The Ag Innovation Showcase offers a platform to innovators across the agricultural value chain. Growcentia is focused on the farm: helping growers enhance yields, in a sustainable way. Gregg Steinberg explains how three soil microbiologists are increasing nutrient uptake in plants with an organic soil additive. Registration is now open for the Ag Innovation Showcase 2017: visit www.agshowcase.com.

The New Economy: The Ag Innovation Showcase offers a platform to innovators across the agricultural value chain. Growcentia is focused on the farm: helping growers enhance yields, in a sustainable way.

Gregg Steinberg: Growcentia’s a manufacturer of a beneficial bacteria. It’s a biostimulant; a soil amendment that enhances crop yields across many, many crops.

Our technology was developed at Colorado State University. Our founders are three PhD soil microbiologists that were looking for a way to sustainably enhance yield. And in the case of our first product, to unbind phosphorous and increase nutrient uptake in plants. And on a broader basis to create a technology platform that will allow us to do that, not just for phosphorous, but across many different products and solutions into the agspace.

It’s a microbial solution, so one, we’re sustainable. So it’s bringing an organic solution to the marketplace.

We functionally select microbes through a high-throughput platform to drive towards a specific function that we’re looking for. In the first case, release of phosphorous, and we’re currently working on a similar process to help to harness nitrogen.

The products that we’re focused on are relevant in farming across the board. Whether it’s broadscale open field crops, greenhouse, protected environment, urban farming, vertical farming, etc.

We’re bringing, really, nature back to agriculture.