The Future of Biologicals: How Microbials Can Address Agricultural Challenges

As agriculture faces mounting pressure to produce more with fewer resources, biologicals, and especially microbials, are emerging as key tools for sustainable crop management. In this interview, Sara Monteiro, Head of Global R&D Biocontrol & Adjuvants, and José Nolasco, Head of Global R&D Bionutrition at Rovensa Next discuss how microbial solutions are addressing critical agronomical challenges, from pesticide resistance to climate stress. They share insights into the company’s latest innovations, regulatory strategies, and how digital tools and cross-team collaboration are shaping the future of biologicals in modern farming.

What are today’s key agricultural challenges that biologicals, and especially microbials, are best positioned to solve in the short and long term?

SM: Biologicals, and especially microbials, are uniquely positioned to address several short- and long-term challenges in crop disease/insect management.

One of these challenges is pesticide resistance management. A second challenge lies in residue pressures, with stricter regulations and consumer demand for residue-free produce limiting chemical pesticide use. In terms of environmental and human safety, microbials are typically highly specific and safe for humans and beneficial organisms. They support long-term ecological balance by preserving beneficial organisms and reducing chemical input dependency and adapting to climate change. Microbials align with the trends of greener, more sustainable food production, and are key to meeting certification standards.

JN: Climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events and unexpected climate conditions. Moreover, the excessive use of synthetic fertilizers, particularly ammonia-based solutions, contributes significantly to greenhouse gas production and accumulation in the atmosphere.

Biologicals can reduce crop losses and increase yields and quality by making crops more resilient to abiotic stress and help crops adapt to changing climate conditions by promoting resilience and reducing dependency on chemical inputs.

The use of microbial-based solutions also has a positive impact on soil fertility and soil health, enhancing soil biodiversity and nutrient use efficiency, especially through biological nitrogen fixation. 

How does your current microbial product portfolio reflect the company’s commitment to innovation and sustainability? Could you highlight a few standout solutions?

SM: Rovensa Next’s current biocontrol microbial product portfolio strongly reflects our commitment to innovation and sustainability through several key strategies and technologies. Notable examples include Milagrum Plus, an OMRI-listed formulation of Bacillus subtilis for preventive and curative control of foliar diseases; Portento, a new generation biofungicide based on a novel Bacillus subtilis strain which is effective against Venturia spp. with both preventive and curative action, and Ospo Vi55, a biological eradicant that targets powdery mildew, offering a sustainable alternative to synthetic fungicides. Our fungal solutions for insect control are an excellent example of how our products support Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs.  

JN: Our current microbial product portfolio in bionutrition clearly showcases just how committed we are to innovation and sustainability. 

Some of our standout solutions include Phos’Up; a microbial product that enhances nutrient uptake and plant growth by making phosphorus more available to plants; Biimore, our ultra-efficient biostimulant obtained from an exclusive plant fermentation process enhances plant development, and boosts crop yield and quality by promoting specific plant processes. 

Another notable example is Maxi-Grow Excel, with exceptional benefits through its metabolites produced by biological fermentation process. Enhances plant development, impacting crop yield and quality and strengthens specific plant processes such as flower binding and fruiting.

Our proposal for soil health is Wiibio, an innovative symbiotic solution made up of beneficial bacteria, prebiotic molecules and rhizogenic substances to enhance soil microbiota, improve nutrient uptake, and promote root development. Wiibio reflects our dedication to enhancing soil health and plant growth through innovative microbial formulations. 

How do you see regulatory frameworks evolving in the coming years? And how are you preparing to ensure compliance while leading innovation in biologicals?

SM: Biological products for biocontrol uses are increasingly recognized as being different from synthetic chemicals, prompting regulators to develop specific pathways for their approval. The USA and Brazil are seen as more agile in approving biologicals, while the EU remains cautious and complex, despite efforts to streamline processes. Nevertheless, in the case of biocontrol approvals, regulators are engaging more with industry, academia, and growers to co-develop frameworks that balance innovation with safety. At Rovensa Next, new microbial products are being developed with regulatory foresight, ensuring they meet emerging data requirements. We are using AI and modelling platforms to predict regulatory outcomes, optimize formulations, and reduce time to market. By demonstrating alignment with climate goals, biodiversity protection, and residue-free agriculture we have a strategic advantage in regulatory submissions.

JN: The regulatory framework for biological and microbial-based products is evolving significantly, but not fast enough to cater for industry needs. Nowadays, there is a significant trend and growing opportunity for innovation in products derived from living microbials and their fermented extracts. 

