Soil Biology Assessment
Our Soil Biology Assessment is performed with the method developed by Dr. Elaine Ingham using brightfield microscopy.
What's Included In the Assessment
The Soil Biology Assessment analyzes active biology present in a sample of soil, compost, compost extract, or compost tea. It includes quantification of all of the following organism groups:
actinobacteria (micrograms per gram of sample)
total bacteria (micrograms per gram of sample)
total fungi (micrograms per gram of sample)
fungi-to-bacteria ratio (F:B ratio)
oomycetes (disease-causing fungi) (micrograms per gram of sample)
protozoa (separate counts for flagellates, amoebae, and cilliates) (numbers per gram of sample)
beneficial nematodes (separate counts for bacterial-feeding, fungal-feeding, and predatory nematodes) and detrimental root-feeding nematodes (numbers per gram of sample)
The Soil Biology Report will present the assessment data in relation to the target numbers of the microorganisms.
With the Soil Biology Report in hand, you will have a clear picture of the active microbiological community in your soil to develop and implement a biological treatment plan for your growing needs.
Step-by-Step Process
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1. Request an assessment
Please, fill out the request form below. If you already know how many samples you need, we will email you an invoice. If you are unsure how many samples you need, we will call you to discuss that.
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2. Collect your sample(s)
Please, collect your samples the same day as you ship them. Follow the instructions in the Sample Collection Protocol below.
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3. Ship Your Sample(s)
An overnight shipping is ideal and will provide the most accurate results, but 2-3 day delivery is acceptable for solid samples in cooler months. Please, print, fill out, and attach the Microscope Analysis Submission Form (below) with your sample(s).
Please, send us the tracking number when your samples are shipped.
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4. Receive your results
Results will be emailed to you within 2 days of us receiving the sample(s)