Soilbiolab

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Soilbiolab SoilBioLab is a specialist, independent soil microbiology lab based in Hampshire, UK. Get in touch to find out more about us and what we do.

Our biological assays enable us to measure levels and deliver guidance or training to growers and mangers on the principles and organisms that make up the soil food web. As well as assisting with standard testing we are concerned with the life in soil, growing media and amendments! We use microscopes to analyse bacteria, fungi and other soil microorganisms for farmers, growers, agronomists, green keepers and land managers. Founded in 2014, we are a commercial laboratory, but still actively involved in trials, projects and research through many well known and highly reputable organisations. We attend events and provide workshops and training for individuals and agents, helping them to understand the principles of microbiology when growing crops and plants.

A plant doesn’t keep all the energy it makes. A large chunk goes straight underground - on purpose: to feed things it ca...
20/10/2026

A plant doesn’t keep all the energy it makes.

A large chunk goes straight underground - on purpose: to feed things it can’t see.

You’d expect a plant to hoard all of it's food for itself. Photosynthesis provides the energy and there are the leaves, flowers or grain and roots to grow.

But actually, a lot of plants gives a remarkable amount of fuel away.

A large share of the carbon a plant fixes is sent below ground. Rough estimates put it at around 40% and something like a tenth of everything the plant fixes leaks out of the roots as sugars, acids and other compounds. (Jones and colleagues set out these figures in a 2009 review.)

But why give away this hard-won energy?

Well, because it buys something. Those exudates feed the community of microbes clustered around the roots and in return that community mineralises nitrogen, prises loose phosphorus, helps fend off many pests and diseases and binds the soil into structure. The plant is, in effect, paying its underground workforce in sugar.

It’s one of the big reasons living roots matter so much. Soil kept bare between crops loses this beneficial trade-off ability and the underground economy runs short of fuel. If you always keep something growing, you'll keep paying the biology that will feed the next crop.

Down the microscope, you see the result of that payment: where the sugars arrive, life gathers, bacteria, the protozoa and fungi that graze on them; a whole microscopic economy is running on what the plant sends down.

So, here’s one worth sitting with: how many days of the year are your roots actually feeding the soil?

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Your soil test says everything’s fine. Your crop says otherwise. They can both be right.A standard soil test is a chemis...
16/10/2026

Your soil test says everything’s fine. Your crop says otherwise. They can both be right.

A standard soil test is a chemistry test. It tells you how much of each nutrient is sitting in the soil — nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, pH and so on.

That’s useful information.

But, this is a stock-take, not the full story.

It tells you what’s there.

It doesn’t tell you whether any of it is actually being made available to the plant.

This job belongs to the biology!

Nutrients don’t walk to the roots on their own. Microbes mineralise organic nitrogen into forms a plant can take up.

Fungi and bacteria help to prise open the loose phosphorus that’s chemically “present” but locked away in the soil.

Even though a soil can look well-stocked on paper, it still might be 'underfeeding' a crop - because the workforce that turns reserves into availability isn’t there in the numbers it needs.

That’s why a full picture of soil health has three legs, not one:

1) chemistry
2) physical structure, and
3) BIOLOGY

A chemistry test covers the first leg. It can’t see the third.

We assess and quantify the life in the soil, which is how we look at that third leg: counting and identifying the organisms actually present, so you can see whether the biology is there to cycle what the chemistry says you’ve got.

This is why we built to track that biology over time, not just once.

So when the chemistry looks right but the crop disagrees: have you checked who’s doing the work?

One soil test is a single frame from a film that never stops.Your soil biology isn't a fixed number. The fungal-to-bacte...
14/09/2026

One soil test is a single frame from a film that never stops.

Your soil biology isn't a fixed number. The fungal-to-bacterial balance shifts through the season, with the crop, the weather and every decision you make on the land.

Test once, and you've captured one moment. Useful, but it can't tell you the direction of travel. And direction is the thing that matters.

Is your biology building or declining?
Is the change you made actually working?
You can only answer that by looking more than once.

So we've built something to fix that: BioPulse ‚ a simple way to track your soil biology across the year, with chemistry alongside.

Instead of one snapshot, you get the trend.

It's for anyone who'd rather prove what's happening in their soil than guess: farmers, growers, land managers and advisers.

We're opening it up over the next few weeks, and we'll share exactly how it works and what it costs very soon.

If you've ever wondered whether what you're doing is really working, keep an eye out.

How often do you test the same ground?

