US OKs Heliae’s phycoterra™ soil amendment for use on speciality crops

Heliae Development LLC, a company that develops microalgae-based products for agriculture, recently announced it has successfully registered its new PhycoTerra™ soil amendment for use on specialty crops grown in the United States.

PhycoTerra™ is a first in class, unique agricultural product.  At the core of PhycoTerra™ is Heliae’s proprietary stabilized mixotrophic microalgal cultures.  The company utilizes a unique pasteurization process to stabilize the microalgae while maintaining its many positive attributes that contribute to healthy plants and the microbiome of the soil.

PhycoTerra™ trials have been conducted on multiple vegetable and fruit crops.  The results of these trials indicate that PhycoTerra™ supports improved plant stands with healthier plants and increased marketable fruit.  Application of PhycoTerra™ provides results such as early and more complete emergence when used at planting, improved plant establishment after transplant or emergence with increased root and foliage growth, and as a result of healthier plants earlier fruit development and quality are realized.

“Compared to macroalgae products, such as kelp and seaweed extracts, the whole cell microalgae in PhycoTerra™ supplements soil by adding or restoring natural elements from microalgae that are found in healthy soil ecosystems,” noted Dr. Jon Hansen, Vice-President, Science and Technology.  “PhycoTerra™ contributes to the health of soil bacteria and fungi commonly associated with vigorous growth in plants.”

Hylon Kaufmann, Business & Sales Strategy Specialist, pointed to recent field trials on bell peppers, potatoes, kidney beans, peanuts and other crops that show how applications of PhycoTerra™ can lead to faster, stronger seedling emergence, higher yields, earlier crop maturity and improved crop quality.  “When you consider all of these benefits, especially the potential to harvest higher marketable yields of top quality crops earlier in the growing season, it’s clear that PhycoTerra™ has a bright future in U.S. crop production.”