Ag-tech company NewLeaf Symbiotics® and direct-to-farm crop inputs provider Meristem Crop Performance Group LLC on Aug. 26 announced a new strategic alliance designed to bring new biologicals to more farmers. The first product to be released under the agreement is Meristem’s Revline Hopper Throttle™, a nutrition enhancer featuring azospirillum, micronutrients, and NewLeaf’s Terrasym technology in an 80/20 combo of talc and graphite.
“We are thrilled NewLeaf has selected Meristem’s new, efficient pathway to reach top growers and millions of acres,” said Mitch Eviston, Meristem Founder and CEO. “Better market access will pull even more innovation, such as the natural corn rootworm biocontrol product NewLeaf is planning to release in 2023, pending regulatory approval.”
According to New Leaf, Terrasym® is the first in a new class of biologicals that infuses plants with naturally-occurring pink pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs). Since discovering the product, NewLeaf has launched a portfolio of products for corn, soybeans, and peanuts, and is planning more for tomatoes, rice, and cannabis. Meristem and NewLeaf said they are already at work on field trials of other products in the pipeline.
“NewLeaf has invested significant time, energy, and dollars into validating Terrasym® technology across large-scale operations,” said Matt Helms, NewLeaf Chief Commercial Officer. “We see our alliance with Meristem as another step toward taking our great in-field results to more growers across the Cornbelt.”
Based in St. Louis, Mo., New Leaf has raised investor capital from global players such as Koch Disruptive Technologies, Sabic, and S2G, and is currently conducting trials across large and small plots. The company said it is working closely with growers and making its data transparent.
“We view our growers as co-developers of this technology with us,” said Dr. Allison Jack, NewLeaf Technical Product Manager. “This process allowed us to connect with a progressive group of farmers who are interested in more sustainable technologies that deliver enhanced crop performance alongside convenience of application and return on investment.”
Meristem is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, and is a relatively new direct-to-farm business, launching in May 2020 with Eviston and Rob McClelland as principals of the company. Meristem’s initial product portfolio included seed treatments, plant growth regulators, nitrogen stabilizers, micronutrients, and foliar nutritionals used by corn, soybean, wheat, sugar beet, cotton, and potato growers.
Over the past year, Meristem has been branching out to add products and distribution partners, including C&H Ag Products, Benton County, Ind.; Ag To Go LLC, Henrietta, N.Y.; Forefront Ag Solutions, Huntington, Ind.; Axis Seed Direct LLC, Genoa, Ill.; AgPlanIt, Axtell, Neb.; and Van Trump Ag Solutions, Kansas City. Earlier this year, the company announced a strategic product development alliance with Planet Earth Agronomy LLC, Middleton, Wisc., designed to bring biological products to American farmers (GM April 2, p. 1).
“Consolidation of multinational players and their
traditional reliance on an antiquated distribution system makes it difficult
for many smart people developing this new innovative technology to find a clear
path to market,” Eviston said. “We are excited to have a passionate team and
new allies to be a part of the solution for farmers.”