BeCrop Technology

What is BeCrop and common questions

BeCrop® Technology provides key insights to improve soil health, increase crop yield and quality, and reduce farm costs. BeCrop is the missing puzzle piece in agriculture that connects soil needs to inputs and illuminates the path towards regenerating soils.

Can we distinguish dead from alive DNA? 

Have we looked at the differences between the same reports done with and without different dead/alive cells?

We have validated in our lab a protocol that uses propidium monoazide (PMA) to capture extracellular DNA, which we can perform previous to the DNA isolation step. The taxonomic annotation of species in low relative abundance is the most variable. Functional annotation, as well as ecological interactions among taxa that are also present in the BeCrop report, are less affected by the remotion of extracellular DNA.

However, for biomarker discovery/diagnostics applications we are of the philosophy that all signals present in the soil, from dead and alive microorganisms, are relevant. Thus, our BeCrop reports are based on total DNA extraction and amplification. Samples are then compared to other samples derived from the same crop to normalize each of the markers into quintiles. So, we do not recommend removing extracellular DNA for BeCrop samples, given that interpretation is performed in the context of other samples for which we have performed total DNA extraction.

For self-contained R&D projects where samples are compared to one another, we can definitely implement the PMA protocol. Also, for our BeCrop Product report (absolute bacterial quantification of Ag-inputs) some of our clients request the removal of extracellular DNA for evaluating the viability of their products as well as their shelf life.

What is your specialty?

Using this information, we create a functional assessment of the soil based on the relationships of the microbial community for each specific site and crop.

What are the differences between a physicochemical analysis and a BeCrop functional analysis?

Traditional soil analyses provide information about the physical properties (eg. texture) and the chemical properties of the soil, such as pH or the concentration of nutrients, but do not take soil microbiology into account. Instead of measuring the number of nutrients in the soil, BeCrop measures the microbial processes involved in nutrient cycling, such as those that fix carbon into the soil, or supply plants with available nutrient forms (eg. mineralization or solubilization) and those that immobilize nutrients back into forms not readily available for plants (immobilization, denitrification).

BeCrop Technology Microbial profiling versus shotgun analysis

Each method has its pros and cons which should be considered before you decide which sequencing method to use. Need a simple explanation of each type of analysis (see 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing vs. Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing) 

Does BeCrop measure the % of organic matter or the number of nutrients (N, P, K, etc.) in the soil?

Such as those that supply plants with available nutrient forms (eg. mineralization or solubilization), and those that immobilize nutrients back into forms not readily available for plants (immobilization). In addition to BeCrop, we also offer BeCrop+ (only in North America) which includes a physicochemical soil test performed by Waypoint Analytics as an add-on to the BeCrop functional analysis.

Is BeCrop a quantitative or qualitative analysis?

The BeCrop analysis is quantitative, and it is transformed later into a qualitative report. The quantitative varies in relation to the number of samples.

Can I compare the results of two different BeCrop analyses?

Yes, that can be achieved with the utilization of multivariable analysis.

Scientific papers where BeCrop technology was envoled

You can find more information about the scientific paper where BeCrop Technology has been used to add an extra layer of information to the project. Tech Validation Page