Researchers, including ones working for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, have said for decades that they believe the microbes surrounding plant roots have a major impact on crop health and yields.
But it’s only in recent years that companies have begun to commercialize some research findings.
Pivot Bio, a Californian company with $186.7 million US in investor funding is engineering natural nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live on the roots of corn plants that can boost yields while reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
Bayer-Gingko Bioworks joint venture Joyn Bio is going one step further, using synthetic biology to create new microbes that can deliver almost anything to a plant.
Other companies, such as Concentric Agriculture and BioConsortia, believe that combinations of microbes are key to unlocking the potential of the microbiome.
A new report from IDTechEx outlines the situation and is precurser to a webinar it is hosting Oct. 13. Advance registration is required.
