News Release

Harnessing microbes to boost plant production

Michigan State University licenses technology that enables plants to use atmospheric nitrogen

Business Announcement

Michigan State University

C. A. Reddy, Michigan State University

image: C. A. Reddy, MSU professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, helped formulate a new type of microbial fertilizer now being commercialized. view more 

Credit: Kurt Stepnitz, Michigan State University

EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Farmers, home gardeners, golf course managers and other growers now have access to a new type of microbial fertilizer that dramatically increases plant size and yield, thanks to a licensing agreement between Michigan State University and Bio Soil Enhancers Inc.

C.A. Reddy, MSU professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, and Lalithakumari Janarthanam, visiting research associate in the same department, isolated beneficial bacteria, fungi and other soil microbes. The scientists then combined selected groups of organisms and identified a formulation that significantly increased plant growth and productivity.

"The microbe formulation offers a number of benefits to plants," Reddy said. "It promotes growth by enabling plants to use atmospheric nitrogen. This reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The formulation also helps the plants become more disease-resistant and helps mobilize key minerals, such as phosphate, which helps crops produce plant growth stimulating hormone. Above all, the formulation is cost effective and environmentally friendly."

"We tested the formulations on a number of plants -- from bell peppers, squash and tomatoes to corn, soybeans and grasses," he said. "The improvement in growth and yield was 25 percent to more than 90 percent. Even we were surprised by the broad spectrum of plants that benefited from the formulation. I don't know of any other product currently on the market that benefits so many types of crops."

The two most beneficial formulas have been commercially licensed by Bio Soil Enhancers, based in Hattiesburg, Miss. Wayne Wade and Krish Reddy, co-founders of the company, said initial products are on the market now and new products are expected to be released very soon. The microbial fertilizers cost less than nitrogen-based fertilizers, according to Wade and Krish Reddy. Bio Soil Enhancers is pursuing organic certification for the compounds, according to Lou Elwell, company president and co-founder.

"Our mid-season reports showed a 50 to 90 percent increase in cotton yield for the growers that were using our microbial-based fertilizer," Elwell said. "The improvements are very impressive."

"We look forward to working with Bio Soil Enhancers to further develop this promising soil enhancement formulation," said Mike Poterala, executive director of MSU Technologies, which is responsible for commercializing MSU technology and negotiated the license with Bio Soil Enhancers. "This is a very exciting development for MSU that promises significant improvements in plant quality and yield."

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C.A. Reddy's research also is supported by the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station at MSU.

For more information on MSU Technologies, go to http://technologies.msu.edu/.
For more information on Bio Soil Enhancers, go to http://www.biosoilenhancers.com/.

Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.

For MSU news on the Web, go to news.msu.edu.


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