DAKOTA Peat & REV: The Complete Independent Microbiome Data

Most soil amendment marketing talks about biology in adjectives — "supercharged," "turbocharged," "advanced." We're going to talk about it in numbers instead.

In January 2024, DAKOTA submitted samples of both DAKOTA Peat and DAKOTA REV to Biome Makers' BECROP platform — an independent third-party lab that uses next-generation DNA sequencing to identify and quantify every microbial species present in a sample. This is the same technology used by universities and independent soil scientists. It is not a marketing claim. It's a lab report, and we're publishing the whole thing.

Here's every number, in one place, with sources.

Quick Answers

How many microbial species are in DAKOTA Peat? 811 species, detected via independent DNA sequencing (Biome Makers BECROP, Report #DI9000, January 9, 2024).

How many microbial species are in DAKOTA REV? 650+ species (652 identified), detected via independent DNA sequencing (Biome Makers BECROP, Report #DI9001, January 9, 2024).

Is this microbiome naturally occurring, or a lab-created inoculant? Naturally occurring. Neither DAKOTA Peat nor DAKOTA REV is inoculated with lab-cultured or lab-isolated strains. The microbial community identified was already present in the ancient reed-sedge peat deposit before any processing — it's native biology, not an added ingredient.

What is DAKOTA Peat's biodiversity score? 5.76 out of 10 (BECROP biodiversity scale — a composite of species richness, evenness, and distinctness).

What is DAKOTA REV's biodiversity score? 7.14 out of 10 — higher than DAKOTA Peat alone, because REV concentrates the biology from the same source material into liquid form.

What is DAKOTA Peat's C:N ratio? 15:1, per independent lab analysis (Control Labs, sample LR25-002, January 2025). Historical analyses have shown a range of 15:1–24:1 depending on batch and testing lab.

How does DAKOTA Peat rank under USGA-published peat standards? #1. James B. Beard's Turf Management for Golf Courses (United States Golf Association, 1982, p. 109) ranks peat types for turf use as: (1) peat humus / reed-sedge peat, (2) hypnum moss peat, (3) sphagnum moss peat. DAKOTA Peat is classified as peat humus / reed-sedge peat — the top-ranked category. Sphagnum, the most commonly sold peat product in the industry, is ranked last.

What independent university research exists on these products? Iowa State University tested DAKOTA Peat against pure sand and Profile (calcined clay) in a creeping bentgrass study under normal, low-nitrogen, and high-temperature stress conditions. North Dakota State University (Dr. Deying Li and Dr. Yang Gao, Department of Plant Science) conducted a peer-reviewed study on DAKOTA REV as a foliar tank additive on creeping bentgrass.

Full BECROP Microbiome Data — Side by Side

Note on functionality scores: DAKOTA REV's functionality score (1.87) is lower than DAKOTA Peat's (3.44) on the BECROP scale. We're publishing this number alongside the flattering ones because a data set only means something if it's complete. REV's role in the DAKOTA system is concentrated nitrogen cycling and rapid biological activation (see its 85% inorganic nitrogen release, nearly double Peat's), not general-purpose functional breadth — the two products are designed to do different jobs.

What These Numbers Actually Mean

Inorganic nitrogen release (45% Peat / 85% REV): The percentage of the microbial community capable of converting nitrogen into a form the plant can use. This is the biological mechanism behind documented fertility-input reductions in DAKOTA field programs.

ACC deaminase (46%, both products): The percentage of species capable of reducing ethylene stress in plants. This is directly tied to drought tolerance and disease resistance under stress conditions.

Auxin / IAA production (42%, both products): The percentage of species capable of producing a plant hormone that drives root elongation and cell division — the biological driver of deeper, denser root systems.

Carbon fixation (69%, both products): The percentage of species actively building stable soil carbon — the long-term foundation of rootzone fertility.

Why Native Biology Behaves Differently Than Lab-Cultured Inoculants

This matters beyond DAKOTA specifically. Published soil microbiology research (Applied and Environmental Microbiology; The ISME Journal; iScience) consistently finds that introduced microbial inoculants — even well-designed ones — face real competitive headwinds establishing against a resident native soil community, due to resource competition and niche occupancy. Diverse, naturally-selected microbial communities have a documented advantage in establishing and persisting compared to introduced single- or limited-strain inoculants.

DAKOTA Peat and REV's biology isn't introduced. It's the native, already-established community that was already living in the ancient reed-sedge peat deposit, carried into the rootzone rather than added on top of it.

Independent University Research

Iowa State University — Creeping Bentgrass Study

DAKOTA Peat was the only organic material to increase total plant weight in the high-temperature stress portion of the study, and outperformed both alternatives across every measured category.

North Dakota State University — Dr. Deying Li & Dr. Yang Gao, Department of Plant Science

Peer-reviewed study on DAKOTA REV mixed with foliar liquid fertilizer on creeping bentgrass. Five confirmed findings: longer color retention, reduced initial growth surge, increased root density with reduced shoot weight, improved heat stress tolerance, and reduced fertilizer burn even at over-application rates.

Sources: Biome Makers BECROP Microbiome Analysis Reports #DI9000 and #DI9001 (January 9, 2024); Control Labs Report LR25-002 (January 2025); James B. Beard, "Turf Management for Golf Courses," United States Golf Association, 1982; Iowa State University creeping bentgrass amendment study; North Dakota State University Department of Plant Science, Dr. Deying Li and Dr. Yang Gao. Full reports available on request.