On-site Soil Testing (3 samples)

Service Description

What microBIOMETER Measures / Reports Microbial Biomass It gives an estimate of total living microbial biomass in the soil (microbes = bacteria + fungi) in terms of micrograms of microbial carbon per gram of soil. This isn’t just dead organic matter — the test is designed to measure active and dormant microbes, not dead ones. Fungal-to-Bacterial Ratio (F:B) It provides a ratio of fungal to bacterial biomass (F:B). It also reports this as F% (percentage of fungi) and B% (percentage of bacteria). Temporal / Spatial Tracking You can do repeated tests over time to see how your soil’s microbial biomass changes (e.g., before/after amendments, seasonal changes). The app supports geolocation of samples, so you can map where each test was done. Data is stored in the cloud, making it easier to access, analyze, share, and compare over time or across sites. On-Site / Real-Time Testing The test is designed for in-field or on-site use. It doesn’t require sending soil off to a distant lab. It’s relatively fast: the procedure takes around 10–20 minutes from sample prep to result, depending on the kit. Compatibility with Soil & Compost It works directly on soil and soil-based compost. It does not work on soilless mediums (e.g., perlite, coir) or certain amendments like pure extracts or manure. Validated Method The test’s results have been validated against more traditional lab methods: for example, digital microscopy (correlation r ≈ 0.96) and carbon-fumigation (r ≈ 0.82 to 0.94) in different sources. It discriminates between fungi and bacteria by detecting subtle color differences in how they absorb light. Safety / Chemicals Used The test uses relatively benign chemicals: the extraction fluid is based on sodium chloride and calcium chloride. According to their technical sheet, there are no major safety hazards at the concentrations used. You can export data (e.g., to Excel) from their cloud portal. Storage / Sample Handling Ideally, samples should be tested the same day. But if needed, sample can be stored for up to 72 hours in a sealed plastic bag. For longer storage (up to 4 weeks), samples can be refrigerated — but you need to be consistent in storage conditions between samples to avoid skewing results.