Closer to the Crop: Pathoscan Brings Diagnostic Technology into the Field

Pathoscan puts crop disease testing where producers need it: in the field

A crop sample, a small portable device and about an hour. That may be all a producer needs to find out whether a disease is present in the field.

Until recently, that kind of answer belonged largely in the laboratory. Pathoscan is bringing it closer to the crop.

“We take existing lab-based diagnostic technology and convert it into a form that can be used in the field to get a result,” says Ethan Done, co-founder of Pathoscan.

Think of a COVID-19 test, but for crop disease. Pathoscan uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the genetic material of a crop pathogen.

It starts with a small plant sample. A producer prepares the sample and places it in the device. A colour change then indicates whether the pathogen is present.

Having that information in the field gives producers more time to respond and potentially reduce crop losses.

“It’s another piece of information so producers can make informed decisions,” Done says.

In the future, Pathoscan could determine which treatments a pathogen may be resistant to. That information could help producers make decisions for the next growing season.

Done sees potential beyond agriculture, including human health. For now, Pathoscan is focused on detecting crop pathogens and making the process simpler for producers.

At the Global Agri-Food Advancement Partnership (GAAP), Pathoscan has access to equipment it can use and greenhouse space when it needs to grow plants. Just as importantly, Done says, GAAP has given the growing company “a home for everything.”

Early on, producers told Done they wanted to run tests right in the field, rather than return to a building to plug in the device. Pathoscan responded by designing the device to run on 12 volts, so it can be powered from a truck or ATV.

“A producer said, ‘Hey, we need this feature.’ It’s now in there,” Done says. “It’s features that the producers are asking for.”

That example captures the philosophy behind Pathoscan. Rather than developing a product and expecting producers to change how they work, Done says the company builds with them.

“At every stage, we work with the producers to give them something that works for their day,” he says.

This has meant learning from producers with different levels of experience and needs in using the technology. Done says producers in the middle of a busy growing season need something they can pick up and use quickly without spending hours with the instructions. 

Feedback from producers is helping Pathoscan refine its instructions, the physical device and the steps from opening the kit to getting a result. The company follows up with customers after the growing season to find out what worked, what didn’t, and what could be improved for the following year.

This year, Pathoscan’s technology was used on approximately 20,000 acres, giving the company more feedback from the field. Done says that included positive responses, as well as suggestions on how the instructions and testing process could be easier to follow. 

That feedback will help inform Pathoscan’s work over the winter. Done expects a significant focus on product development, including both communications and refinements to the physical device.

“How do we make this thing as simple as possible from the user’s perspective? he says.

One possibility is having the device automatically read the reactions, further simplifying the process. 

Pathoscan has its own support network as it takes its next steps, including its relationship with GAAP and Ag-West Bio.

Pathoscan’s devices are manufactured and assembled in Saskatoon. Components for its testing kits are also sourced in Canada, including from suppliers in Ontario.

The lab may be where the technology began. Pathoscan is working on what comes next.