FLN

Free Living Nematodes

Beyond plant-parasitic nematodes, the accurate identification and classification of free-living nematodes like bacterivores, fungivores, omnivores, and predators, is essential for calculating meaningful Nematode Based Indices (NBIs) such as the Maturity Index, Enrichment Index, and Channel Index.

These indices reveal the true functional state of the soil ecosystem: its stability, disturbance history, nutrient cycling activity, and recovery potential. For farmers and landowners, NBI-based reporting translates directly into management decisions, from adjusting tillage and organic matter inputs to timing cover crop interventions.

LIFE Monitor™️ automates the full nematode community analysis at functional, family and genus level, generating NBI outputs at a speed and scale that manual microscopy simply cannot match.

For soil laboratories, this represents a significant commercial opportunity: offering high-value, differentiated NBI reporting services to an agricultural sector increasingly focused on soil health compliance, regenerative practices, and EU Soil Monitoring Directive requirements.