44 / SEEDWORLD.COM OCTOBER 2017 INSIDERS ADVICE FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS How Do Biologicals Interact with Their Environment? IT’S DIFFICULT TO introduce any living organism into the environment with 100 percent certainty in the outcome, but we are getting closer with biologicals. A large part of the plant environment is the micro- bial community that interacts with the plant throughout the season. Ignoring direct effects on the plants for a moment, three primary schools of thought regarding the activity of biologicals exist: antibiosis, niche replacement and phytobiome alteration. Antibiosis is the use of a biological that acts like an antibiotic. The biological produces a chemical that is encountered by the target pest with a limiting or killing effect. Streptomycin and Bt are good examples of this. The second school of thought is niche replacement, in which the organism out- competes other organisms in the environ- ment. This is true with many biologicals; they grow aggressively or consume nutri- ents such that other organisms around them either can’t survive or don’t reach a disease-causing threshold. In more recent findings, we see altera- tions in the phytobiome. Focusing on the plant root environment, the phytobiome is all the organisms in the soil, rhizosphere and inside the root. Unlike niche replace- ment, which relies on an organism out- competing others, phytobiome alteration reconfigures the makeup of the microbial community, recruiting beneficial organ- isms that are already in the soil to the plant and suppressing the bad actors. For example, if we treat the soil or seed with Trichoderma, the Trichoderma recruits other organisms from the soil to help the root and plant grow. A good example of this is improvements seen in nodulation when Trichoderma is present. This is the result of Trichoderma recruiting an applied inoculant to more efficiently nodulate, or in the case of no inoculant, recruitment of wild rhizobia to the plant. We are looking into the actual func- tional changes to the plant’s microbial environment or the phytobiome. This is new stuff, and it’s where the whole industry is going. MOLLY CADLE-DAVIDSON, ABM CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER @ABM1st • Mollycadle-davidson@abm1st.com • abm1st.com AS A MANUFACTURING company,part- nerships are vital to our success and sus- tainability. As with many other businesses, our network of relationships that must be maintained and fostered is extensive. These include suppliers, accounts, end customers, internal, distributors, financial and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). If one of these relationships becomes strained, it has the potential to impact the whole production process. Of special importance is OEMs. We are an OEM for many of our providers, as we integrate their equipment and devices into our solutions. On the other hand, we work with a number of equipment manufactur- ers that incorporate our equipment into their product offerings. In fostering these relationships, it’s about understanding what our core competencies are and creating a synergy that allows us to develop a solution that neither one of us could do on our own. We are a small fish in a large lake of great agricultural manufacturers. We don’t need to be designing motors, load cells and other hardware — that’s not our expertise. Now if someone needs a conveyor or bulk handling automation solution, then we’re the go-to source. In many cases, we are able to expand our product footprint through establishing OEM relationships, where our equipment is used as part of another manufacturer’s equipment. For example, the KSi cleated- belt conveyor when mounted to different Partnerships Help Make for a Better End Product JASON KAEB KSI CONVEYORS DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT @jasonkaeb_ksi • JasonKaeb@ksiconveyors.com • KSiConveyors.com models of planters, air carts and seed ten- ders, adds value to our partners’ products. By partnering with other OEMs, you must be receptive to different perspec- tives. It’s easy to be inward looking; it takes intentional effort to be outward looking. We are proud to be an OEM for John Deere, CNH and others, but these rela- tionships don’t just help our bottom line, they also help us to be a better business and, in turn, create better products. These partnerships have helped us grow when it comes to documentation, product quality and service … and that’s good for every- one, both internally and externally. Remember: Know your strengths and work to develop partnerships with others for a better end product.