EcoSoil Lab Services

Our teabag litter decomposition service follows the standardized protocol developed for global soil health assessments outlined by Keuskamp, 2013 and modified by Hayes, 2024. This method uses pre-weighed tea bags filled with standardized organic material (Rooibos tea). The tea bags are buried in the soil and retrieved after 105 days to measure decomposition rates.

This service provides valuable insights into the decomposition process, soil microbial activity, and nutrient cycling. By measuring the remaining mass of the tea and calculating decomposition constants, this service can help you assess the biological activity and carbon turnover in your soil. The following options are available:

• Basic Teabag Decomposition Service ($50/kit): Standardized teabag kits include four pre-weighed Rooibos teabags, collection envelopes, irrigation flags to mark location, and instructions for burial and retrieval.
• Complete Teabag Decomposition Service ($85/kit): Basic teabag service with the addition of a pre-paid return envelope to send the retrieved teabags back to the soil lab for detailed decomposition rate calculations, including oven dry, incineration to calculate ash weight, and a report on the results of your teabags.
• Custom Teabag Services (Hourly Rate): We can adjust the decomposition period or add additional biological assessments depending on your information needs.

Processing and handling fees for preparing and analyzing tea bags are included in the service price. The results will help guide soil management practices and optimize organic matter turnover in your system.

We offer comprehensive biological assessment of soil samples. Whether you collect the samples yourself or prefer our team to assist, each sample is processed within 48 hours. Shadowing microscopy is used to determine the count and biomass of microorganisms including nematodes, protozoa (amoeba, flagellates and ciliates), fungi, and bacteria. This assessment provides valuable data on soil health, nutrient cycling, and biological community composition. Processing fees for soil handling (including drying and grinding) are included. Additional fees apply if on-site support is required for soil collection.

Measures provided: Bacterial biomass (ug/g), fungal biomass (ug/g), count of nematodes per gram, identified to their food source (bacteria, fungi, root, predatory), count of protozoa per gram (amoeba, flagellates and ciliates)

Equipment: i4 LW Scientific Microscope

Reference: Ingham, 1985

This package includes:

• pH, offering critical insights into soil acidity or alkalinity for optimal plant health.

Measures provided: pH (concentration of Hydrogen ions)

Equipment & Method: CaCl₂, Fisherbrand™ accumet™ AB250 Benchtop pH/ISE Meter

References:

Carter, M. R., & Gregorich, E. G. (2007). Soil sampling and methods of analysis (2nd ed.). CRC Press.

Karla, Y.P., & Maynard, D.G. (1991). Methods manual for forest soil and plant analysis (pp. 30-31).

• Loss on Ignition (LOI) to determine organic material in your soil.

Measure provided: Percent organic matter (%)

Equipment: Thermo Fisher Scientific F48015-60 Muffle Furnace

Reference: Robertson, S. (2011). Direct estimation of organic matter by loss on ignition: Methods. 

• Aggregate Stability (STAB) to measure the stability of soil aggregates under moisture to evaluate soil structure, crucial for water retention and air infiltration.

Measure provided: Percentage of stable aggregates remaining (%)

Reference: Soil Health Institute. (n.d.). Slakes: a free smartphone app to measure aggregate stability. In Soil Health Institute. 

All tests are conducted in-house at the EcoSoil Lab, offering reliable and high-quality insights into soil health. Processing fees for drying, grinding, and storage are included.

This comprehensive package includes microscopic biological soil assessment, pH analysis, LOI, and aggregate stability. It provides a holistic view of your soil’s biological and physical health, enabling you to make informed management decisions. All assessments are processed at the EcoSoil Lab, with handling fees included.

A la Carte Soil Health Assessments
Contact us to discuss any individual tests you wish to purchase.

We offer subscription packages that provide monthly biological compost extract during the growing season. This is a research partnership, where we provide three biological (microscopy) soil assessments for areas where compost extract is applied versus not applied. Note that this service requires the provision of some information about your production practices, and you will receive a report on the biological activity of your soils:

• Basic Package: Includes 1 L of compost extract each month (April-September), enough to dilute and apply to approximately one acre, with three biological soil assessments.
• Compost Extract Upgrade: 4 L of compost extract monthly, enough for up to one acre, with three biological soil assessments.
• Biological Assessment Upgrade: Additional assessments tailored to your needs.

Subscribers pick up compost extract monthly, and a customized schedule is provided for biological assessments.

• Soil Collection by EcoSoil Lab: A flat fee of $125 plus mileage (0.61/km from UVic) applies for our team to collect up to five samples on-site. $10 per additional sample.
• Self-Soil Collection: We provide a detailed guide to help you collect soil samples correctly for accurate results. Note that for time-sensitive biological soil assessments, pre-planning with the lab is required to ensure capacity to assess within the appropriate timeframe (24-48 hours).
• Soil Processing: Air or oven dry soils and process to 2mm for further analysis ($15/sample)

Summary Price Table