SBIR-STTR Award

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is very capital intensive. In addition to the conventional investments in land and variable costs like seeds, fertilizer, and pest control, CEA requires larger capital investments and higher energy, labor, and input costs. Thus, new technologies are needed to increase the competitiveness of CEA by increasing the yield of high quality fruits and vegetables without additional capital costs. Plant biostimulants -natural substances or microorganisms used to enhance plant growth - could enhance yields and profitability of CEA, but face obstacles to consumer adoption. Biostimulants need to be proven effective and compatible with common growing practices through rigorous controlled trials. Growcentia's first technology is a patent-pending microbial biostimulant that we developed to increase the availability of phosphorus (P) and micronutrients to plants. Phosphorus is an important target because it is an essential macro element, required for the success of all known life forms. In preliminary tests, we found tomato blooms to develop 28% faster when treated with our biostimulant which translated to a yield increase of 14%.But potential customers and channel partners communicated an entrenched resistance to the idea of using live microbes for indoor agriculture. This project aims to evaluate whether a formulation of our technology that excludes living cells maintains efficacy for enhancing tomato growth. We will evaluate non-living formulations through rigorous plant trials in a controlled greenhouse. If successful, we will enhance the profitability of CEA, the supply of year-round fruits and vegetables, and the accessibility of nutritious foods.

Tomato growers face multiple challenges: low profit margins, increased crop stress, and strong global competition. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is an increasingly important component of a sustainable supply chain for tomatoes and other specialty crops, but incurs high capital costs. New technologies are needed to increase the competitiveness of US tomato growers, whether in CEA or field production, by increasing the yield of high quality fruits and vegetables without additional capital costs. Plant biostimulants - natural substances or microorganisms used to enhance plant growth - represent an exciting new tool to enhance yields and operational efficiency. Growcentia's novel biostimulant technology has shown the potential to increase tomato yields significantly over current commercial practices through multiple trials. The goal of Phase II research is to conduct all necessary R&D to establish a launching point for commercial sales. We will collect the crop trial data necessary for customer acquisition, test a sterile formulation to meet the needs of the full market, and design scalable production infrastructure. Our work plan is comprised of five tasks: (1) conduct internal trials to identify optimal application dosage and frequency for Yeti Bloom; (2) conduct external trials to compare product efficacy and value to competitive products; (3) develop engineering plans to scale production of Yeti Bloom; (4) register Yeti Bloom in key market regions. An important aspect of food security is a reliable source of affordable nutritious food, and CEA is critical to the year-round supply of fruits and vegetables. This project will support the development of new biostimulant technology that could enhance the domestic supply of tomatoes and other specialty crops without additional capital costs, which could result in a greater supply and lower cost of these highly nutritious foods.