News
More Value from Hot Water Soil Tests
13 May 2022
In response to our customers growing interest in soil health, the laboratory set up the Hot Water Extractable Carbon (HWEC) test a few years ago and it has been gratifying to see the uptake of this test. The HWEC test is a measure of the labile (easily broken down) carbon fraction in the soil organic matter, and includes carbon from soluble carbohydrates, amino acids, root exudates and microbes. Microbial biomass carbon (MBC) is considered a key measure of soil health, but it is a relatively difficult and expensive test to carry out in the laboratory…
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Autumnal Avocado Orchard Testing
13 May 2022
Recently we were asked about the best time of year to collect soil & leaf samples from avocado orchards for nutrient testing. Maintaining a regular soil test history from samples collected at the same time of year each year is recommended, and it makes sense to do this at the same time as leaf testing. The conventional time to do leaf sampling has always been autumn, as that is a period when the summer flush growth is finished and the tree is in a “quiet state”. Our Crop Guide describes the standard tests to request and the sampling protocol to follow…
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Updates to Drinking Water Reporting Requirements
13 May 2022
With the establishment of Taumata Arowai, Hill Laboratories must comply with the Drinking-water Standards of New Zealand and the Water Services Act 2021. The Act requires us to notify Taumata Arowai when a drinking water test result has exceeded a Maximum Acceptable Value (MAV) as defined in the drinking water standards. A key exception to this requirement is for drinking water samples from stand-alone domestic dwellings - we are not required to report test results from stand-alone domestic dwellings to Taumata Arowai…
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Testing Vine to Finished Wine
13 May 2022
New Zealand winegrowers will be buoyed by the positive prediction for the 2022 vintage, following a disappointing 2021 vintage. This prospect of increased exports will no doubt be welcomed by the international market with a growing appetite for this region’s wine. Hill Laboratories is well known by the wine and viticulture industry for our commitment to providing world-class testing services. We've been testing wine for more than a decade and we have a dedicated specialist wine testing lab located in the heart of Marlborough…
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WINTEC Special Awards 2022
13 May 2022
Every year the Centre for Applied Science & Primary Industries from Wintec recognises students who are outstanding in their chosen areas, at a Special Awards ceremony. Hill Laboratories have been sponsoring and attending this event for a number of years but due to Covid restrictions, this ceremony was unable to be attended in person and was moved to a virtual event. …
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