What our fees cover
MPI calculates fees on a cost-recovery basis. We will charge you the costs associated with testing your sample. You may also be charged extra fees for:
- packaging and handling for subcontracted tests
- transport for subcontracted tests
- laboratory equipment
- after hours work.
Check our document for how the below fees are charged.
Examples of how PHEL prices are applied [PDF, 234 KB]
Not all the fees on this page may apply to you and there could be other charges not listed here – like transport, storage, treatment or other laboratory costs.
The Plant Health and Environment Laboratory (PHEL) doesn’t charge for general surveillance testing (testing for a suspected exotic pest or disease in New Zealand) of samples from the general public, growers, or the scientific community.
Diagnostic testing
Bacteriology
| Test type | Description | Price per sample | ||
| (excl GST) | (incl GST) | |||
| Sample examination for bacterial diseases | Macroscopic and microscopic examination of samples to assess if further testing is required. May include selective plating and plate screening to determine if pathogens were present | $130 | $149.50 | |
| Diagnosis of bacterial diseases from a symptomatic sample | The price for testing depends on the tests performed on the sample. If numerous tests are required to reach a conclusive diagnosis, the price will be capped at $700 per sample | Up to $700 | Up to $805 | |
| Selective plating for bacteria (excluding identification) | Plating plant material to isolate bacterial pathogens | $130 | $149.50 | |
| Biochemical testing for bacteria | Bacterial identification method that relies on organism specific biochemical signatures (e.g., Biolog). This testing is often followed by nucleic acid extraction and sequencing | $110 | $126.50 | |
| Seed washing for bacteria (excluding identification) | Washing and concentrating bacterial cells from seeds. The extract will be tested by downstream tests for additional costs, e.g., selective plating or nucleic acid extraction and PCR | $95 | $109.25 | |
Mycology
| Test type | Description | Price per sample | ||
| (excl GST) | (incl GST) | |||
| Sample examination for fungal diseases | Macroscopic and microscopic examination of samples to assess if further testing is required. May include selective plating and plate screening to determine if pathogens were present | $130 | $149.50 | |
| Diagnosis of fungal diseases from a symptomatic sample | The price for testing depends on the tests performed on the sample. If numerous tests are required to reach a conclusive diagnosis, the price will be capped at $780 per sample. | Up to $780 | Up to $897 | |
| Selective plating for fungi (excluding identification) | Plating symptomatic plant material to isolate fungal pathogens and screening the plates for plant pathogens | $130 | $149.50 | |
| Morphological identification of a fungus | Identification of one fungus using morphological characters | $160 | $184 | |
| Seed washing for fungi (excluding identification) (new) | Washing and concentrating fungal propagules from seeds. The extract will be tested using downstream tests e.g., nucleic acid extraction and PCR | $95 | $109.25 | |
| Seed washing and microscopic examination (e.g., rust and smut fungi) | Washing, concentrating, and microscopically examining fungal propagules from seeds | $295 | $339.25 | |
| Seed plating and screening for fungi (new) | Plating a large number of seeds (e.g., 400) to determine the presence of specific fungi. Includes screening the plates and selecting fungi for further identification if required. Additional downstream testing might be required, e.g., nucleic acid extraction, PCR, and sequencing | $800 | $920 | |
| Soil baiting assay (excluding identification) (new) | Baiting and isolating oomycete pathogens (e.g., Phytophthora) from soil and/or root sample | $260 | $299 | |
Entomology
| Test type | Description | Price per sample | ||
| (excl GST) | (incl GST) | |||
| Screening for invertebrates (new) | Macroscopic and microscopic examination of samples to determine if insect pests were present | $130 | $149.50 | |
| Morphological identification of 1 invertebrate | Specimen preparation and morphological identification. Additional testing might be required to reach a conclusive diagnosis, e.g., nucleic acid extraction, PCR, and sequencing | $200 | $230 | |
| Morphological identification of 2 invertebrates | Specimen preparation and morphological identification. Additional testing might be required to reach a conclusive diagnosis, e.g., nucleic acid extraction, PCR, and sequencing | $375 | $431.25 | |
| Morphological identification of 3 or more invertebrates | Specimen preparation and morphological identification. Additional testing might be required to reach a conclusive diagnosis, e.g., nucleic acid extraction, PCR, and sequencing | $485 | $557.75 | |
