Technology companies are raising hundreds of millions of dollars to develop farm products that use microbes and seaweed to grow crops. The move comes at a time when fertilizer prices are very high and increased attention is being paid to how food is produced around the world. Microbes, including fungi and viruses, have been available for years as treatments to protect plants from insects and disease, with mixed results. But developers are increasingly using them as natural ways to support crops while keeping up crop production levels. The new microbial fertilizers are sometimes called biostimulants. Such products could help farmers use less nitrogen a fertilizer that can pollute waterways and create nitrous oxide, a gas that has environmental effects. Canada wants to cut fertilizer emissions by 2030, while the European Union aims to reduce fertilizer usage. Denmark-based Novozymes is one of the biggest sellers of biological agriculture products. One product contains a fungus that grows alongside plant roots and releases phosphate, a crop nutrient, from the soil. Yara International of Norway says its biostimulants are based on seaweed and other substances. Another product from the startup Pivot Bio has microbes that take in sugar from the roots of corn, wheat, or sorghum plant, producing an enzyme that changes nitrogen to ammonia, a crop nutrient. The California-based company says farmers use it on more than 400,000 hectares. It has also raised $430 million last year from investors. AgFunder said investments in biostimulant and crop control products have more than doubled in 2021 from the previous year, to $777 million. And Rabobank expects the $3 billion biostimulants industry to grow by 12 to 15 percent each year over the next five years.
Title: Tech Companies Develop New Technologies for Crops
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Tech Companies Develop New Technologies for Crops' data-article-id='6033'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='15417'>Technology companies are raising hundreds of millions of dollars to develop farm products that use microbes and seaweed to grow crops. </span> <span data-start-time='15417' data-end-time='29958'>The move comes at a time when fertilizer prices are very high and increased attention is being paid to how food is produced around the world.</span> <span data-start-time='29958' data-end-time='45875'>Microbes, including fungi and viruses, have been available for years as treatments to protect plants from insects and disease, with mixed results. </span> <span data-start-time='45875' data-end-time='59000'>But developers are increasingly using them as natural ways to support crops while keeping up crop production levels.</span> <span data-start-time='59000' data-end-time='66021'>The new microbial fertilizers are sometimes called biostimulants. </span> <span data-start-time='66021' data-end-time='83021'>Such products could help farmers use less nitrogen a fertilizer that can pollute waterways and create nitrous oxide, a gas that has environmental effects. </span> <span data-start-time='83021' data-end-time='96063'>Canada wants to cut fertilizer emissions by 2030, while the European Union aims to reduce fertilizer usage.</span> <span data-start-time='96063' data-end-time='104979'>Denmark-based Novozymes is one of the biggest sellers of biological agriculture products. </span> <span data-start-time='104979' data-end-time='116854'>One product contains a fungus that grows alongside plant roots and releases phosphate, a crop nutrient, from the soil. </span> <span data-start-time='116854' data-end-time='126604'>Yara International of Norway says its biostimulants are based on seaweed and other substances.</span> <span data-start-time='126604' data-end-time='147063'>Another product from the startup Pivot Bio has microbes that take in sugar from the roots of corn, wheat, or sorghum plant, producing an enzyme that changes nitrogen to ammonia, a crop nutrient.</span> <span data-start-time='147063' data-end-time='155063'>The California-based company says farmers use it on more than 400,000 hectares. </span> <span data-start-time='155063' data-end-time='163250'>It has also raised $430 million last year from investors.</span> <span data-start-time='163250' data-end-time='180167'>AgFunder said investments in biostimulant and crop control products have more than doubled in 2021 from the previous year, to $777 million. </span> <span data-start-time='180167' data-end-time='195354'>And Rabobank expects the $3 billion biostimulants industry to grow by 12 to 15 percent each year over the next five years.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/A.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18401 data-hint-location='15417' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/what_is_a_definition_of_the_word_fertilizer.wav'>What is a definition of the word fertilizer?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a chemical or natural substance added to soil or land to increase its fertility'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/a_chemical_or_natural_substance_added_to_soil_or_land_to_increase_its_fertility.wav'><span>a chemical or natural substance added to soil or land to increase its fertility</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/a_powerful_tractor_with_a_broad_upright_blade_at_the_front_for_clearing_ground.wav'><span>a powerful tractor with a broad upright blade at the front for clearing ground</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/the_process_of_voting_in_an_electio.wav'><span>the process of voting in an electio</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/a_marriage_ceremony.wav'><span>a marriage ceremony</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18402 data-hint-location='59000' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/what_are_the_new_microbial_fertilizers_sometimes_called.wav'>What are the new microbial fertilizers sometimes called?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='biostimulants'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/biostimulants.wav'><span>biostimulants</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/little_fungus.wav'><span>little fungus</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/macroeconomics.wav'><span>macroeconomics</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/seaweed.wav'><span>seaweed</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18403 data-hint-location='147063' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/the_californiabased_company_says__blank__use_it_on_more_than_400000_hectares_.wav'>The California-based company says <span class='blank'>farmers</span> use it on more than 400,000 hectares. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='farmers'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/farmers.wav'><span>farmers</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/dancers.wav'><span>dancers</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/swimmers.wav'><span>swimmers</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5443/skaters.wav'><span>skaters</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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