We're recruiting at SoilBioLab!We are looking for a Senior Scientist to join our small soil biology laboratory near Melk...
03/09/2026

We're recruiting at SoilBioLab!

We are looking for a Senior Scientist to join our small soil biology laboratory near Melksham, Wiltshire. It is a hands-on role: direct counting of soil micro-organisms, day-to-day running of the lab, talking to clients about their results and working with the team on new methods, services and products.

This person will hold a relevant degree, have lab experience, a good grasp of what it takes to run a lab and be someone who enjoys explaining science to people.

We are a small, friendly team and we are serious about work–life balance: 30 hours a week over a minimum of four days on site, in a pattern that suits you, school hours included.

Message us directly or email [email protected] for more details. If you know someone who would be a good fit, please share.

Under the microscope, alongside the bacteria and fungi, we count protozoa — tiny single-celled grazers: flagellates, amo...
24/08/2026

Under the microscope, alongside the bacteria and fungi, we count protozoa — tiny single-celled grazers: flagellates, amoebae, ciliates. They eat bacteria.

This is one of the most simple, natural ways your soil feeds a crop.

Bacteria are rich in nitrogen — they lock it up in their cells. When protozoa graze on them, they take the carbon they need and release the surplus nitrogen as ammonium, straight into the root zone, in a form plants can take up. Soil scientists call it a "microbial loop" and research attributes a real share of the nitrogen a plant takes up to this grazing.

It's why a soil that looks "fed" on a chemical diet can still underperform: if the biology that unlocks and cycles nutrients isn't there, the nutrients struggle to reach the plant. This is why we don't just measure bacteria and fungi: the predators that prey on them are a crucial part of the engine too.

When we see protozoa numbers crash, it often points to compaction, hard tillage or inputs that have knocked the system back.

If your nitrogen is being recycled by life you can't see, how would you know it's still working?

👉Source: https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2004.01066.x

There's a protein in your soil that holds everything together. Literally!Glomalin is produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal ...
20/08/2026

There's a protein in your soil that holds everything together. Literally!

Glomalin is produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi — the same fungi that partner with a lot of plants, trees, crops and pasture grasses. And it does something remarkable: it binds soil particles into stable aggregates, creating structure that resists erosion, holds water, and stores carbon.

A good way to think about Glomalin is like 'nature's soil glue'. Without it soil can fall apart — sometimes quite literally.

A 2024 paper in Environmental Science & Technology examined glomalin's properties and its role in soil health. The findings reinforce what we see in the lab: fungal activity isn't just a nice-to-have in soil biology. It's foundational.

If your soil tests show low fungal biomass, you're likely missing out on this glomalin benefit. This means poorer structure, less water retention and a higher level of vulnerability to both erosion and compaction.

The practical takeaway? When you're thinking about soil health, don't just look at NPK. Look at the biology that builds structure from the inside out. Fungi aren't optional extras. They're the architects.

Here's the source: 👉 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.4c10036

Your soil has a memory and right now, it's remembering every drought.A 2025 study from Kansas and Nottingham found that ...
13/08/2026

Your soil has a memory and right now, it's remembering every drought.

A 2025 study from Kansas and Nottingham found that soil microbes carry a 'drought-memory' - the microbial community in soil that's been through drought responds differently to future dry spells than soil that hasn't.

Why does this matter for anyone working land?

Because it means your soil's history isn't just in its chemistry or structure. It's in its biology. A field that's been through repeated droughts may have a microbial community adapted to stress — but possibly at the cost of productivity under normal conditions.

That has real implications for how we think about soil management, cover cropping, and biological amendments. If we're importing biology into soil that's been managed intensively for decades, we need to understand what's already there and what legacy it's carrying.

At SoilBioLab we see this in our test results all the time. Two fields with identical chemistry can have completely different biological profiles and that difference often traces back to management history.

The question isn't just "what's in my soil?" anymore. It's "What does my soil remember?"

Source: https://news.ku.edu/news/article/new-study-explores-legacy-effects-of-soil-microbes-on-plants-across-kansas

We've always known plants compete above ground for light and space. But new research reveals that the real battle (and t...
14/07/2026

We've always known plants compete above ground for light and space. But new research reveals that the real battle (and the real collaboration) is happening underground.

Recent work, published by scientists at Leiden University, details how they ran large-scale experiments with thousands of pots and found something that should change how we think about agriculture: neighbouring-companion plants dramatically alter the microbial communities around each other's roots.

This effect is not subtle either.

