Monband Bio: MBT Empowers Sustainable Agriculture

Established in 2009, Hebei Monband Water Soluble Fertilizer (Monband) is a global professional fertilizer supplier engaged in R&D, production, sales and services. In 2020, Monband established its wholly-owned subsidiary, Hebei Monband Biotechnology (Monband Bio), which is committed to improving soils with international advanced production technologies. The research and application of Multi-types Biostimulants Technology (MBT) plays a key role in accelerating the construction of technology-based and environmentally-friendly fertilizer production processes for Monband Bio. 

In this interview, Wu Guangli (Vice-General Manager of Monband) talked about the company’s business strategy, the advantages of MBT and related products, as well as the philosophy of MBT.

We know that Monband has been primarily focused on the R&D and production of water-soluble fertilizers. Over the past years, however, Monband has entered the microbial sector and developed the Aryabhata^® microbial (a silica solubilizing bacteria) fertilizer technology and MBT. This year, Monband successfully hosted the first Multi-types Biostimulants Development Conference. Does this represent a strategic transition for the company?

Monband has been deeply involved in the water-soluble fertilizers sector since its establishment, and is recognized by its peers and customers. We have developed various water-soluble fertilizers, including nutritional and functional products, earning us the reputation as an expert in the formulation of water-soluble fertilizers. We have never ceased our work in researching water-soluble fertilizers. Our R&D of nanosuspension technology, microgranulation technology and multilayer encapsulated granulation technology, as well as the introduction of new equipment, consolidate our presence in the market. We have discovered that relying solely on elemental nutrients is insufficient to address all issues affecting crops and the soil, according to our market research. Therefore, Monband established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Monband Bio, in 2020, closely collaborating with microbe experts to pioneer the industrial production of mine-derived humic acids degraded by microbial enzymes. Our aim is to offer comprehensive crop nutrition and optimize soil quality, as well as become an expert in water-soluble fertilizers and a leading biotechnology enterprise.

What prompted Monband Bio to explore the technology of microbial enzymolysis?

China, as a major agricultural country, has over-exploited its resources, leading to soil compaction, crop quality loss, damage to the ecosystem and others, which have hampered the development of sustainable agriculture. Our R&D team believes that traditional fertilizers are insufficient in solving problems such as nutrient loss and soil infertility. We hope to revitalize destructed soils, contribute to agricultural development and preserve ecosystem through the application of MBT.

By choosing MBT technology as a starting point to researching microbial technology, you must have insights on the theoretical origins and research background of MBT technology. Could you briefly explain?

The application of MBT technology in agriculture can be traced back to the 1950s when peat was used for soil improvement research. In the 1960s, the research on nitrohumic acid fertilizers produced through nitric acid oxidation encouraged the use of humic acid fertilizers to improve soil quality. In the 1990s, reports emerged on coal degradation producing humic acid through actinomycetes, bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms. Since 2019, Monband Bio has utilized high-throughput screening to conduct comparative experiments on coal-degrading activity and safety tests. Through this process, we have selected two strains of Brevibacillus brevis and Variovorax paradoxus, and developed a microbial fermentation process and an MBT product line.

After learning about the history of MBT’s development, we are curious about its application in crop production. What are the advantages of the MBT product line in the production process?

Firstly, MBT addresses the challenges of microbial industrial fermentation, and products made from microbial enzymolysis are efficiently absorbed and utilized by crops. Secondly, MBT utilizes nanosuspension technology, which maintains and further activates natural active ingredients through a unique three-stage wet grinding technique. In addition, MBT achieves low energy consumption and generates zero waste and no pollution during the production process. Moreover, the MBT product line’s pH is neutral, which is beneficial to the balance of soil pH.

What are the advantages of MBT product line, compared to traditional fertilizers?

MBT is a multi-types biostimulant technology based on microbial enzymolysis for lignite/weathered coal. Products based on this technology mainly contain humic acid, fulvic acid, polysaccharides, amino acids (β-alanine, L-isoleucine and L-proline etc.), and various secondary metabolites of microbes.

Compared to traditional fertilizer products, the MBT product line not only works on crops, but also on the soil environment which is essential to crops. The MBT product line improves crop quality and yield by enhancing soil fertility, preventing potential pathogenic microorganisms and improving the rhizosphere environment in the soil. 

What are the main products in the Puli line, as a research outcome of MBT?

The Puli product line includes Puli-nano, Pulike, Puliheng, Puliyuan and various others. They are different formulations.

″Green Footprint Worldview,″ a value of MBT, is the core of sustainability. Could you explain this value?

Agriculture is now required to produce healthy and safe food without damaging the environment. The fertilizer industry is gradually shifting towards high efficiency, environmental friendliness, and functionalization. The ″Green Footprint Worldview″ is our commitment to the ecosystems. 

″Green″ means to achieve harmony between resource utilization, agricultural production, environmental protection and ecological restoration. ″Footprint″ aims to create standardized production processes, provide comprehensive crop nutrition and sustainable circular development and others, as parts of the green agricultural industry chain, striving for the unity of economic, social and ecological benefits.

Contact

Tel.: +86 15210624493 

Email: liboya@monband.com 

This interview was originally published in the magazine 2023 Biologicals Special.