Mosaic Biosciences and Elicit Plant partner on canola water-stress biologicals
Mosaic Biosciences and French biotech firm Elicit Plant announced a joint development program on July 22 to create biological crop protection products targeting water stress in North American canola. The collaboration combines Mosaic’s commercial distribution network with Elicit Plant’s EliTerra platform, which uses phytosterol-based formulations to reduce crop water demand by up to 20%.
The partnership targets canola growers in the Northern Plains and Canadian prairies who face increasingly variable rainfall. Field trials are underway in North Dakota and Saskatchewan, with a commercial launch anticipated for the 2028 growing season pending regulatory clearance.
Elicit Plant’s technology works by triggering the plant’s natural drought-response pathways before water stress becomes severe. The active compounds are derived from plant sterols and applied as foliar treatments during the vegetative growth stage. The company says the approach reduces transpiration losses without significantly limiting photosynthesis.
For Mosaic, the deal extends its Biosciences division deeper into biologicals, a segment CEO Bruce Bodine has called a hedge against fertilizer market volatility. Mosaic Biosciences launched five new biological products in the first half of 2026 and is on track to double its 2025 revenue this year.
Elicit Plant raised €14 million ($15.3M) in a Series A round in 2023 and has existing commercial products in corn and soybean water-stress management in France and Brazil. The Mosaic partnership marks its first dedicated push into the North American oilseed market.
Source: AgriBusiness Global
Mosaic Biosciences and Elicit Plant: five things to know
EliTerra is Elicit Plant’s proprietary technology that uses naturally occurring phytosterols to activate drought-response mechanisms in crops. Applied as a foliar spray during vegetative growth, it signals the plant to reduce water loss through transpiration before severe water stress sets in. The company says field trials have demonstrated water demand reductions of up to 20% with minimal impact on yield.
Canola is one of the largest oilseed crops grown in the Northern Plains and Canadian prairies, regions where rainfall variability is increasing. Unlike corn and soybeans, canola has fewer commercially available biological crop protection tools. The partners see an underserved market with strong demand for drought mitigation as climate patterns shift.
Mosaic Biosciences is the biological crop nutrition and protection division of Mosaic. It was established to diversify Mosaic’s revenue beyond traditional phosphate and potash mining. The division launched five new products in H1 2026 and reported $25 million in Q2 sales, putting it on track to double its 2025 revenue. CEO Bruce Bodine has described biologicals as a strategic hedge against fertilizer commodity price swings.
Field trials are underway in North Dakota and Saskatchewan for the 2026 growing season. The partners are targeting a commercial launch for the 2028 season, pending regulatory approval in both the United States and Canada. Elicit Plant’s existing phytosterol products are already registered for corn and soybean in France and Brazil, which may accelerate the regulatory pathway for new formulations.
The global agricultural biologicals market is expected to surpass $20 billion by 2027, driven by grower interest in reducing chemical inputs and managing climate-related stress. Major fertilizer and crop protection companies including BASF, Corteva and Syngenta have all made biologicals acquisitions in the past three years. Mosaic’s approach is distinct in that it positions biologicals as a complement to its core mineral fertilizer business rather than a replacement.
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