A little about LVS
We are based in Northern Ireland, on the outskirts of Lagan Valley. We offer independent & professional plant health advisory services to the amenity industry and specialise in plant parasitic nematodes. Our 2030 research initiative is to better define biological patterns in amenity grounds.
A little more
We care deeply about supporting integrated turf management with quality science. We are licensed to receive material to test from anywhere in the world, benchmark our processes wherever possible, and often develop bespoke testing plans for our clients.
For example, in complex cases of turf decline we may test nematodes or fungi isolated from your site against commercial products so you know what works and what doesn’t, help with on site trials to understand the benefits of your agronomic plans, generate profiles of specific groups of microorganisms to understand biodiversity, or perform highly sensitive qPCR techniques to identify specific pathogens early before symptoms develop.
Dr Deborah Cox
Deborah is the lead scientist in our Turf Clinic.
In 2015 she combined her passion for plant health & molecular biology with nematology and her experience forms the foundation of the services in our Turf Clinic!
The overall goal of the work she does at LVS is to empower turf managers with knowledge. Tailoring unique services & research plans for clients is her speciality! No two sites or businesses are the same, so neither are our approaches to supporting you!
Contact us
Would you like to know more about how LVS can support you or arrange a meeting to discuss your needs?
We would love to hear from you. Fill out the form and we’ll be in touch shortly.
Opening hours
Monday: 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday: 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday: 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday*: 09:00 - 17:00
Friday: 09:00 - 17:00
Saturday: Closed**
Sunday: Closed**
*Client appointments prioritised Thursdays
**Samples received by Friday will begin processing over the weekend but we cannot accept samples on Saturday or Sunday at this time.
Publication records
Hepworth, J., Antoniou-Kourounioti, R.L., Berggren, K., Selga, C., Tudor, E.H., Yates, B., Cox, D., Harris, B.R.C., Irwin, J.A., Howard, M. and Säll, T., 2020. Natural variation in autumn expression is the major adaptive determinant distinguishing Arabidopsis FLC haplotypes. eLife, 9, p.e57671.
Cox, D.E., Dyer, S., Weir, R., Cheseto, X., Sturrock, M., Coyne, D., Torto, B., Maule, A.G. and Dalzell, J.J., 2019. ABC transporter genes ABC-C6 and ABC-G33 alter plant-microbe-parasite interactions in the rhizosphere. Scientific Reports, 9(1), pp.1-13.
Warnock, N.D., Cox, D., McCoy, C., Morris, R. and Dalzell, J.J., 2019. Transcriptional variation and divergence of host-finding behaviour in Steinernema carpocapsae infective juveniles. BMC genomics, 20(1), p.884.
Dyer, S., Weir, R., Cox, D., Cheseto, X., Torto, B. and Dalzell, J.J., 2019. ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR (ERF) genes modulate plant root exudate composition and the attraction of plant parasitic nematodes. International Journal for Parasitology, 49(13-14), pp.999-1003.
Cox, D., Reilly, B., Warnock, N.D., Dyer, S., Sturrock, M., Cortada, L., Coyne, D., Maule, A.G. and Dalzell, J.J., 2019. Transcriptional signatures of invasiveness in Meloidogyne incognita populations from sub-Saharan Africa. International Journal for Parasitology, 49(11), pp.837-841.
Hepworth, J., Antoniou-Kourounioti, R.L., Bloomer, R.H., Selga, C., Berggren, K., Cox, D., Harris, B.R.C., Irwin, J.A., Holm, S., Säll, T. and Howard, M., 2018. Absence of warmth permits epigenetic memory of winter in Arabidopsis. Nature communications, 9(1), pp.1-8.