Seed enhancement solution increases crop yield and expands cultivation area in saline soil

Salicrop has developed seed enhancement technology for various crops - vegetables and field crops. The seed enhancement stimulates a cascade of mitigation responses in the seed, which enables the crop to grow and yield better in high-salinity soils or when irrigated with brackish water.

The company's enhancements are carried out using formulations containing materials generally recognized as safe. Based on proprietary know-how, Salicrop's formulations are applicable to a wide range of crops like tomatoes, peppers, rice, wheat, corn, onion and alfalfa.

Weather inconsistency is a common phenomenon in the present-day world and a threat to agriculture. Salicrop is bonding with farmers and partners to address and solve soil salinity, drought, and heat stresses which are global threats to arid and semi-arid regions. Salicrop's technology is enhancing and improving seed performance, in stress conditions, allowing greater efficacy and functionality to be delivered directly by the seed to increase farming yields to feed the world’s growing population. Solution responds to the problem of losing fertile soil due to soil degradation, for example in dry, saline soils or conditions of abiotic stress.

400 million hectares of land are salt-affected. Each week, the world loses an area larger than Manhattan to salt degradation. California region and its San Joaquin Valley belongs to the worst affected areas. The agriculture industry worldwide loses $27.3 billion annually due to saline soils. It has been estimated that 50 % of arable land will be salinized. Global food production must increase while the arable land is shrinking.

Salicrop has developed non-GM, anti-ABS, seed priming treatment that induce crops to grow well in high salinity soils or when irrigated with brackish water. This innovative seed enhancement treatment uses a tailormade formula to influence crop development under soil salinity and abiotic stress conditions. Salicrop solution supports the parties in food production processes like the seed resellers, treatment plants, growers and food producers.

Benefits that the solution brings are to extend the food production to marginal lands, reduce EC level in the soil, reduce use of chemical and fertilizer resources increasing global food production. Solution contributes to the development of sustainable agriculture by improving the healthy development of seeds, maximizing the value of the land, and increasing crop yield. The solution optimizes the crop regardless of climate and environmental impacts.

Protocols were tested in more than 100 small and large-scale trials. Millions of acres benefit from Salicrop’s saline tolerant technology.  Results are in average 30-60 % increased yield.

Salicrop solution is aimed directly at salinity issue where seed treatment plays an important role in protecting the seeds and seedlings. Fully natural, Generally Regarded As Safe ingredients, are used in technology of Salicrop without Genetic Modification.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Israel Innovation Authority have selected Salicrop among 6 agro-tech startups for a grant program. Salicrop has won the first place in two climate change competitions. The Merage International Desertech awarded Salicrop to win the competition in 2021: "Salicrop is among 4 Israel great startups that offered groundbreaking solutions tackling desert challenges". The ministry of agriculture awarded Salicrop by the first prize for climate change: "Salicrop is the solution that will help Israel agriculture deal with the climate crisis".

How to get started - Sample seeds are sent to Salicrop lab at first

Salicrop does test cultivation in laboratory by a small amount of farmer's seeds. This way the most suitable combination of formula is found. The seeds will be pre-exposed by a formula suiting for the particular seeds. The test starts just by 3 kgs of seeds. The test is carried through by couple of different formulas in 5-6 weeks pre-cultivation. This is how a finetuned very special combination is found and the knowhow got how to influence per field per cultivation reducing the speed to large-scale deployment substantially.

Huge Amount of completed lab tests, green house and field trials

Multiple cultivations have been made per plant in different circumstances. Salicrop starts always by calibrating the particular seeds per field. Furthermore, Salicrop offers an immediate solution, the calibration of the treatment formula is based on one season, whereas classic seed breeding takes several years. This is a fairly fast time to market.

The best results are especially in soils under salinity stress

• Rise                14-32 % yield increase

• Bell pepper      5-14 %

• Wheat             5-15 %

• Corn               30-52 %

• Onion             18 %

• Tomato           60 %

• Capsicum        5-14 %

Currently expanding

The company is currently conducting field trials in India (rice, pearl millet, cotton, open field tomatoes), Israel (corn, wheat, processed tomato, onion, bell pepper, carrot, alfalfa), Spain (processed tomato and bell pepper), Italy  (processed tomatoes), Egypt (open field tomatoes) and expanded commercial agreements for example by a processed tomato in a size of 30 ha with 5 farming organizations.

For partners

With the encouragement of the recent results, Salicrop is now partnering with major seed companies and focusing on delivering this saline mitigation technology through varieties, estimated to be over a million hectares in Europe and Asia, and forming new partnerships for a joint field trial in California.

Salicrop helps to grow Your market share and farmers to get higher revenue from the same field space. The use of novel formulas through seed treatment for abiotic resistance solutions is the most cost-effective approach. Solution is a response to a global need Food for People. Together with You, we expand to marginal lands increasing the food production.