| Binocular examination for invertebrates (per hour) (new) | Some examples include examination of samples for presence of invertebrates (e.g., for post entry quarantine screening). If pests are found, additional charges will apply for their identification | $125 | $143.75 | |
| Invertebrate life state assessment (new) | Microscopic examination of invertebrates to determine their viability. May include biochemical testing | $80 | $92 | |
Nematology
| Test type | Description | Price per sample | ||
| (excl GST) | (incl GST) | |||
| Sample examination for nematodes (new) | Macroscopic and microscopic examination of plant samples to assess if further testing is required. Includes nematode extraction if required | $130 | $149.50 | |
| Morphological identification of nematodes | Identification of one or more nematodes via microscopic examination. Includes nematode extraction. Additional charges might apply if downstream testing is required to reach a conclusive diagnosis, e.g., nucleic acid extraction, PCR, and sequencing | $715 | $822.25 | |
Botany
| Test type | Description | Price per sample | ||
| (excl GST) | (incl GST) | |||
| Morphological identification of plants and seeds (new) | Identification of a plant or seed sample based on morphological characters | $485 | $557.75 | |
| Germination viability test for seeds (new) | Setting up seed germination assay to determine their germination ability | Provided on request | Provided on request | |
| Tetrazolium viability test for seeds (new) | Staining seeds with tetrazolium and dissecting them to determine their viability | Provided on request | Provided on request | |
Virology
| Test type | Description | Price per sample | ||
| (excl GST) | (incl GST) | |||
| Sample examination for viral and virallike diseases (new) | Macroscopic examination of symptomatic plant samples to assess if further testing is required. Includes preparation of samples for downstream testing if required | $130 | $149.50 | |
| Diagnosis of viral and viral-like diseases from a symptomatic sample | The price for testing depends on the tests performed on the sample. If numerous tests are required to reach a conclusive diagnosis, the price will be capped at $885 per sample | Up to $885 | Up to $1,017.75 | |
| Electron Microscopy | Sample preparation and examination for plant virus particles | $140 | $161 | |
| ELISA | Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting viruses in plants | $100 | $115 | |
| Seed washing to remove seed dressing (per seed lot) (new) | Washing treated seeds to remove a coating before testing | $185 | $212.75 | |
Molecular
| Test type | Description | Price per sample | ||
| (excl GST) | (incl GST) | |||
| Nucleic acid extraction | Extraction of nucleic acids for downstream diagnostic tests | $50* | $57.50* | |
| PCR | End-point or real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using either DNA or RNA | $65* | $74.75* | |
| Sequencing (direct) | Sanger sequencing, includes sequence analysis and result interpretation | $180 | $207 | |
| Sequencing (cloned product) | Sanger sequencing, includes cloning the target amplicon, sequence analysis, and result interpretation | $1,130 | $1,299.50 | |
| Additional charge for urgent sequencing sequencing | Sanger sequencing completed by external supplier within hours | Ext** | Ext** | |
| Additional charge for after-hours sequencing | Sanger sequencing completed by external supplier after-hours | Ext** | Ext** | |
| High throughput sequencing (new) | High throughput sequencing (e.g., Illumina, MinION), completed inhouse or by external supplier. Includes data analysis and result interpretation | Provided on request | Provided on request | |
Provision of Level 3B PEQ space
| Booking type*** | Price per month | |
| (excl. GST) | (incl. GST) | |
| Preferential booking | $12,500 | $14,375 |
| On-going/Rolling booking | $9,500 | $10,295 |
| General booking | $6,500 | $7,495 |
Other services
| Service | Price per sample | |
| (excl GST) | (incl GST) | |
| Packaging and handling samples for subcontracted testing (excluding transport) | $65 | $74.75 |
| Transport for subcontracted tests (e.g., courier) | Ext** | Ext** |
| Technical advice (per hour) | $125 | $143.75 |
* Discounted pricing will be provided for testing greater than ten samples ($25 (excl. GST) for nucleic acid extraction test and $30 (excl. GST) for PCR for the 11th and any subsequent samples). See examples below how these would be applied.
** Ext – these tests/services are provided externally and priced by the external supplier.
*** For the description of different booking types, see the L3B PEQ Booking and Prioritisation Policy.
Find out more
- MPI's fees and charges
- Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations 2010 – New Zealand legislation website
- Download a pdf of our tests and charges
Who to contact
If you have questions about fees and charges, email info@mpi.govt.nz.
