Russia’s biggest exports are oil and gas. But the country is also the largest global exporter of fertilizer; and as the world continues to react to the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, fertilizer prices for farmers have spiked and could even lead to an increase in food costs. Yet, in the same way this tragic war might move the world faster toward renewable energy, could it also nudge farmers to find ways to use less fertilizer?
Fertilizer causes serious environmental problems; it’s a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, makes soil less healthy, and pollutes waterways when it runs off fields. (In Florida right now, state officials are trying to save starving manatees who lost their food source because extra fertilizer from farms upstream made the water fill with algae.) A handful of startups are working on solutions that can help reduce the amount of fertilizer that farmers need.
Pivot Bio
Nitrogen fertilizer is typically made from natural gas at large factories. Pivot Bio uses microorganisms that can be added to the soil for specific crops, like corn, and then produce nitrogen on demand—as much as 40 pounds per acre, or enough to offset a meaningful portion of traditional fertilizer use. As the product develops, the company wants it to eventually be a sole source of nutrients. The startup says that it will triple the number of acres using the product this year.
Indigo Ag
Indigo Ag, another startup, makes microbial products that can help plants use fertilizer more efficiently. The company also helps farmers get paid for adopting practices that can improve soil health, like planting cover crops, which can also reduce fertilizer use. Because these “regenerative” farming techniques can also capture extra carbon in the soil, farmers can earn carbon credits for adopting them.
Augmenta
A startup called Augmenta makes a tractor attachment that uses cameras and AI to analyze plants and soil, and then can apply the precise amount of fertilizer to the right areas as the tractor goes over a field. Because the fertilizer is only applied where it’s needed rather than sprayed over the whole field, less is used, but the yield of the crop is maximized.
