How has soil analysis changed since Trace Genomics started operating?
When we first started Trace Genomics in 2015, our thesis was to protect and activate the soil’s full potential using genomics technology. Soil is alive, there are a billion microbes in every tablespoon of soil, yet the industry was mainly focused on the chemical and physical properties of soil, leaving the biological side related to the microbiome unexplored. Our first offerings were focused on diagnostics to help farmers identify the microbes that cause diseases. This was the direct result of a direct ask from farmers in California, who were increasingly concerned about chemical crop protection solutions being regulated away.
Our journey may have started with microbes, but our true differentiator is the ability to use the living soil information along with the chemical, physical and carbon properties in a fully integrated systemic view. We have arrived today to a more educated market, where even large corporates have soil health, region ag and carbon programs.
How can genetics help farmers obtain healthier and more sustainable soil?
We can think about the soil as the extended immunological system of the plant. We are using whole genome sequencing that allows us to get a snapshot of all DNA in soil. With whole genome sequencing, we are digitizing and decoding the microbes that cause disease, and diagnosing soil function indicators that are necessary for successfully growing crops (for example, stress response, phosphorus uptake, nitrogen loss). We integrate microbiome with fertility diagnostics, and work closely with agronomists (farmers’ trusted advisors) to turn our data into action on the field: from choice and management of crop and seed treatments, fertilizers, biologicals and to other value-added products.
What is the relation between your Sustainability Soil Performance Rating program and carbon sequestration?
We measure both long-term indicators of carbon sequestration such as the total quantity of organic and inorganic carbon, and short-term indicators such as active carbon. Although comprising of multiple components, sustainability ultimately means optimally using the existing resources and adding just the right inputs to grow our crops profitably, while also protecting the health of our planet and its ecosystems. Through our sustainability rating, we offer customers data on carbon and integrated genomics-chemistry data on biodiversity, impact on water and resource usage – the latter two particularly important for optimizing fertilizer use to minimize fertilizer-related pollution.
Trace Genomics has various partnerships with bio fertilizer companies. What are the outcomes of these relationships?
The data that we provide helps biologicals manufacturers test, validate, verify and place their products in different soil environments in the greenhouse and in the field. We support regulatory submissions, helping companies and regulators assess whether a specific microbe used in a biological product is present in the soils of a state. Furthermore, knowing what lives in the soil is an extremely powerful baseline that can help companies make better decisions across their R&D pipeline, and opens up new avenues for farmers and manufacturing players alike. As an industry, we have been flying blind without this type of information.
What challenges and what opportunities lay in front of Trace Genomics in the years to come?
Soil is the living, breathing skin of the Earth, and using soil diagnostics to optimally manage how we grow crops can provide immense value - similar to yearly health check-ups at the doctor's office. Going forward, we are striving to underline the importance of the biological component in soil analysis. There are 200 million acres of corn, soy and other crops in the U.S. alone, and if we want to fully optimize the soil’s potential on every field, we need to create an integrated view of biology, chemistry, carbon and texture information for every field. Take a look at how human personalized medicine has improved patient lives. This is the vision that all of us should be working towards in agriculture. Mapping and decoding soils, turning this data into action for farmers, is incredibly powerful for growing crops and protecting the planet. And let’s not forget that this is critical for human health because through the crops we consume, soil health connects food and agriculture to the life sciences.
