01 November 2023
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Latest concept drives soil biotechnology.
AFTER decades of research, scientists worldwide acknowledge the enormous potential that could be realised by fostering soil health and promoting beneficial relationships between microorganisms and plants to achieve higher and better yields.
Alltech Crop Science (ACS) is taking this idea a step further with its latest concept - precision fermentation.
Soil biotechnology harnesses beneficial microorganisms to produce healthier and more sustainable food.
Research has highlighted the important roles that soil microorganisms play in nutrient cycling, disease suppression, symbiotic relationships, soil structure and bioremediation. These many functions highlight the major significance of soil microorganisms for sustainable agriculture and the optimisation of crop productivity.
Precision fermentation is effectively the cultivation and use of microorganisms (such as bacteria or fungi) through advanced biotechnological techniques to produce specific agricultural products. It involves designing and engineering beneficial microorganisms under a controlled fermentation process.
Precision fermentation offers several advantages over traditional agricultural methods. For example, it allows for the more efficient and sustainable production of high-value organic compounds, such as proteins, enzymes and other biochemicals.
It's not just about multiplying beneficial microorganisms but also about promoting the generation of hormones, enzymes or secondary metabolisms that will benefit and improve crops when used in the field.
A targeted fermentation process also allows producers to control different variables, such as temperature, time and heat source, enabling the microorganism to produce enzymes, for example, which are well-known to be essential in all plant nutrition cycles.
Over its 40-plus-year history, Alltech has conducted numerous studies and strives to develop products that foster more drought or saline soil-resistant crops as well as microorganism-based products that contribute to nitrogen fixation in the soil or phosphorus and potassium solubilization. These microorganisms are strong crop allies, optimising nutrient absorption and utilisation and promoting stronger and healthier plant growth.
Source: Alltech
