The nitrogen-fixing microbial products will enhance Mosiac’s range of fertiliser products and can reduce input costs for growers
BioConsortia partners with Mosaic to develop microbes-based nitrogen products. (Credit: Business Wire.)
Mosaic, a fertiliser company, and BioConsortia have collaborated for the development of nitrogen-fixing microbial products for corn, wheat and other major non-legume row crops.
The companies intend to develop microbial products that can reduce the amount of conventional nitrogen fertiliser application while increasing crop yields and eventually the revenue for farmers.
Through the partnership, Mosaic and BioConsortia aim to develop in-furrow and seed treatment products that can be used either stand-alone or in combination with conventional chemistries and fertilisers.
BioConsortia claims to have discovered naturally-occurring spore forming microbes that are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen and colonising corn, wheat and other non-leguminous plants.
The companies will leverage targeted, strain improvement and gene editing technologies to develop a natural and improved strain of microbial products that can increase crop yields while maintaining or reducing nitrogen fertiliser inputs.
The joint project will use BioConsortia’s Advanced Microbial Selection (AMS) process and other proprietary tools and its existing collection of nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
It will also include a comprehensive field trial phase, followed by a distribution agreement for row crops in the Americas.
Mosaic will have exclusive rights to nitrogen-fixing technology in the Americas, while BioConsortia will retain the rights to distribute the products outside of the Americas. As per the agreement, BioConsortia will receive an upfront payment and research funding along with royalties.
BioConsortia CEO Marcus Meadows-Smith said: “We are excited to partner with Mosaic, a proven leader in agriculture.
“We believe their established expertise and market access in the field of fertilizers and crop nutrition is the perfect route to market for ground breaking nitrogen-fixing microbial products.
“Our microbes will complement and expand Mosaic’s established crop nutrient business to the benefit of growers throughout the Americas.”
Through the collaboration, Mosaic can also access BioConsortia’s phosphorus and potassium solubilisation microbial products that can be combined with its existing range of fertilisers to reduce input costs and to boost yields for growers.