With another busy summer season behind us, we hope it has been a rewarding one for all involved. Here in the southern states, many are taking a well-earned break as winter moves in. While in other parts of the country, growers are gearing up for what looks like a challenging cropping season.
Even in a dry year, pre-plant soil testing remains critical. Nutrient behaviour in the soil can be unpredictable, with reduced leaching, lower mobility, and possible carryover from previous crops. The only way to know what you’re working with is to measure it.
That’s where we come in.
We offer a range of soil testing options to help you get a clear picture of what’s really going on. As always, our tests are delivered with precision, fast turnaround times, and the high level of service we’re known for.
What’s inside this edition?
- Have you tried our online sample portal yet?
- As others close or consolidate, here’s what we’re doing differently
- Pricing update for FY25
- Plant Response dry ash analysis just got even better
Have you tried our online sample portal yet?
We’ve had great feedback on the new AgVita Analytical online portal. It allows you to log samples directly into our system, saving time and reducing errors that can come with handwritten forms (as much as we love a good scrawl, we can’t always decipher it!). Uptake has exceeded our expectations, making a real difference in getting clean, accurate submissions.
The portal is simple, fast, and easy to follow. If you’re using it for the first time, we’re happy to walk you through it. A quick 5–10 minute Zoom or Teams session is all it takes to get you up and running. Just get in touch with our team to book a time.
As others close or consolidate, here’s what we’re doing differently
You may have heard about some big changes in the agricultural lab space recently. And not all of them are good news for advisors and agronomists relying on fast, reliable, independent analysis.
In the past year alone, three well-established, privately owned labs have been acquired by multi-national companies and closed, with their staff dispersed and their testing now centralised in locations far from their original sites.
- A respected Bundaberg (Qld) lab was sold, shut down, and samples are now freighted to Brisbane, adding days to turnaround times.
- A long-running Burleigh Heads (Qld) lab was also bought out and closed just before Christmas 2024, with samples now rerouted to South Australia.
- And more recently, a third independent lab in Keysborough (Vic) was also taken over and shut down, frustrating advisors with specialised testing needs.
Some might call this business as usual. We see it as a serious loss for those who value local knowledge, fast turnaround, and truly independent testing.
AgVita Analytical is – and will remain – 100% privately owned and 100% Australian owned. We’re proudly independent and committed to delivering consistent, accurate results in industry-leading timeframes.
Here’s what we guarantee:
- Nu-test (sap) and Aqua-Sure (water): Same-day results upon sample receipt
- Plant Response (dry ash): 3–4 working days
- Complete Soil tests (expressSoil and Soil Response): No more than 6 working days, all year round
We’ve held that standard for years, and we’re not backing away from it now.
If you’ve got questions or just want to talk it through, give us a call. We’re easy to reach, easy to deal with, and always happy to help.
Pricing update for FY25
Like many across the agricultural sector, we’re feeling the pressure of rising input and supply costs. And while we’ve done everything we can to absorb these increases, a small price adjustment is now necessary to continue delivering the level of service and turnaround times you expect from us.
We haven’t raised our analytical test pricing since 2022, and thanks to improved efficiencies across the lab, we’ve kept this increase well below inflation.
We’ll share updated price lists in the coming weeks. If you don’t receive yours, please contact us and we’ll send one through.
Clients on fixed-price quotes won’t be affected during their agreement period. For everyone else, the new pricing will take effect from 1 July 2025. As always, we’re only a phone call or email away if you have any questions or concerns.
Plant Response dry ash analysis just got even better
Good news: Our PR73 complete dry ash tissue test now includes Molybdenum (Mo) at no extra cost.
Our hard-working lab team has fine-tuned the dry tissue process to deliver reliable, accurate results for this notoriously tricky micronutrient. That said, the uncertainty of the result increases at very low Mo levels, approaching the limit of quantitation, so if you’re working with very low Mo concentrations, it’s best to give us a call before sending samples in.
We consistently deliver your plant tissue results within 4 working days of receiving samples, not the 7 to 10 days you might experience elsewhere. Fast turnaround is a key part of our service, all year round. We also report results against published nutrient standards for all common crop types, helping you quickly interpret the nutrient status of your crop.
You’ll find a full list of crops with available standards on our website, along with sampling guidelines (including plant part, timing, and quantity). We’re also happy to test less common crops – however, standard reference values may not be available, so contact us if you’re unsure.