Monsanto is
using technology developed by Novozymes A/S of Denmark to coat seeds with a
performance-boosting fungus.
Monsanto
says this is a breakthrough for microbial technology.
Corn crops
treated with the new Monsanto-Novozymes microbial -- officially
known as Acceleron B-300 SAT -- had better yields than those without the
treatment, the companies said in a statement this week.
The product
stays on seeds longer and is compatible with other chemical treatments, unlike
previous versions, the company says.
It boosts
early-stage growth. The companies speculate that it will be used on corn to
plant 36 million acres by 2025.
The seed
treatment could “become one of the biggest biological products in the ag
industry,” said Colin Bletsky, vice president for Novozymes’ BioAg
unit.
“Harnessing
the power of nature’s microbes, farmers will be able to produce more crops.”
Fungi develop as long strands and are able to transport nutrients from soil to the rhisozone next to roots.
