True Balance.
- test for major and minor elements

Who is STS?

Soil Testing Services is an independent company specialising in the interpretation of soil, leaf and petiole analysis results. We cover both the North and South Islands, and increasingly process soil test results from Australia.

STS do not sell fertiliser!

We have been in business since 1988, and work with fertiliser companies and consultants as well as individual farmers and growers. Soil Testing Services is a member of ASPAC (Australasian Soil and Plant Testing Council). Our head office is in Morrinsville (New Zealand's North Island).

Soil testing, together with tissue testing can be an important tool for your soil health and soil fertility management. However in many cases the information from soil tests is not used very well. This often is a result of poor understanding of soil and leaf test results – “what does it mean?” Soil test interpretation is best left to the experts that are experienced in this field.

Soil management also requires more than just a very basic soil analyses;
- what is the organic matter levels of the soil, is it going up or down?
- does the soil have adequate boron levels for the crop you are growing?
- if you have low phosphorus availability in the soil, is this because of low reserves or do you have ample reserves but low soil biological activity and/or low soil pH?

What does STS do?

Throughout New Zealand we work with a network of different companies that use our services. They all have their own trained field representatives, who can help you take soil and leaf samples and discuss the recommendations with you.

After receiving the soil or tissue samples we send them to one of a number of different labs. These labs will send us the results in electronic format.
STS then interpret the results of the soil / tissue analyses and provide a comprehensive report discussing results and suggesting fertiliser options. These can include conventional granular fertilizer, organic fertilizer, or suspension fertilizer. Where appropriate, references will be made to foliar and/or fertigation options.

In the report we explain what the results mean to your crop or farm type, and how you can respond to these findings. For the main horticultural crops we have added special sections with valuable information about that crop’s specific nutritional requirements.

Soil Testing Services are New Zealand agents for PAL Laboratories (Perry Agricultural Laboratory - Missouri), but also works closely with local laboratories especially Hamilton's Hill Laboratories.

We also have available more comprehensive (soil) tests which reflect the increased awareness of the importance of soil organic matter and trace elements.