Groundbreaking new soil technology to be developed at York

The Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) and the University of York have partnered with agricultural technology startup CroBio in a £670k (€0.8M) project funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)'s Farming Innovation Programme and supported by Innovate UK. 

Initiative

The initiative will set out to enhance CroBio's groundbreaking living soil amendment, a breakthrough technology designed to improve nutrient preservation, water retention, and carbon sequestration in agricultural soil. 

The project brings together CroBio, the University of York's plant and soil scientists, and the BDC's scale-up expertise in a collaborative effort to advance sustainable farming practices. The technology, which requires only one application per growing season, has demonstrated remarkable results in initial trials, including a 100% improvement in water retention in sandy soil under greenhouse conditions. 

“This collaboration addresses key challenges facing agriculture,” said Dr. Daniel J Upton, Senior Scientist at CroBio. “Our technology has the potential to provide farmers with a cost-effective solution for water and nutrient management in agricultural soils and decrease dependency on fertilisers. This project will support the development of solutions that have benefits for both agriculture and the environment with applicability across widespread territories.”

Excited

Deborah Rathbone, Bioscience Innovation Team Leader at the Biorenewables Development Centre, added: "The BDC is excited to partner with CroBio in scaling up this innovative technology. As well as providing project management, we'll be developing the technology for glasshouse and field trials to validate its effectiveness in real-world conditions. By combining our expertise in bio-based applications with CroBio’s pioneering approach to soil health, we're working to address some of the most pressing challenges in modern agriculture."

Dr Andrea Harper, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP), University of York, said: “We are thrilled to be part of this groundbreaking research project. Our role will be to rigorously evaluate this innovative product in the glasshouse, analysing its impact on plant growth and soil health. These insights will guide its progression to field trials, ensuring a thorough and science-backed assessment.”

Technology

The technology works by introducing living microbes that produce bacterial cellulose, creating a natural scaffold around plant roots that can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. This process not only improves water retention but also enhances nutrient availability and promotes carbon sequestration in the soil.

With global concerns about soil degradation, water scarcity, and the environmental impact of chemical fertilisers, innovations in soil health management are becoming increasingly critical. This technology offers a sustainable solution that could help farmers adapt to climate change while reducing their environmental footprint, setting a new standard for agricultural practices across the UK and beyond.