2018 China-Overseas Biopesticides & Biostimulants Business Exchange Congress (CBBC 2018) is an international scientific and commercial meeting to review the latest market knowledge on biopesticide and biostimulant products in China and the world, introduce the excellent biopesticides/biostimulants to China and foster China - Overseas business relationships.
Agrinos, founded in 2009, is a global biological crop input provider committed to improving the productivity and sustainability of modern agriculture. Agrinos’ range of products based on the company’s proprietary technology help growers to practice profitable agriculture by providing increased crop productivity and quality, improved efficiency of conventional fertilizer and a reduced environmental footprint. Recently,
Kevin Helash, CEO of Agrinos received AgroPages’ interview to introduce its HYT platform and views on the industry.
Could you please introduce High Yield Technology (HYT) platform?
Kevin: Agrinos’ proprietary High Yield Technology (HYT®) platform has pioneered the development of both microbial and biostimulant crop input products. HYT products have been proven to drive consistent yields and quality improvements. Today, products developed through the Agrinos HYT platform are registered for commercial agricultural sales in over 13 countries and currently sold in the U.S., Brazil, India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Spain, Russia and Ukraine.
Agrinos focuses on two platforms of products—microbials and biostimulants. Agrinos microbials enhance crop nutrition by improving the soil microbiome to support plant health and yield. Agrinos biostimulants deliver complex nutrient solutions which support and promote healthy plant function across a variety of crops and growing conditions.
- HYT A is a soil-applied proprietary liquid solution that promotes a highly productive microbial system in the soil to support plant health and yield. It promotes absorption of nitrogen and critical minerals to increase the level of bioavailable nutrients to the crop root system. In the United States, HYT A is marketed under the brand name iNvigorate®.
- HYT B is a unique nutrient solution that increases the activity of critical metabolic plant pathways. It contains carbon, nitrogen, true protein, amino acids and essential metabolic micronutrients. In the United States, HYT B is marketed under the brand name B Sure®.
- HYT C is a nutrient-rich powder derived from organic, biologically extracted chitin and other crucial nutrients that improve plant nutrition. Applied to the soil, it creates a more robust soil microbial environment and interacts with the plant to support faster field establishment and high nutrient uptake. In the United States, HYT B is marketed under the brand name Agrinos 5-0-0.
Once integrated into a grower’s practices, Agrinos products are proven to perform consistently across a broad range of crops, soils and environments. Agrinos products are compliant with organic production standards, are OMRI listed in the United States and recognized by several regional certification organizations. They are also highly compatible with common application methods.
Please describe Agrinos’ R&D capabilities that supported the development of HYT.
Kevin: Agrinos’ Global Biological Innovation Center is located in Davis, California. This state-of-the-art research and development facility houses the Agrinos R&D team and provides the infrastructure necessary to enhance current Agrinos’ technologies and set the stage for the development of new products.
The Agrinos global team of scientists and agronomists is conducting cutting-edge research to harness the power of the HYT platform to deliver innovative products to improve the health and productivity of the soil and crops worldwide—to help deliver prosperity to growers and our partners.
Ground-breaking innovation that enriches the soil microbiome is helping to shape the potential of modern agriculture—and Agrinos is a leader in delivering on that potential. Our research team is dedicated to creating opportunities for improved plant health. We're rapidly uncovering new insights about how to leverage the oldest and most abundant form of life known to scientists: soil microbial communities.
What advantages do microbials and biostimulants offer growers? And what challenges stand in the way of widespread adoption of these new tools?
Kevin: Healthy soil is the critical foundation for successful and sustainable agricultural yields. Agrinos aims to increase agricultural output by simply restoring microbial health to the soils farmers use. Ultimately, Agrinos’ mission is to provide solutions for several interconnected problems related to agriculture—soil degradation, food security and environmental sustainability of farming operations. Agrinos microbials and biostimulants provide growers with innovative new tools that are proven to improve plant health, crop quality and yields while supporting agricultural sustainability.
The biggest challenge will be helping growers understand the need and value of evolving from the decades old model of heavy reliance on chemical inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides to a production model that includes natural, biologically-derived crop inputs and new technologies. The development of reliable probiotic solutions for agriculture, which are based on a detailed understanding of the functional of natural microbial communities, is comparatively new to the industry. It will take time and continued education to bring this knowledge to farmers around the world.
Could you please introduce your company and future development planning?
Kevin: Agrinos is a global leader in biological crop input solutions and is committed to improving the productivity and sustainability of modern agriculture. Agrinos AS was founded in 2009 with global headquarters located in Oslo, Norway. Today, a significant portion of our key team members and strategic initiatives are based in North America to foster alignment with leading centers of biological and agricultural technology innovation.
We have production facilities in Clackamas, Oregon, and Sonora, Mexico, which supply Agrinos products to meet worldwide demand. The microbial production facility in Oregon was added in 2016 to meet increasing demand from growers and distribution partners.
Internationally, Agrinos operates regional hubs in Brazil, India, and China.
How do you believe your industry will evolve over the next 5-10 years?
Kevin: We anticipate double-digit growth for biological crop inputs over the next 5-10 years, and continued validation of the production and sustainability benefits that will accompany increased adoption by farmers.
To improve the productivity and sustainability of the 21st-century farmer, Agrinos is helping shape the future of modern agriculture. The world needs innovative and sustainable solutions to increase agricultural output while reducing inputs to meet the needs of our growing global population.
Agrinos’ global research, development and agronomy team is putting our innovative products at the forefront of microbial and biological crop input innovation. We are in the midst of an incredible revolution in human, animal and plant biology that has rapidly emerged due to advances in DNA sequencing and bioinformatics—and our team is passionate about translating this revolution into innovative, sustainable biological crop solutions.