Biolevel solves ag biological nutrition challenges with new product platform
Next-gen bionutrition products offer more consistent performance for enhanced yield potential with convenient application options
Today, global ag biologicals company Biolevel Ltd. announced the North American launch of two bionutrition products—MaizeNP™ biofertilizer for corn and PhosN™ biofertilizer for soybeans—to provide farmers more consistent results and convenient application options. Unlike other bionutrition products, the array of microbes in Biolevel™ brand products fix nitrogen and release crop-available phosphorous, potassium and micronutrients locked in soils.
Biolevel has spent more than 25 years developing its products, focusing on four fundamental development and productization strategies: multi-strain product design; selective microbial breeding for synergy; selective microbial breeding for stress tolerance; and product stabilization and formulation.
“No other company has done what Biolevel has done,” said Laurence Berman, Biolevel chairman and founder. “By selectively breeding eight key microbial strains to work together, Biolevel has created products that contain a critical mass of biodiverse microbes to eliminate antagonism and be more tolerant to agronomic, environmental and logistical stresses.
“Effective bionutrition is not about applying a couple of microbes that fix nitrogen or solubilize phosphorous,” said Berman. “It’s about using synergistic sets of native, beneficial microbes that consistently deliver wholistic nutrient cycling in the soil regardless of soil type, growing environment or production system.”
Biolevel products help improve overall soil health by improving its biological balance to make nutrients more available to crops. “Our products can be viewed as a probiotic for the soil,” said Berman. “They inoculate fields to help rebuild the genetic diversity of native, beneficial microbes that have been depleted in farmers’ fields and restricted the yield potential of today’s high-yielding hybrids and varieties.”
Consistency
The biodiverse sets of soil microbes in Biolevel products have been bred to provide unique benefits regardless of soil types, crop and growing conditions. The products, which are formulated according to specific crop nutrient needs, perform in a wider range of pH levels, in aerobic and anaerobic soils, and can withstand higher chlorine levels. The benefits have been proven in trials, demonstrating higher win rates than those of single- or dual-strain competitive products.
“The challenge growers have faced with the first generation of bionutrition products is lack of consistency,” said Berman. “Thanks to the biodiverse, synergistic consortium of microbes in our products, farmers can start their long-term winning streak.”
Convenience
Biolevel has capitalized on its manufacturing excellence in productization to design its products for grower convenience. They can be applied as a seed treatment, planter box treatment, with dry or liquid fertilizers, or in combination with other soil-applied biologicals or pesticides. They do not require refrigeration, have an extended shelf life and are ready to use with no on-site fermentation or blending. On treated seed, Biolevel tests have shown that the microbes stay viable for over three months. They are non-GMO, and Biolevel PhosN is OMRI certified and MaizeNP is awaiting certification.
“Our products deliver a high number of colony-forming units in ultra-low doses, meaning growers get more bang for their buck compared to other biological treatments,” said Berman.
Production-scale results
In 2023, central Iowa farmer Brett Handsaker conducted a reduced-nitrogen, split-planter trial across 473 acres using MaizeNP and a nitrogen-only competitive product. Despite being a dry year, Handsaker experienced remarkable results. “MaizeNP, at $13/acre, increased my yields by 19.7 bu/acre versus the more expensive nitrogen-only biological,” he said. “When you add up the increased yield with the nitrogen cost savings, incorporating Biolevel into my corn program makes sense.”
The company has commercialized products in Europe and Africa, and has been conducting on-farm, university and retailer trials for four years across a range of soil types, fertility levels, and growing conditions in North America.
“There is a lot of interest in reducing fertility costs,” said Berman. “We have demonstrated consistent success in achieving at least normal yield under reduced N rates and in many cases increased yields. Growers who aren’t looking to reduce N can push their yield curve higher by using standard rates, thanks to our superior activity on multiple nutrients.”
Biolevel MaizeNP and PhosN can be purchased from a growing network of retailers in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, to purchase or to make a dealership inquiry, go to biolevel.net.
About Biolevel
Biolevel Ltd. is dedicated to developing and delivering a new generation of biological nutrition products that support the real-world practices of farmers around the globe. Founded by Laurence Berman, Ian Robertson, and Lutz Glandorf, Biolevel was born out of a need for more consistent and convenient bionutrition products that could better withstand the variety of harsh conditions farmers face in the storage, application and use of biological products. After more than 20 years of development, R&D, and validation, Biolevel’s market-leading biologicals for corn, soybeans, potatoes, cereal, and other crops — MaizeNP™ and PhosN™ biofertilizers — were commercialized in Europe, North America, and Africa. Biolevel plans to expand the application and distribution of its products to other crops, including cereals, canola, sunflower, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables. Biolevel can be found on LinkedIn and YouTube.
Media contact: Jennifer Parsons | jen@prsnspr.com
