Giesbeelk/Wageningen and Amsterdam | Thursday April 9th 2026

A major step forward for soil intelligence in agriculture. HLB has selected Antonie as its partner to introduce automated, AI-driven biological soil analysis into its laboratory processes.

Founded in 1963 and long regarded as a cornerstone of the Dutch agri sector, HLB becomes the first laboratory in the Netherlands to integrate Antonie’s LIFE Monitor™ into its plant diagnostics and nematology workflows.

With this collaboration, biological soil diagnostics moves from a specialist activity to a scalable, accessible capability. Farmers, advisors, seed companies, governments, and landowners gain faster, more consistent insights into soil health and nematode populations, enabling better decisions on yield, risk, and sustainability.

At the core of this step is a fundamental shift in how soil biology is analysed.

Antonie’s LIFE Monitor combines automated microscopy with AI-driven analysis of living soil organisms. Instead of manual interpretation, large volumes of biological data are captured, processed, and translated into consistent, reproducible insights based on what actually lives and moves in the soil. This changes the role of biological soil analysis entirely. From time-consuming specialist work to a scalable data layer that can support daily decision-making across the agricultural value chain.

HLB-managing director Pieter Vos in the laboratory in Wijster (NL)

From specialist expertise to scalable soil intelligence

Despite growing scientific evidence and increasing EU focus on biological indicators of soil health, biological soil analysis has remained underutilised compared to chemical testing.

That is now changing:

“HLB brings decades of deep expertise in nematology, including plant parasitic nematodes and cyst detection, such as PCN and BCN,” says Jerome H. Mol, CEO of Antonie. “The fact that an organisation with this track record selects our technology confirms the value of combining domain expertise with AI-driven analysis. Together, we make biological soil diagnostics scalable and accessible as a standard offering for every farmer, fully aligned with our mission of Improving Soil Health.”

“Working with Antonie marks a powerful step towards the agriculture of the future, where innovative technologies and high-quality knowledge are rapidly translated into practical solutions,” says Pieter Vos, Director of HLB. “Together, we contribute to a more sustainable agricultural system for businesses, for the sector, and for the soil itself. This fully aligns with our promise: Farming the Future.”