Conversely, the EU’s fertilizing product regulation is slower and involves longer, more complex processes that are not moving at the same speed as the market and industry. For example, the positive list of microbials defined in the EU regulation is quite short, which reduces the opportunities for innovation. It is clearly insufficient to meet the ambitions of the European Green Deal and the Farm-to-Fork Strategy.

Rovensa Next, as an innovative, leading biologicals company, develops all of our new bionutrition microbial products with regulatory foresight, such as cutting-edge technology to advance biosolutions and improve outcomes for farmers based on sophisticated R&D. 

Therefore, our development process ensures that they meet emerging data requirements such as mode of action and environmental aspects. 

What role are digital technologies (e.g., data-driven R&D, field monitoring, AI) playing in the development of next-generation microbial products?

SM: Digital technologies are accelerating the development and improving the outcomes of next-generation microbial products for agriculture. By using AI, we can screen thousands of microbial strains for traits like pathogen suppression. Machine learning helps with the identification of beneficial genes and microbial interactions from complex soil and plant microbiomes. Virtual models of fields simulate microbial performance under various scenarios, helping optimize product placement and usage. 

In addition, AI helps design stable, effective formulations by modelling interactions between microbes, carriers, and environmental factors. Controlled-release technologies and seed coatings are being developed using digital simulations to ensure microbes remain viable and active in the field.

JN: Rovensa Next is leveraging cutting-edge technology to advance biosolutions one example is the use of advanced high throughput molecular gene sequencing, transcriptomics, and metabolomics during product development with the key objective of understanding how the products work and their appropriate agronomical positioning. Thus, we perform comprehensive studies of the product's effect using the ″omics″ approach instead of relying on basic phenotypical characterization, which constitutes a specific example of data-driven R&D that is central to the way we work in product design. In fact, a paper that explores in detail the plant response to the ultra-efficient biostimulant Biimore at metabolomic level was published in the Molecular Omics journal.

For instance, the use of AI to accelerate the screening of thousands of microbial strains and the application of machine learning to identify beneficial genes and microbial interactions from complex soil and plant microbiomes. 

How do you foster collaboration between biocontrol and bionutrition teams during the development of integrated crop solutions?

SM: The collaboration between biocontrol and bionutrition teams is essential for developing integrated crop solutions that enhance both plant health and resilience. To do this, it is important to have a shared mission that focuses on crop performance, sustainability, and farmer value as well as aligning both teams under a common innovation roadmap that integrates pest management and plant nutrition goals. The focus is on creating interdisciplinary project teams that include experts from microbiology, agronomy, formulation science, and field development.

JN: Our mission in Rovensa Next is to empower farmers to grow greener by solving their sustainability challenges with biosolutions for the entire plant life cycle. Fulfilling this important mission requires offering comprehensive, sustainable solutions that meet all farmers’ needs, positioning us as a leader and a one-stop partner for biosolutions.

To achieve this, we emphasize cross-functional teamwork and open communication from product design to field testing, covering the full product life cycle.

Beyond this, we also believe in the importance of a cross-functional training system that holistically integrates bionutrition and biocontrol solutions. Rovensa, with its industry-leading knowledge management systems, combines local technical knowledge with global expertise. 

What recent advances have you made in biostimulants and biofertilizers that significantly improve crop resilience and nutrient efficiency?

JN: I would like to highlight some of our most recent launches.

Wiibio is a groundbreaking soil-regenerating biofertilizer with biostimulant properties. It works by enhancing the soil microbiome, recruiting beneficial microorganisms to the root system. This process improves phosphate solubilization and iron availability in the soil, ultimately promoting plant growth.

Another notable product is Biimore, which offers exceptional benefits and versatility through its microbial extracts. Particularly during the fruit swell and development stages, enhances quality parameters such as size, sugar content, and shelf-life.

I would also like to highlight Maxi-Grow Excel, a fermentation-based solution that enhances plant growth, yield, quality, flower binding and fruiting.

Another interesting example is one of our most recently launched products in the USA: Galactek is a high-efficiency, ultra-low use rate biostimulant. It is based on a proprietary blend of low molecular weight organic acids. Galactek improves nutrient availability and moisture retention in the soil, enhancing root development, nutrient uptake, and overall plant health.

Looking forward, what kind of crops or environments are you targeting in the next wave of bionutrition solutions?

JN: We have developed a comprehensive portfolio of biostimulants, sustainable nutrition, and technical products to maximize crop performance. These products are designed to stimulate natural plant processes, improve nutrient use efficiency, and enhance tolerance to abiotic stress. 

