BioConsortia and H&T partner to launch nitrogen-fixing microbial seed treatment in New Zealand

Agricultural research company BioConsortia has entered into a commercial partnership with Hodder and Taylors (H&T) of New Zealand to introduce a groundbreaking microbial seed treatment named FixiN 33 for the 2024/2025 growing season. This innovative treatment, which will be available for crops such as corn, brassicas, and cereals, aims to optimize nitrogen fertilizer usage, thereby reducing environmental impact and runoff.

The collaboration began with field trials in New Zealand starting in 2023, with findings supporting nitrogen-replacement benefits similar to previous trials in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and Europe. “This technology provides a tangible opportunity to cut down on nitrogen fertilizer use, offering both economic and ecological advantages without sacrificing crop yields,” said Paul Oliver, Managing Director at H&T.

Marcus Meadows-Smith, CEO of BioConsortia, highlighted the efficacy of the company’s proprietary microbes, which colonize crop roots and sustain nitrogen availability throughout the growing season, enhancing crop yield long after synthetic fertilizers have been depleted.

BioConsortia boasts a nitrogen-fixing seed treatment with over two years of shelf life, significantly exceeding industry standards. “Our use of Gram-positive microbes, recognized for their stability and efficacy in colonizing roots, is key to this breakthrough,” said Dr. Hong Zhu, Senior VP of R&D at BioConsortia.

The company’s robust microbe discovery platform was crucial in developing the product, especially considering New Zealand’s regulatory constraints on gene-edited organisms. The company successfully identified naturally nitrogen-fixing wildtype microbes from its comprehensive microbial library, which are genetically predisposed to enhance yield performance.

BioConsortia continues to develop new microbial products that not only protect plants and boost fertility but also enhance agricultural sustainability through its Advanced Microbial Selection (AMS) process and GenePro genomics and gene-engineering platform.