BeCrop® Portal Tools: The Abundance BoxPlot Tool

This tool is ideal for:

• Comparing treated vs. untreated plots
• Monitoring how a product affects microbial abundance (e.g., Trichoderma)
• Tracking changes across parcels or timepoints
• Quickly seeing differences between groups using min, max, and average values

 

Accessing the Abundance BoxPlot Tool

1. Log into your BeCrop® Portal.
2. From the left-hand menu, go to Toolbox.
3. Select Abundance BoxPlot Tool.

 

Setting Up Clusters

The tool compares microorganisms across clusters of samples.

1. Select samples: Click the small circle below each sample to assign it to a cluster.
   
   • Example: Assign control samples to Cluster 1 and treated samples to Cluster 2.
     
     
2. Name clusters: Give each cluster a clear label (e.g., “Control untreated” vs. “Product treated”).
   
   
3. Switch to name view (optional): Display sample names instead of codes for clarity.
   
   
4. Save configurations: Use the disk icon to save your cluster setup.
   
   • Load saved configurations later via Load Saved Configurations.

 

Running a Comparison

1. After assigning samples, click Compare.

2. Select a microorganism from the dropdown menu, or type its name in the search bar.

• • Search by genus (e.g., Bacillus) to display all species within that group.

3. The tool will display results comparing your clusters.

 

Understanding Results

The chart helps you compare clusters using:

• Average relative abundance
• Minimum and maximum values (visible when hovering)
• A clearer view as you add more samples to each cluster
  
  

Example Use Case

You are trialing a biological product and want to see whether Trichoderma increased:

• Cluster 1: Control (untreated) samples
• Cluster 2: Treated samples

You can quickly see whether treated samples show higher Trichoderma abundance than the control group.