Nutrient levels in foliage give a good indication of nutrient levels in the plant. Foliage testing will show foresters and nurseries if their trees are lacking in nutrients and allow deficiencies to be addressed before they affect tree growth.

Scion can give tree growers access to the latest forest health research from New Zealand and around the world.

Scion provides elemental analysis and fertiliser recommendations using an ICP-MS and LECO Carbon & Nitrogen analyser.

Tests

Basic Plant Test (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, B, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu)
BPI Plant Test includes the above plus Al, Na & S (These include a fertiliser recommendation)
Carbon & Nitrogen
Moisture content
Loss on ignition and ash content
Trace elements (Pb ,Cd, Co, Cr, As, Ni) Other elements on inquiry.

Sample types

Foliage, seedlings, wood

Soil and Foliage Sampling information sheet [pdf]
Foliage Input Form [docx]
External Work Request Form [pdf]

Soil testing for nutrients and elements is an important tool for forest managers, both pre-planting and in conjunction with foliage sampling to identify fertiliser requirements.

Soil analysis can be used to predict and define possible reasons for nutrient deficiencies or imbalances at any stage in the forestry life cycle.

Tests

Moisture Content
pH 
Conductivity
Loss on ignition / ash content / organic matter
Particle density
Particle size (% sand:silt:clay)
Water holding capacity
Total Carbon & Nitrogen
Phosphorus – Bray P; Olsen P; Total P; Inorganic P; Organic P; P-retention
Bray Cations (Mg, K, Ca)
Cation Exchange Capacity and Base saturation
Cation Exchange Capacity
Mehlich 3 (B, Ca, Al, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P, Na, Zn)
Other trace elements available by ICP-MS

Sample types

Soils (sands, silts, clays); sludge; other miscellaneous sample types
Soil and Foliage Sampling information sheet [pdf]
Soils Input Form [docx]

Watch a video on soil sampling

Tests for carbohydrate and lignin properties are carried out for biofuel researchers, pulp and paper industries and for sugar analysis.

Scion provides lignin and carbohydrate testing using the ion chromatography (IC) technique.

Tests

Extractives
Lignin (klason and acid soluble)
Carbohydrates
Monomeric & Total Carbohydrates (liquid samples).

Samples

Wood, pulp, liquor from biofuel research

Sampling Information

10 g required for solids samples
25 mL required for liquid samples

Wood fuels in various forms are increasingly used for energy production.

The sale and purchase of wood fuels has highlighted the need for the seller and the purchaser of wood fuel to be confident with respect to the description and quality of the wood fuel sought or supplied.

The Bioenergy Association of New Zealand (BANZ) has developed guidelines for the classification of wood fuel. These guidelines provide a common methodology for classifying, specifying and determining the quality of traded wood fuel in New Zealand.

The classification of wood fuels is based on particle size, moisture content, ash content, bulk density and energy density.  Scion offers a range of analytical services which cover the information required to classify the wood fuel. These tests are performed for wood fuel providers, wood fuel users, engineering companies and district and regional councils. Read more in our biofuels info sheet [pdf]

Tests

Moisture Content
Particle Size Distribution (including fines amount)
Bulk Density
Calorific Value (Specific Energy)
Ultimate analysis (Carbon, Hydrogen and Nitrogen content)
Elemental analysis (major and trace elements by ICP-MS)

Sample types: wood chips, hog fuel, urban wood fuels, wood pellets, torrefied wood, firewood.

Sampling information

A representative sample, minimum of 4 L, is required. Contact us for more information.

Publications

Planted-forest Nutrition, M. Davies, J. Xu and P. Clinton

Videos

Foliage sampling

Soil sampling

Taking samples for soil chemistry analysis

Soil sampling for bulk density measurement

For more information and other videos please visit the GCFF website.