Innovation in Biologicals
The excess of nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, in the environment has become a major concern due to their overuse in agriculture and the inefficient way plants absorb these nutrients. This surplus leads not only to air, soil, and water pollution but also contributes to climate change and harms biodiversity, particularly in rivers, lakes, wetlands, and seas.
To address this, the European Commission has set ambitious goals to cut nutrient losses by at least 50 percent and reduce fertilizer use by at least 20 percent by 2030. This will be accomplished through the full implementation of environmental and climate laws, identifying necessary nutrient load reductions, and promoting balanced fertilization and sustainable nutrient management practices.
As part of this effort, the Nitrate Directive and the From Farm to Fork (F2F) program are central to ensuring that agricultural practices contribute to both environmental protection and the resilience of farming systems. The Nitrate Directive explicitly aims to reduce the risk of nitrate
pollution in water bodies, while the F2F program focuses on promoting sustainable food systems.
What it means for farmers The Nitrate Directive introduces significant changes for farmers, particularly in nitrate vulnerable zones, where nitrogen use is strictly regulated to protect water quality. In these zones, farmers face limitations on fertilizer applications to prevent excess nutrients from leaching into groundwater or running off into surface water bodies. This can be challenging for farmers as it restricts the use of synthetic fertilizers and requires them to adopt more sustainable farming practices to maintain soil fertility and ensure crop yields.
Alongside the Nitrate Directive, the F2F program is pushing for a broader shift toward sustainable agriculture across the European Union. The F2F strategy aims to make food systems fairer, healthier, and more environmentally friendly. For farmers, this means adopting practices that reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, promote biodiversity, and encourage sustainable nutrient management. The F2F program encourages farmers to adopt more precision farming techniques, including the use of technology to optimize fertilizer use, reduce waste, and improve the overall efficiency of agricultural operations. These changes aim to create a more resilient agricultural sector while contributing to the broader goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancingfood security.
In practical terms, farmers may need to adapt by integrating alternative products such as bioproducts to replace or reduce synthetic fertilizer use. The Directive also promotes more sustainable practices, such as precise fertilization techniques and recycling organic waste into renewable fertilizers, which can be particularly beneficial in hotspot areas of intensive livestock farming. This evolution in farming practices, guided by both the Nitrate Directive and the F2F program, presents an opportunity for innovation but also requires farmers to invest in new technologies andadapt their operational models. For many, it’s an opportunity to improve environmental stewardship while maintaining profitability through more resource-efficient farming methods.
Bioproducts as a sustainable alternative One promising solution to the nitrogen challenge is the use of bioproducts. These products, which
often contain beneficial microorganisms, can help improve soil fertility and nutrient availability without the negative environmental impact of traditional fertilizers. BTU’s Groundfix is one such biological product designed to enhance nutrient availability. It increases the utilization rate of applied mineral fertilizers by 1.2 to 1.5 times, and mobilizes inaccessible forms of phosphorus and potassium into readily available forms. This allows for a reduction in complex fertilizer use by up to 30 percent, thereby improving root development, nutrient assimilation, and sugar accumulation in plants.
Another bioproduct, Azotohelp, focuses on enhancing nitrogen fixation in the soil. Azotohelp is composed of Agrobacterium pusense, a natural nitrogen-fixing bacterium. This biological product acts as a growth stimulator, increasing seed germination energy and stimulating the development of the root system and plant biomass. It binds atmospheric nitrogen, providing an average of 30 kg/ha of nitrogen per year, significantly reducing the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. By promoting natural nitrogen fixation, Azotohelp helps farmers reduce fertilizer costs and improve soil health.
Firsthand experience – An interview with Torben Gärtner (Germany) Torben Gärtner, a farmer based in Lower Saxony, Germany, shared his experience using bioproducts on his farm. Gärtner’s farm is located in the Hannover area, in the triangle between Hannover, Hamburg, and Bremen – in Lower Saxony, on peatland soil. He grows maize, oats, and several grains and forage crops.
