May 2024 - 21

GROWER PROFILE
Field trials and the future
Before AgraQuest, Meadows-Smith led Chemtura
Corporation's plastics additives and crop protection
business. Now, he's helping growers reduce reliance on
chemicals at BioConsortia.
The company recently closed on a $15 million round
of financing, spurred in part by successful field trials,
according to the company.
" Particularly now at BioConsortia we're looking to
produce very high-performing products that are equivalent
to the chemistry and their efficacy as (synthetic) products,
or in the area of nitrogen-fixing microbes, that will displace
a large percentage of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, " he
said. " You know, my philosophy is we don't want the
grower to compromise on quality. What we're looking to
do is to provide an easy-to-use, cost-effective product. "
The first U.S. regulatory approvals are expected on
BioConsortia's products this year and the company
has agreements with companies to distribute specific
products when EPA approves them. That includes a
broad-spectrum biofungicide for diseases in apples,
berries, grapes, stone fruits and vegetables from
Nichino America, and the biostimulant Zaffre from The
Mosaic Co. that has shown average yield increases of
more than 15% in fruit and vegetable crops, including
tomatoes and beans. Other partnerships haven't been
announced yet.
In recent years, BioConsortia's products have
been through about 3,000 field trials across the U.S.,
Meadows-Smith said, on a wide range of specialty and
row crops. Trials are also ongoing in Europe and South
America. More than a dozen seed companies are testing
BioConsortia products as seed treatments.
After selling AgraQuest, he became head of strategic
and business management of biologicals for Bayer for
a brief time. It's now common for the major chemical
companies to have similar divisions, acquisitions or
partnerships to advance biological products.
" I think growers are starting to see advantages to soil
health, regenerative agriculture, that replacing some of
the sprays with biologicals is giving benefits to the soil, to
their ultimate yields, " he said.
The products are becoming more shelf stable; some
products had to be refrigerated, and were not easy to
use or mix with other products in the sprayer tank.
Inconsistent results concerned growers. But field trials
in recent years have proved some biologicals do work as
advertised, Meadows-Smith said.
" So with the best biologicals, it's no longer a question
of compromise, " he said. " It's now a question of getting
the message out. "
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May 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2024

Editor's Letter
Biologicals: Advancing research in biocontrols
Cover Story: To price or not to price
2024 Farm Market Report
Grower Profile: Great Bear Vineyards' organic journey
Organic Grower Spring 2024
Business: Improving the odds
Farm Market & Agritourism: What's the difference between markup and margin?
Classifieds
Advertiser Index
May 2024 - 1
May 2024 - 2
May 2024 - 3
May 2024 - Editor's Letter
May 2024 - 5
May 2024 - Biologicals: Advancing research in biocontrols
May 2024 - 7
May 2024 - Cover Story: To price or not to price
May 2024 - 9
May 2024 - 10
May 2024 - 11
May 2024 - 12
May 2024 - 13
May 2024 - 2024 Farm Market Report
May 2024 - 15
May 2024 - Grower Profile: Great Bear Vineyards' organic journey
May 2024 - 17
May 2024 - 18
May 2024 - 19
May 2024 - 20
May 2024 - 21
May 2024 - 22
May 2024 - Organic Grower Spring 2024
May 2024 - 24
May 2024 - 25
May 2024 - 26
May 2024 - 27
May 2024 - Business: Improving the odds
May 2024 - 29
May 2024 - 30
May 2024 - 31
May 2024 - Farm Market & Agritourism: What's the difference between markup and margin?
May 2024 - 33
May 2024 - Classifieds
May 2024 - Advertiser Index
May 2024 - 36
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