Hill Labs at Fieldays – A Look Through the Photo Album

The calendar is marked, and planning is well underway for the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event – Fieldays. This year marks Hill Labs' 27th year exhibiting at the event, a milestone that gives us a wonderful opportunity to flick through the archives and reflect on our journey and the various looks we've sported over the years. We've included some of these for you to check out.

This year promises to be just as exciting as any other! We are thrilled to share some of our community work by inviting House of Science to join our stand. For almost six years, we have supported Te Whare Pūtaiao, House of Science, an organisation dedicated to fostering scientific literacy in children and empowering teachers. They develop comprehensive resource kits with all the materials needed for schools to conduct engaging science lessons. At our stand, both kids and adults can experience the fascinating work of House of Science firsthand through activities that explore Earth's diverse landforms, various soil textures and structures, and the crucial relationship between soil and water. 

While our hairstyles and site designs have evolved over the years, our commitment to using the latest technologies to offer the best testing to our customers has remained constant. This year, we are excited to introduce our latest innovation: the Earthworm eDNA in Soil test. 

The test was developed because earthworms - which are vital to healthy soils - serve as a key indicator of soil biology and overall soil health. Traditionally, assessing their presence involved digging, sorting, and counting – a time-consuming and labour-intensive process. Our new molecular test, developed in collaboration with AgResearch, revolutionises this process. Using qPCR (quantitative real-time PCR) technology, we can now detect the presence of Aporrectodea caliginosa, New Zealand’s most common earthworm species. This innovation provides a more complete picture of your soil’s health and supports more informed decision-making on the land.  

To learn more about how this and our other tests could benefit you, visit our team at Fieldays. Whether you have questions about plants, soil, effluent, water, honey or something else, we’re here to help. You can find us at site PE24 in the Pavilion - we look forward to seeing you there!