Torben Gärtner, a farmer based in Lower Saxony, Germany
“For the past three years, we have been using Groundfix in the seed row during sowing, and we are very satisfied with it, as you can see from the maize in the background. We apply it at one litre per hectare, as recommended, and have managed to cut our fertilization costs by about half compared to last year, while yields have remained stable,” says Gärtner.
“We were skeptical about this product but decided to test it in a large-scale trial, using reduced conventional fertilization alongside Groundfix. We found no difference in yield compared to conventional fertilization, and that was the decisive moment. Since we couldn’t
increase yields any further, the only way to improve our margins was to cut input costs.”
He continues: “Before sowing, we always applied digestate and used to plough. Now we’ve moved to minimal tillage. We apply digestate using a slurry tank and disc harrow just before sowing and then seed a few days later. Previously, when ploughing, we applied 100-200 kg of DAP or 20-20-0 fertilizer, depending on nutrient needs. That meant an extra field pass but gave us flexibility. Now we’ve completely changed our fertilization approach. We use digestate up to the legal limit – phosphorus is the limiting factor, not nitrogen. So we apply 125 kg N from digestate and reach the phosphorus limit, which means we can’t use DAP anymore, and Groundfix has replaced it entirely.
The yield hasn’t increased compared to last year, but the cost savings are significant. We’re now at 25-30 euros per hectare
“The yield hasn’t increased compared to last year, but the cost savings are significant,” explains Gärtner. “We’re now at 25-30 euros per hectare,
excluding organic fertilization, and we’ve completely eliminated DAP, which would normally cost 45-65 euros per hectare. So everyone can calculate the savings — roughly 50 percent of mineral fertilizer costs saved, simply because we replaced it with Groundfix, which costs only half as much.
The future of agriculture under the Directive The future of agriculture in light of the Nitrate Directive holds great promise for sustainable farming practices. As farmers adopt bioproducts and other innovative technologies, the agricultural sector is moving toward a more resilient, resource-efficient, and environmentally friendly model. The Nitrate Directive, while presenting challenges, also offers farmers an opportunity to explore new practices that reduce environmental impact and improve farm profitability. With continued investment in research and the development of bioproducts, farmers can achieve the dual goals of maintaining high productivity and protecting the environment.
The Nitrate Directive and the From Farm to Fork program are driving European agriculture toward a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future. By using bioproducts, farmers can reduce their reliance on traditional fertilizers, cut costs, and improve soil health, all while complying with the new regulations. As Torben Gärtner’s experience demonstrates, the transition to sustainable farming practices is not only possible but can be highly beneficial. With continued innovation and the integration of biological solutions, the future of agriculture looks both productive and environmentally friendly. ●
By Janet Kanters
Swedish agtech firm Arevo has raised an additional €7.3 million to accelerate the scale-up of its sustainable fertiliser alternative, arginine phosphate, and expand into new international markets. The funding, completed with existing investors, follows a €6.8 million round in March 2024 led by Industrifonden and Fort Knox.
Arevo’s technology uses arginine phosphate, an amino-acid-based form of nitrogen that binds naturally to soil particles. The company states that unlike mineral nitrate, arginine phosphate doesn’t wash away with rain, “resulting in stronger root systems, healthier and more resilient soils, and lower nitrogen leakage and emissions.” The innovation builds on research by
Professor Torgny Näsholm at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and offers a low-impact alternative to conventional fertilisers.
Scaling up for industrial production Niklas Åström, Arevo’s CEO, says the company is ready to meet industrial demand: “We have been around since 2015 and it’s always been our plan to scale up. We have a fully equipped production factory in Sweden that has the capacity to produce enough product to support the entire European market, in terms of seed coating as an example. So in other words, we’re ready for it.”
Ensuring consistent performance remains central to Arevo’s strategy.
“We’re working continuously to optimize our processes, ensuring the highest quality to be delivered to our customers,” Åström explains. “In this industry, and especially in biostimulants, quality is the utmost critical standard to uphold. We work with a non-living, single-compound formula, enabling us to maintain the same reliability and quality – all the way down to the
molecular level – from batch to batch. This is something we take huge pride in.”
