AGRICULTURAL NEWS - Topping the list was Biome Makers, a startup company that takes advantage of the natural agricultural microbiome-community of microorganisms.
It does this by testing soil to determine what microbial species – microscopic organisms such as bacteria – are present. It then uses the information to offer recommendations about how to improve the quality and yield of the crops.
Of course, that they won does not come as a surprise. Microbial-based solutions for agriculture are among some of the new innovations making waves in the sector in the developed world. The market for these products is valued at $2.3 billion globally). Biome Makers raised $2.2 million in seed funding in 2016 alone.
Microbes are tiny microscopic organisms such as bacteria and fungi that interact with soils and plants. Microbial-based solutions, which are formulated from microbes, offer multiple benefits to crops. These include improved growth as well as protection from insects, drought, and other climate-related extremities.
The solutions also offer environmentally sustainable approaches to improved crops and productivity while ensuring the resilience of agricultural systems. Poncho®/VOTiVO® is an example of a microbe-based solution product developed by Bayer Crop Sciences. When applied to corn plants as a seed treatment, it improves their growth, protects them from pests and ultimately increases yields by 15%.
Unfortunately, the appreciation of microbes and the potential microbial-based solutions have for improving agriculture in Africa is in its infancy. It hasn’t yet enjoyed the same traction as in developed countries.
It is easy to understand why this industry has been slow to jump start in Africa. The startup costs associated with setting up cutting-edge laboratories that are equipped to do soil microbial research are high. They range from $300,000 to $1,000,000. This means we’re yet to see research institutions or private industries based in Africa taking the lead in spearheading this research.
African initiatives
Despite the hurdles, a few initiatives are starting to roll out across Africa.
The University of Pretoria’s Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics and nine other African countries recently launched an initiative that aims to discover the microbial diversity in African soils.
Data obtained from this initiative would help document and uncover the types of microbes present in African soils. New microbe species with unique traits to influence crop, soil, and plant growth could also be used to formulate products that help improve crop productivity.
