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24 SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2015 To help increase the awareness of soils role in sustainably advancing yields the FAO named 2015 as the International Year of Soils. The amount of arable soil on the planet to increase agricultural produc- tion will not expand says Wilson Hugo an FAO agriculture officer in the Plant Production and Protection Division with a focus on genetic resources seed policy and seed industry development. It will probably contract if we keep having issues of erosion. FAO reports that soils host one-fourth of the planets biodiversity but are in danger due to erosion degradation and expanding cities. Experts estimate that theres only 60 years of topsoil left if cur- rent trends continue. Armed with this information a number of farmer-led organizations and compa- nies including Monsanto have invested into the Soil Health Partnership. The part- nership focuses on innovative soil man- agement practices that reduce tillage use cover crops and apply plant nutrients differently all with the goal of growing more food while protecting the environ- ment. As such Monsanto has made a five-year funding and in-kind technical support commitment to the Soil Health Partnership. Sighting In One company thats focused on using whats already in the soil is BioConsortia. Its an area that is garnering a lot of interest right now not just from the big companies but by mid- and small-size companies too says Marcus Meadows- Smith BioConsortia CEO. We are using multiple tools to identify the best micro- bial teams. He explains that these tools include a microbiome analysis which looks at what microbes increase in response to another input and DNA sequencing. We look for high-performing plants under selective pressure so we have a very efficient model for screening Meadows-Smith says. The team at BioConsortia recently marked a milestone when the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted the com- pany a patent for its Advanced Microbial System late this year. The first wave of products Meadows- Smith looks to bring forward are gen- eralists that have the specific target of improving yield. His researchers also have some trials out that look at nitrogen use efficiency for corn soybeans and wheat. In the mid- to long-term we are talking to partners about filling a spe- cific need Meadows-Smith says. For example if a company is working on a drought tolerant hybrid we would work at developing something specific for them and that geography. Others include water use or dealing with a pest. Some resistance is starting to develop to the genetically-modified Bt crops farmers could look to add another GM or Bt trait or a microbial insectide seed treatment. Meadows-Smith says hes been sur- prised by the level of interest from the fer- tilizer industry and their desire to improve fertilizer use efficiency. Theres a growing awareness that a large amount of fertilizer applied has not hit the target and resulted in denitrifica- tion and leaching he says. Basically its getting lost in the environment. In addition to seed-applied microbials BioConsortia researchers are investigating in-furrow application which means the microbes go in the furrow and are applied over the top of the seed at planting along with the fertilizer and other starters. One of the benefits of in-furrow products is that it allows more chemistry to be added than what can be put on the seed Meadows-Smith says. The BioAg Alliance Monsantos part- nership with Novozymes just announced a 2025 acreage target that will guide its microbials business for the next decade. The target its microbial products will be used on 250 million to 500 million acres globally by 2025. This is equivalent to 25 percent to 50 percent of all U.S. farmland. Emerging agricultural biological tech- nologies can supplement every farmers toolbox Fraley says. These products complement the integrated systems approach that is necessary in modern agriculture bringing together breeding biotechnology and agronomic practices to improve and protect crop yields. Microbial-based solutions are derived from various microbes such as bacteria Emerging agricultural biological technologies can supplement every farmers toolbox. Robb Fraley