Media Coverage

With the microbials segment supplanting digital agriculture as the hot subsector, these technologies will face the challenge of translating from the lab and greenhouse to the field. As is often the case in agtech, the “devil is in the data.” Can these companies prove their thesis and claims on yield and efficacy where it counts? Established players like Agricen...are getting in on the action. 

 “Under the current U.S. regulatory framework, biostimulants are sold as low-analysis fertilizers, soil amendments, or ‘other beneficial substances,’” says Michael Totora, President & CEO of Agricen. “The use of the word ‘biostimulant’ is not allowed on the label...Along with our sister company Agricen Sciences, R&D is a priority for us as we develop new technologies."

Dr. Brian Cornelious, Director of Applied Science for Agricen, headed up an educational session focused on the basics of biostimulants and how they fit in specialty crops. With the biostimulants market expected to grow to $2.5 billion by 2021, Cornelious said it is important for the sector to organize and develop protocols for managing itself and future growth.

With concerns about nutrient loss this year, [EXTRACT PBA] may be helpful in improving yields in soybeans. Lay told Hoosier Ag Today that, when used with a pre-plant herbicide or fertilizer application, “We have seen a consistent 4 bpa advantage.”

Agronomic advancements have brought corn yields to new heights, but producers have had little guidance on how to meet the nutrient requirements of modern, high-yield corn hybrids in a way that maximizes their yields, writes Fred E. Below, PhD, Professor of Plant Physiology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, on Agricen.com. 

The plant health technology company, Agricen, is now operating in Australia. Using the name Agricen Australia the company is producing sustainable fertilizer biocatalyst products under the brands Basis and Foundation. Products are natural and locally sourced and are manufactured at a newly constructed plant in Dandenong. CropLife - "Biostimulants and Micronutrients: The Making of a Market" Growth is rapid in all geographies, led by the U.S. and Europe, says David Lanciault, President & CEO of Agricen Sciences. “Our sister company, Agricen, has in the past few years opened operations in Australia to provide biostimulant products, namely fertilizer biocatalysts in that market, and they are seeing a lot of interest in this technology," Lanciault says.

Growth is rapid in all geographies, led by the U.S. and Europe, says David Lanciault, President & CEO of Agricen Sciences. “Our sister company, Agricen, has in the past few years opened operations in Australia to provide biostimulant products, namely fertilizer biocatalysts in that market, and they are seeing a lot of interest in this technology," Lanciault says. 

As the R&D engines grind on, a “second wave” of biostimulant technology will reach readiness, Lanciault says. “This wave will be consistent with the ‘natural product discovery’ pipeline in pharmaceuticals, featuring novel organisms (plants and microbes) and their metabolites — with targeted, well-documented modes of action that mimic chemical modes,” he says.

Extract Powered by Accomplish combines the concentrated biochemistry of Accomplish® LM with ammonium thiosulfate (ATS) to help growers access the full nutrient value of their crop residues. 

Though there are still a number of challenges and issues to address as the segment continues to grow, plant health products seem to have shed their once questionable reputation and been embraced by major manufacturers of traditional crop protection products. “It isn’t only the smaller, startup, or midsize companies investing heavily in the technology; the largest investors are the big traditional crop chemistry players,” says Dave Lanciault, president and CEO of Agricen Sciences.