Having launched its CE-marked biostimulant seed coating for soy in Europe last year, Arevo is now turning its focus to South America. “Next up Brazil – the world’s largest soybean producer and exporter,” Åström confirms, adding that Arevo’s mission goes beyond replacing conventional products.
“We focus on our mission to redefine agriculture from the ground up. Overuse of traditional mineral fertilisers wastes nitrogen and damages soil life in the long run. Arevo stands to change that – giving farmers and growers more growth per unit of nitrogen while protecting the environment. We’re not offering just another input; it’s a catalyst and a movement for systemic change – improving soil health and bringing returns to both pocket and planet.”
Arevo’s strategy emphasizes proof over promises. “Choosing sustainability should not come at a cost for the ones who are feeding us –
the farmers,” says Åström. “The challenge isn’t convincing them; it’s about helping farmers find solutions that actually work. Farming is unpredictable, and we’re bringing something that is not. What farmers need are not promises – they need proofs, and Arevo intends to give just that. No surprises. Just proofs.”
Field results
Arevo’s trials show measurable agronomic and environmental gains: Corn (Arevo vs. farmer standard): • +255.65 kg/ha grain yield (+4.3%) with 20% less fertiliser • No loss in germination or plant health (NDVI) • Up to +8% taller plants Potato (Arevo vs. farmer standard): • +6.4% higher yield • Complements standard treatments • Simple in-furrow spray application Soy (Arevo vs. farmer standard): • +4.5%-6% higher yields • +6%-8% increase in NDVI • 3× more active nodules
Arevo has also launched a consumer-focused fertiliser for lawns, offering a more sustainable alternative to synthetic turf products. “It’s a complementary product – something for lawns that offers a more sustainable alternative,” says Åström. ●
Niklas Åström, CEO, Arevo
The development of a new biodegradable chelate – which delivers nutrients to plant cells – is challenging farmers and growers to move beyond the traditional mindset in agronomy.
At a recent webinar hosted by New AG International, Dr Eduardo Lopes Cancellier, ICL’s Biostimulants Agronomy Specialist, outlined how ICL is reshaping the definition of plant nutrition.
Growers are moving away from the era of ‘kilograms of elements per hectare’ towards a new generation of nutrition, focused not just on how much of each element reaches the soil or leaf, but on how plants actually use those elements inside their cells.
Every nutrient drives a biochemical pathway, activating enzymes, triggering stress responses, or fuelling energy metabolism. Given this context, biostimulants are not optional extras but essential tools for unlocking these pathways more efficiently.
That philosophy inspired the creation of Bioz Kellus, a chelating molecule that also acts as a biostimulant, delivering nutrients faster while stimulating the plant’s own defence and growth systems.
Chelates are the invisible couriers of micronutrients like zinc, manganese, copper and iron. They keep metals soluble and mobile so plants can absorb them. To understand why that matters, it helps to look at the chemistry behind most chelates used in agriculture today. The dominant molecule is EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra acetic); reliable, cheap, and familiar, but not without drawbacks.
“A typical EDTA fertilizer contains roughly 15 percent nutrient,” Cancellier explained. “And everyone forgets the other 85 percent, which is
of no use to the plant. It's not only not used but can also accumulate in the environment and potentially reach places we don't want it to.”
That ’85 percent problem’ has long bothered scientists, not least because that molecule ends up in soils and waterways. ICL’s approach flips the logic, designing the carrier molecule itself to be biologically active and biodegradable.
To this end, Bioz Kellus binds peptide-based molecules with organic acids. The combination forms a stable, biodegradable structure that breaks down inside the plant, releasing nutrients and triggering biostimulant effects.
Proving that the new chelate actually works inside living plants required tools far beyond standard lab equipment. ICL turned to the University of São Paulo’s Centre for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, where scientists used one of the most advanced imaging tools in existence to gain further insight – the synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence.
It’s a technique more often found in physics than agronomy and is a particle accelerator that creates an intense beam of X-rays capable of mapping the exact location of elements inside living tissue.
"This facility allows us to measure things much more precisely, both in terms of concentration and location,” explained Cancellier.