Our approach to biostimulants focuses on the full plant cycle, from sowing to harvest, targeting a variety of crops (fruit trees, horticultural, vegetables and row crops) and environments to enhance agricultural sustainability and productivity, including the most relevant types of stress such as heat, cold, drought, salinity, hypoxia and low radiation.

In this context, developing high-performance solutions to support crop adaptation is essential for overcoming extreme weather events and climate volatility by enhancing crop resilience to abiotic stress.

Can you walk us through one of your latest developments in biocontrol, either a biofungicide, bioinsecticide, or bionematicide, and what makes it unique in the market?

SM: One of our latest developments in biocontrol, though it has not yet been launched, is ORONEM^®, which is a biological nematicide designed to control plant-parasitic nematodes that cause significant root damage and yield loss in crops such as vegetables, fruit, and row crops. 

What makes ORONEM^® unique is its microbial-based mode of action, which uses a proprietary microbial strain that targets nematodes through multiple mechanisms: disrupting nematode mobility and feeding as well as interfering with egg hatching. In addition, plant metabolites are produced in response to the microbe, enhancing natural soil antagonists and creating a robust solution for plant parasitic nematodes. 

Unlike chemical nematicides, ORONEM^® supports beneficial soil microbiota, contributing to long-term soil fertility and structure. It is designed to work synergistically with Rovensa Next’s bionutrition and biostimulant products, offering a comprehensive soil and root health program.

How are you addressing the increasing resistance of pests and pathogens with your microbial solutions? Are you exploring any novel microbial strains or synergistic combinations?

SM: Rovensa Next is actively addressing the growing resistance of pests and pathogens through a multi-pronged strategy centered on microbial innovation, synergistic combinations and sustainable biosolutions. Rovensa Next’s microbial solutions are designed to disrupt pests and pathogens through multiple biological mechanisms, which significantly reduces the likelihood of resistance development. For example, we are looking at natural compounds produced by microorganisms that inhibit or kill pathogens, as well as at strains with multiple modes of action, which contrasts with the single-target approach of many synthetic chemicals, which often leads to resistance.

Rovensa Next is also investing in next-generation microbial discovery, including endophytic fungi and bacteria that colonize plant tissues and provide systemic protection as well as soil-native microbes that are better adapted to local conditions and more effective in the field. 

Finally, Rovensa Next is pioneering synergistic formulations developments that combine different microbial and non-microbial based biocontrol agents with our adjuvant technologies such as OROWET^®, which enhance delivery and persistence to increase the overall efficacy of biologicals.

If you had to envision the microbial solution of the future, what would it look like? What unmet need would it solve—and how close are you to achieving it?

SM: The perfect example would be a living, adaptive microbial shield, either engineered and/or naturally selected, which colonizes plant roots and soil to detect and neutralize pathogens before they infect crops or a solution that could modulate plant immune responses to reduce pests and diseases.

This could address several critical gaps in agriculture, such as overreliance on pesticides. It could be delivered via seed coatings, foliar sprays, or soil amendments, and would persist in the environment without disrupting native ecosystems. It could combat pesticide resistance in insects, fungi, and weeds, as well as environmental and health concerns arising from chemical residues and the lack of precision that characterizes current biocontrol methods (broad-spectrum, inconsistent).

We are working with ″artificial microbe consortiums″ and natural compounds that can be considered as natural defense systems for plants. These show promise but still need to overcome stability in field conditions. Another avenue that we are pursuing is precision microbe editing. 

The development of synthetic biology platforms to design and test microbial "defense modules" and the use of field-deployable biosensors to trigger microbial responses may be the missing links to make it a reality in the near future.

JN: Envisioning the microbial solution of the future involves imagining a highly advanced, integrated approach to agricultural sustainability, productivity and profitability for the farmer. 

Microbiology has become a cornerstone of science, health, and industry innovation, driven by technological breakthroughs such as CRISPR and gene editing. Artificial intelligence (AI) and recent scientific advancements have revealed how various non-coding RNAs regulate plant processes and responses that can be used to modulate plant and microbial gene expression.

In addition, reducing dependency on chemical inputs and enhancing soil fertility, biodiversity and soil vitality through microbial solutions and more broadly, strengthening the soil–microbiome–root interaction, is key to improving nutrient and water use efficiency. 

In summary, the biological and microbial solution of the future will be a multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary approach to sustainable agriculture, covering the full plant cycle where climate adaptation, soil health and the regeneration of degraded soils are at the core and where Rovensa Next plays a leading role.

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This article will be published in the magazine of 2025 Biologicals Special. Follow this magazine to read more articles/stories.