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

Helpful links

Our team of testing experts has meticulously crafted these documents to offer recommendations tailored to your testing requirements.

Latest Stories

Reflections from the NZSSS Conference by Erin McIlmurray

The New Zealand Soil Science Society conference was held in Rotorua in December 2024 and Erin McIlmurray, our Market Sector Manager - Agriculture, attended for the first time. She took away some new learnings and discovered some valuable insights.
  13 Feb 2025

Honey Updates

As we approach another busy testing season, it's gratifying to report an increase in extraction samples arriving at our lab. Our team is well-prepared to maintain the excellent standards of service that we are known and trusted for.
  13 Feb 2025

Hill Labs Introduces New Wine Testing Suite in Response to MPI's Export Changes

In November 2024, MPI launched a new Trade Certification Portal. One of the changes was to allow the updates of the free trade agreement with the EU to be implemented. To align with these updates, Hill Labs has introduced a new EU Reduced Suite. The analysis request form has been updated with these two options - this can be found on our resources page.
  13 Feb 2025

What our customers have to say

"We've always found them to be responsive in getting results back and giving advice on problems we might be facing."

Andrew Hutchinson, Technical Manager, Turners & Growers

"We strongly recommend Hill Labs as a sound testing service provider to the honey industry."

Nick Walker, Technical Manager, Egmont Honey

"Their sample registration system has made things simple and seamless - collect, scan and send!"

Mathew Bannister, Compliance Manager, First Fresh New Zealand

Accreditations

As a New Zealand accredited laboratory by International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ), Hill Labs' commitment to quality is tantamount to our overall operating philosophy. We pride ourselves on the quality of our work.