The Digest’s 10 Top Advanced Bioeconomy Markets & Predictions for 2020

3. Crop Tech breakthrough

We believe this is the breakthrough year for advanced croptech and Pivot Bio we expect will be the first company that really, really, really gets through the gate in a big way.

Here’s why.

Nitrogen is a critical nutrient in crop production, especially corn. The process for applying nitrogen requires precise timing and conditions to ensure full nutrient absorption. With traditional fertilizer, unpredictable weather and other environmental factors can prevent up to half of the nitrogen applied from being efficiently used by plants. Pivot Bio’s ON Technology addresses the nutrient absorption issue using naturally-occurring microbes to deliver nitrogen in a timely and efficient manner — resulting in more productive and predictable crop yields without nutrient degradation, leaching, or toxic runoff into waterways.

The microbes create a symbiotic relationship with the corn plant, produce nitrogen and deliver it directly to the roots of the corn plant. Pivot Bio PROVEN microbes continually feed nitrogen to the corn plant throughout the growing season with peak nitrogen production during the crops’ most critical growth stages. Pivot Bio PROVEN microbes adhere to the roots of the corn plant and will not run off during weather events. This supports a more reliable and consistent method for delivering plant nutrition.

Why 2020? In 2018, nearly 11,000 on-farm and research trials were conducted across multiple states, demonstrating Pivot Bio’s nitrogen-producing microbes can reduce or replace chemical nitrogen, maximize yield potential and provide a strong return on investment for growers. Even more in 2019. Now, the technology is now available across most of the US for 2020 planting as an in-furrow application.

How big a deal? An acre of corn requires about one pound of nitrogen daily during its early-stage growth. As the corn matures, nitrogen requirements dramatically increase during this critical growth period. When farmers use Pivot Bio’s nitrogen-producing microbes, trials have show that the nutrients will be available to the crop. The microbes adhere to the plant’s roots and aren’t washed away, performing consistently regardless of weather, topography, or soil type.