Earthworm eDNA Testing

Earthworm eDNA in Soil Testing

Soil is one of our most important natural resources, and interest in soil health is growing both among farmers and consumers. For agricultural and horticultural systems, soil quality represents a combination of physical, chemical and biological properties. These factors together impact on how healthy and productive the soil is for growing.

Earthworms are a crucial component of soil biology, and abundant earthworm populations are recognised as an indicator of healthy soil. Alternative methods for identifying earthworm populations are labour-intensive, requiring going out to a field and taking a spade-square down to the depth of the spade, taking that soil, breaking it up and counting the earthworms. 

Our new Earthworm eDNA test contributes to building a holistic understanding of your soil’s health. Molecular technology, in the form of quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is used to identify the presence of A. calignosa - New Zealand’s most prominent earthworm species. We are delighted to now have this available as both a standalone test or as an add-on to your existing soil testing, extending our growing suite of soil health testing services. 

Read our Technical Note

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Anzac Day Hours

A reminder that our Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Blenheim, and Christchurch labs will be closed on Friday 25th April. Our Bay of Plenty lab will remain open. If you plan to send any time or temperature-sensitive samples, please ensure you schedule these to arrive before or after this date, to avoid delays.
  09 Apr 2025

Easter Hours

A friendly reminder that our Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Blenheim, and Christchurch labs will be closed on Friday, 18th April, and Monday, 21st April. Our Bay of Plenty lab will remain open. If you plan to send any time or temperature-sensitive samples, please ensure you schedule these to arrive before or after this date, to avoid delays.
  09 Apr 2025

Announcement: Hill Labs Broadens Food and Water Services with Acquisitions

We are pleased to announce that at the end of this month, a series of acquisitions will take place on the same day. Firstly, a new company jointly owned by Hill Labs and Sam Brooks will acquire the Canterbury-based sister companies ‘Food and Health Standards’ (FHS) and ‘Auditing Solutions’ (AS) from Ian and Gail Shaw. FHS and AS provide Environmental Health Officer services, food safety auditing services, and municipal water sample collection services to a range of customers within and beyond Canterbury. Secondly, the water operations within FHS, led by Lisa Shaw, will be carved out and moved into Hill Labs, while maintaining a close relationship with FHS.
  17 Feb 2025

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