Eurofins Agro Testing UK's acquisition of the independent contract testing laboratory, Alliance Technical Laboratories (ATL) Ltd, looks set to meet the huge growth in demand for materials analysis and rise in data driven decision making.
The acquisition allows Eurofins to add additional capacity to its advanced forage testing, which offers farmers and nutritionists more accurate silage analysis.
The Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) tests dry and grind samples to provide a more accurate analysis than the wet NIRS alternative, according to the company. The properties of the forage sample are also fed into the company’s rumen character graphs that show the nutritional value of the sample and predicts how it will act in the rumen.
Based in Suffolk, ATL carries out UKAS accredited analytical testing of soil, compost, effluents, digestate, water, food, and animal feed and its location complements the current Eurofins UK footprint.
The laboratories will assist in carrying out soil tests that include three products offered by Eurofins. Fertilisation Manager®, Soil Crop Monitor® and Soil Life Monitor® offer one of the most comprehensive ways to analyse and improve soil health.
Fertilisation Manager measures soil fertility whilst Soil Crop Monitor provides one of the most accurate means of testing soil during a growing season.
Soil Life Monitor determines the total microbial biomass, fungi, bacteria, and protozoa. It also identifies some physical characteristics such as the quality of organic matter and organic carbon levels.
Alliance Technical Laboratories Ltd was formed by the merging of two laboratories (Alliance Technical Ltd and Gooch Garforth) in 2005. In 2012 the company became part of a larger group when it was purchased by Harlow Agricultural Merchants Ltd.
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