Key Takeaways:
- Jord BioScience leverages a 30-year microbial collection to develop high-performing biofertilizers and biopesticides.
- The company operates a B2B model, partnering with agribusinesses to enhance microbial product performance.
- A novel approach reduces biological product lead generation from years to months.
- Regulatory hurdles and consistency in performance remain key challenges for biologicals adoption.
- Jord BioScience’s technology has demonstrated success in improving microbial product efficacy and reliability.
The Evolution of Biological Solutions in Agriculture
The agriculture sector continues to evolve as farmers seek sustainable and effective alternatives to traditional chemical-based solutions. Jord BioScience, founded by Dr. Linda Kinkel, has positioned itself as a leader in microbial innovations, using a proprietary microbial collection assembled over three decades. The company’s work aims to solve a major challenge in biologicals: consistency of performance across diverse growing conditions.
“We understand microbial ecology, how microbes interact, and their nutritional needs. We have the science to solve for this today by applying this new playbook.” – Dr, Keri Carstens, CEO of Jord BioScience
A Unique Approach to Biological Product Development
Jord BioScience employs a distinctive business-to-business model, partnering with other companies to enhance their existing microbial products. This model ensures that products are designed for commercial scalability while maintaining scientific rigor. The company’s biological playbook helps match the right microbial partners to enhance crop resilience, mitigate plant pathogens, and improve nutrient uptake.
The Microbial Bank and Accelerated Discovery
The company’s microbial bank, consisting of over 6,500 isolates, accelerates discovery and development, enabling partners to introduce novel solutions at an unprecedented pace. Unlike conventional single-microbe approaches, Jord BioScience focuses on leveraging microbial interactions to enhance efficacy and stability in the field.
“We are leveraging the interaction piece to expedite leads into the field. From the time we speak with a customer to field-ready lead candidates, we’re averaging six to ten months.” – Keri Carstens
Regulatory and Performance Challenges
The regulatory landscape for biologicals remains complex, varying across regions and product types. While Latin American markets like Brazil and Argentina have made significant strides in streamlining approvals, the U.S. and EU continue to present hurdles in terms of clarity and predictability. These challenges can create delays for companies looking to bring biologicals to market.
Ensuring Consistency in Performance
In addition to regulatory barriers, consistency in performance remains a top concern. Farmers require products with high success rates to ensure return on investment. Jord BioScience has focused on solving this issue by refining microbial interactions, leading to win rate improvements from 55-60% to 85-95% in certain field trials.
“Farmers want new tools, period. And they deserve high-performing tools… It can’t be a flip of the coin; it needs to be 70, 80, 90% win rates.” – Keri Carstens
Case Study: Advancing Pythium Control
A key example of Jord BioScience’s impact is its work on Pythium, a widespread soilborne pathogen causing seedling diseases. By incorporating microbial isolates from its extensive collection, Jord’s solution demonstrated comparable or superior efficacy to leading chemical treatments. Trials showed that its biofungicide approach improved plant emergence rates and could serve as a viable alternative to traditional fungicides.
“We had a customer with a product that had a 55-60% win rate. We identified the right partner microbe, and now that product is performing at 85-95%.” – Keri Carstens
The Road Ahead for Jord BioScience
Looking ahead, Jord BioScience aims to expand its global footprint, with multiple products projected to enter the market by 2030. The company’s approach—combining deep microbial knowledge with strategic industry partnerships—positions it as a pivotal player in the future of biologicals.
Expanding Its Biological Solutions to Global Markets
By 2030, Jord BioScience envisions numerous products in major agricultural markets, spanning both row crops and specialty crops.
“We will have numerous products on the market across all major continents, with strong partnerships in place.” – Keri Carstens
As the agricultural sector continues its shift toward sustainable solutions, the ability to deliver consistent, high-performing biological products will determine widespread adoption. Jord BioScience’s rapid development process and strong research foundation signal a promising future for microbial-based crop protection and enhancement.
