Pivot Bio to Test Nitrogen-Producing Microbes Across Corn Belt

Applying nitrogen requires precise timing and conditions to ensure full nutrient absorption. Yet, unpredictable weather and other environmental factors can prevent up to half of a traditional fertilizer application from being efficiently used by plants.

Pivot Bio’s ON Technology addresses this issue by using naturally occurring microbes to deliver nitrogen in a timely and efficient manner, which results in more productive and predictable crop yields without nutrient degradation, leaching, or toxic runoff into waterways.

“Our approach to reigniting nitrogen production in naturally occurring plant microbes has been thoroughly tested over five growing seasons,” says Karsten Temme, CEO and cofounder of Pivot Bio. “I anticipate that the additional key findings collected this growing season will confirm the already encouraging results we’ve seen, which include increased yields and a decreased need for conventional fertilizer.”

Based in Silicon Valley, Pivot Bio is working with IN10T, an agronomic field research company, to launch and manage the testing. Through IN10T’s FarmerTrials program, Pivot Bio will gather field data and evaluate the overall experience and expected outcomes from farmers using its nitrogen-producing microbes.

“We are thrilled to be part of a solution that has the potential to transform today’s nitrogen-fixation practices and replace traditional fertilizer,” says Randy Barker, cofounder and CEO of IN10T. “The Intent to Pivot farmer trials are designed to ensure broad-acre testing and provide meaningful research data to ensure a smooth transition to market adoption.”

Testing will kick off this spring as planting gets under way. In-season evaluations will take place throughout the growing season, and data will be collected during harvest. A final report will be done by the end of the 2018.

“This is only the beginning, as we drive toward cleaner, more sustainable solutions for the crop microbiome and shift the current course of humanity and the planet,” says Temme.