DISCOVER OUR FENCING RANGE, IT’S THE REEL DEAL

running through their farm would typically take samples at each end of the river and use the data to determine the impact the farm is having on the waterway.

Wilderlab has also developed a TICI (Taxon Independent Community Index) – an ecological score that takes all of the species data and condenses it into a number.

“This number tells you what condition your stream is in,” he said.

The sample score on show at Fieldays measured 91 out of 200 – an average score for a lowland pastoral stream in New Zealand.

“The theoretical maximum is 200 but the actual maximum we would ever get is 140,” he said.

In contrast, a sample taken from the Ruahine Ranges would have a much higher score due to it being in an area less disturbed by development.

Having that number can also act as a goal setter for improving stream health, he said.

Wilderlab’s testing results have also become part of the NZ Farm Assurance Programme Plus, with farms needing an eDNA sample to receive a gold rating. It has massively boosted the service as farmers send in yearly water samples to be eligible for the accreditation.

Wilkinson said local government has also shown a keen interest in using the service after the changes to the NPS in freshwater in 2020 meant councils had to find new tools to meet the statement’s reporting requirements.

“We do tens of thousands of samples per year for them.”