In greenhouse trials, researchers applied Bioz Kellus containing micronutrients to plants and used the synchrotron beam to track the nutrient’s journey from the droplet on the leaf surface through internal tissues.
The results were striking. The data showed that the chelated micronutrient didn’t simply sit on the leaf surface; it was absorbed and moved through the tissue in a predictable pattern. “It took 17 hours for the absorption of zinc while a regular sulphate took 26 hours,” Cancellier said. “So even though we had this new substance of unknown behaviour, now we know exactly how it’s going to move.”
Comparative trials showed that only about 50 percent of insoluble salts, like manganese carbonate, were absorbed within the same timeframe. Traditional chelates like EDTA performed well but Bioz Kellus delivered faster uptake and stronger relocation throughout the plant. That faster mobility brings many benefits to the farmer – for example, they can apply the product and have less risk of rainfall washing it away before it’s taken up.
Physiological benefits are also significant. When Bioz Kellus was applied in tank mix to GM crops with glyphosate resistence, plants showed no signs of the typical yellow flashing injury that often follows herbicide use. Instead, new leaves emerged green and healthy, offering further evidence of a protective biostimulant effect which helps crops tolerate stress.
In a second experiment, ICL focused on remobilisation – how well the nutrient moves from one leaf to other parts of the plant. “We never reach every leaf in the plant during foliar application,” Cancellier noted. “So remobilisation is one of the crucial factors that make a product effective.”
Using the same high-precision tools, the team measured nutrient movement through the petiole in real time, compared against traditional soluble and chelated forms. The results showed that Bioz Kellus achieved the highest relocation rate within the first12 hours and maintained that lead throughout the 72 hours trial. “The total amount relocated was much higher than traditional forms, confirming a much more consistent physiological activation of the whole plant.”
In Europe and other regions, tightening regulations on persistent chelating agents could prove decisive for biodegradability. In lab tests, Bioz Kellus showed 100 percent biodegradation within 22 days, aligning with the behaviour of natural biostimulant molecules. “Today EDTA is allowed, but we can see right around the corner a future when those non-biodegradable chelates will be questioned,” said Cancellier.
Bioz Kellus has already been patented and commercialised in Brazil, where it is registered as a biofertiliser containing biostimulant molecules. Its European debut awaits full Registration,
Evaluation, Authorisation and Restricted Chemical registration (REACH).
So where does this technology fits in ICL’s broader R&D philosophy? The company’s ambition is to treat plant nutrition not merely as the supply of elements, but as the management of plant physiology, explained Cancellier.
That’s where metabolomics comes in – the study of small molecules that mediate stress responses and growth signalling. “A lot of the problems that we have today in farming – heat, drought, herbicide injury – plants have been dealing with for a long time,” noted Cancellier. “They have adapted mechanisms to tolerate those stresses. What if we can identify the genetic pathway leading to signalling molecules, and use those molecules in crops that do not inherently have this capability?”
This question underpins ICL’s push to harness natural adaptation mechanisms, not only through microbes, but through the metabolites they produce. “Microbials have challenges to be alive and effective in the field,” Cancellier added. “For certain cases, using the molecules alone, we can skip those challenges and enhance consistency.”
ICL’s researchers are combining metabolomics with AI-driven data systems to map microbial isolates, predict their functional molecules, and model how those molecules will behave in plants. Later, when assessing the performance on plants, high-tech pot-trial platforms with sensor arrays feed live physiological data to the cloud, allowing the team to monitor stress responses minute by minute. This allows for fast and precise screening of prototype candidate biostimulant molecules.
It’s a far cry from traditional fertiliser trials and is generating a data-driven understanding of how biostimulants interact with plant metabolism.
This evolving philosophy is a far cry from the industry’s traditional mindset. For decades, agronomy has treated nutrition as a matter of quantity; kilograms of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium applied per hectare. But the future lies in measuring functions like photosynthetic rate,
nitrogen fixation, stress tolerance and grain filling, suggested Cancellier.
“ICL’s pathway is to harness the power of those biostimulants, because we want to enhance plant nutrition beyond the capabilities of traditional fertilisers.” ●
