Grace Breeding announces results from its NFT bio-fertilizer field trial in corn plants conducted in Brazil, confirming previous greenhouse results

Grace Breeding Ltd. (the "Company" or "Grace Breeding") (TASE: GRAC), a forward-thinking AgClimateTech company developing sustainable biological-based products to improve crop yield and vigor, announced the results from trials of its NFT Bio-fertilizer in corn (maize) plants, conducted in the field under a research and development collaboration with its partners at the University of Londrina (UEL), based in Paraná State, Brazil. The encouraging results that confirm the preliminary results from studies in the greenhouse that were previously announced in January, showed that using Grace Breeding’s NFT Bio-fertilizer and a reduced use of nitrogen, there was greater efficiency in the use of nitrogen and water and greater absorption of carbon in the corn plants. These results support the use of Grace Breeding’s NFT Bio-fertilizer as a promising solution for both robust corn plant growth and reduced carbon emission. The Brazilian maize growing season in particular tends to be characterized by reduced water availability, which makes the use of NFT especially valuable in corn in those areas.

″These results showing our environmentally sustainable NFT Bio-fertilizer enables robust corn growth in Brazil are exciting since Brazil has just been forecasted as the number one corn exporter, surpassing even the United States1,″ stated Assaf Dotan, Chief Executive Officer of Grace Breeding. ″The results, initially conducted in the greenhouse and now obtained in field trials with the support of our collaborators at the University of Londrina and Gaia AgroSolutions in Brazil, further validate our technology as we get closer to being able to market in this important territory.   Brazil has just been ranked as the number one adopter of biofertilizers, globally1, and our NFT technology offers a sustainable solution - both to reduce nitrogen use and curb the detrimental effects of urea. Following our recently approved product registration in Brazil, we look forward to advancing this program to make it available to farmers there.″

Complete Results From the Brazilian Field Trials in Corn

Both physiological and nutritional analyses were conducted which showed greater production of photoassimilates, less water loss and higher internal carbon accumulation in corn plants cultivated with NFT technology in the field. Furthermore, under low doses of nitrogen (using 50% of the recommended amount), corn plants did not show changes in physiological and nutritional parameters. Further, when evaluating these plants grown at these lower doses of nitrogen, it was observed that the levels of the leaf nutrient were not altered, nor was the amount of dry mass of the respective shoots and roots, when compared to the plants grown with 100% of the recommended amount of nitrogen. Additionally, when using NFT with these low doses of nitrogen, the corn plants did not change size, stem diameter or number of leaves.

Professor, Juliano Vilela de Resende, Ph.D. of the Agronomy Department at Universidade Estadual de Londrina, commented, ″The complete results obtained from our trial with NFT are very encouraging, and we have found that the technology enhances the photosynthetic apparatus of the corn plant, increasing the carbon sequestration without the same dependency on water. Constant chlorophyll amounts were also observed, regardless of the nitrogen dose applied. In addition to improving the physiological mechanism of photosynthesis, we also believe there were positive effects imparted on the soil biome – and specifically, that the technology is providing nutrients and carbon for beneficial microorganisms, such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria.″

The use of NFT leads to lower carbon emissions which is crucial for slowing damage to the environment. The findings from this study are important since Grace Breeding’s NFT would allow farmers to significantly reduce their dependence on synthetic fertilizer that is harmful to the environment, as well as provide them with an alternative that is more economically viable and increases carbon sequestration.

The search for more sustainable technologies for agribusiness has been the focus of studies around the world. These technologies should promote greater productive performance, lower production costs and greater environmental preservation. The greater efficiency of bio-fertilizers, especially nitrogenous ones, greater efficiency in the use of water in the production of dry mass and, consequentially, the higher mobilization of carbon via the photosynthetic process, are at the forefront of investigations by researchers all over the world. In Brazil, the Londrina State University-UEL in partnership with Gaia AgroSolutions from Israel, are testing and validating technologies that fit these purposes.

Among the technologies, Grace Breeding’s NFT is in a very advanced validation process. Field trials with maize crop using farmers' management, have shown promise with greater efficiency in the use of nitrogen, water and greater mobilization of carbon.

Prior Studies of NFT

In January 2023, Grace Breeding announced the preliminary results of this study. The results showed superior growth results in Brazilian corn that outperformed standard nitrogen fertilizers while also reducing carbon emissions.