The Mosaic Co., Tampa, said on March 23 it will collaborate with AgBiome, Research Triangle Park, N.C., with the aim of launching novel biological approaches to enhancing soil fertility. The collaboration will leverage AgBiome’s proprietary Genesis™ platform that comprises microbes coupled with product discovery technology. Mosaic will lend expertise in soil health and product development, as well as its global distribution and sales network. Together, the companies expect to find solutions that can be added to Mosaic’s soil health portfolio.
“Our collaboration with AgBiome is part of a larger, multi-partner effort at Mosaic to expand the company’s soil health offerings,” said Kim Nicholson, Mosaic Vice President-Ag Technology and Innovation. “Now more than ever, growers are interested in engaging with companies that recognize the need for soil conservation strategies. Our work with AgBiome is expected to expand our innovative products in that space.”
The announcement follows a growing list of recent Mosaic partnerships, including Anuvia Plant Nutrients, Bio-Consortia, and Sound Agriculture (GM March 19, p. 1).
“It’s exciting to collaborate with a global agriculture powerhouse like Mosaic,” said Tracy Raines, AgBiome Chief Innovation Officer. “Our work together, focused on soil health, demonstrates the grower’s demand for natural, biological solutions to enhance soil nutrition – leading to better crop quality and yield.”
AgBiome discovers and develops biological and trait products for crop protection. The proprietary Genesis platform captures microbes for agriculturally relevant applications and screens them for insect, disease, and nematode control.
Through its commercial subsidiary, AgBiome develops and sells proprietary crop protection solutions. The first of these, Howler®, is a fungicide for disease control in a broad variety of crops. AgBiome and Genective recently formed a strategic partnership to establish a new leader in insect traits. AgBiome has a global R&D collaboration with Elanco Animal Health Inc. to develop nutritional health products for swine.