Moreover, the Leiden Uni work challenges the fundamental way we study plants i.e. in isolation. When you grow a crop in a trial plot with bare soil between rows, you're not seeing how it actually performs in a real system. The neighbouring species matter - a lot!

Plants, soil and microbes don't exist as separate entities. They form a shared network shaped by proximity and the root microbiome is influenced by what's growing next door.

At SoilBioLab we see this reality every day in our community analyses. A soil sample tells one story, but the biological picture is always shaped by what's around it — other plants, other root exudates, other microbial signals moving through the soil network. The Leiden work is brilliant because it adds further validity to what our team has observed and measured over the years. One study we did in 2022 focused on soil biodiversity assessments of a (mixed) meadow’s biodiversity and mycorrhizal colonisation and compared it to the soil (micro) ecosystem of a single crop environment and measured similar results.

The implication for regenerative growers? Design your system for the community, not just the individual crop.

What's growing next to your plants might matter more than what's growing on them.

Read more on these links:
https://phys.org/news/2026-07-neighbors-life-scientists.html
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40168-026-02429-2
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-026-02338-0

For decades, autumn was universally recognised by land managers and farmers as the window for soil testing. But, looking...
06/07/2026

For decades, autumn was universally recognised by land managers and farmers as the window for soil testing. But, looking at our data over the last ten years reveals a major shift.

At SoilBioLab our microbiology testing workload has completely transformed from an autumn-dominated sprint into a more balanced, 12-month schedule of testing:

🔬 In 2015, nearly half of all samples (49%) arrived between September and November. By 2025, that autumn share dropped to just 18%.

🔬 Peak sampling has officially shifted from October to earlier in the year.

🔬 Spring and summer now account for 65% of all microbiology testing
compared to just 39% a decade ago.

Why are we seeing this massive evolution?
It isn't just changing habits, it's a reflection of our changing environment ☀️🌧️
According to recent UK Met Office data, the decade between 2015 and 2025 has brought unprecedented warming - the UK is currently warming at a rate of roughly 0.25°C per decade, with consecutive years repeatedly smashing records for the warmest springs and summers in history.

What does this mean for our soil?
Milder winters and record-breaking warm springs mean soils are staying warmer and biologically active for much longer periods throughout the year. This brings its own challenges (especially for the microbial workforce that we rely on for heathy soil). The traditional "dormant" seasons are shrinking, extending the window where soil microbes are actively cycling nutrients, supporting plant health and building soil structure.

Why Year-Round Microbiology Testing Matters
Soil biology isn't static. Because microbial communities respond directly to temperature, moisture and root exudates, relying only on an autumn test gives you just a single, seasonal snapshot. To truly optimise soil management, habitat creation plans, agricultural yields and land restoration, understanding how your soil community behaves during peak growing seasons (Spring and Summer) is crucial. Year-round insights empower you to make data-driven decisions exactly when your soil biology is working the hardest.

🌱 Ready to understand the living component of your soil? Don't wait for autumn. Test your soil microbiology when it matters most.
📥 Message us directly here on FB or visit ➡️ www.soilbiolab.co.uk to book your analysis today.

SFI 2026 is officially open for applications. 🌾If you are eligible to apply this round, you probably already know the ba...
30/06/2026

SFI 2026 is officially open for applications. 🌾

If you are eligible to apply this round, you probably already know the baseline requirements: soil tests no older than 5 years covering pH, P, K, Mg, organic matter, and a visual assessment (including earthworm counts).

But there is a critical detail that many will overlook..

An earthworm count tells you soil life is present. It does not tell you what that life 'should' be doing...
Bacteria should be actively breaking down crop residues.
Fungi will be trading vital nutrients with plant roots.
Protozoa are releasing the plant-available nitrogen your crops actually need.

You can have 20 earthworms per spadeful and still manage a biologically compromised soil.
Why?
Because the microbial engine driving nutrient cycling, disease suppression, and carbon storage isn't visible to the naked eye.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) rewards you for checking the surface. At SoilBioLab, we believe true resilience requires looking deeper.

A baseline biology test costs less than you think, yet it reveals whether your soil's microbial engine is actually working for you—or stalling.

If you are already investing in SFI-compliant soil testing this season, don't leave the biology behind. It is the difference between knowing your soil is alive, and knowing exactly what it can do for your bottom line.

📊 Discover how to unlock your soil's full potential: www.soilbiolab.co.uk
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Whitley Farm
Whitley
SN128RG

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