Pivot Bio's Bacterial Fertilizer Sees Surge in Sales Amid Synthetic Nitrogen Shortages

Les Anderson, a Minnesota farmer and former president of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, has been dealing with 'nitrogen anxiety' due to skyrocketing synthetic nitrogen fertilizer prices. The cost had risen sharply from the previous year after international trade routes bottlenecked in February.

The high prices were partly caused by natural gas shortages, as making synthetic nitrogen requires this fuel source. Anderson turned to Pivot Bio, a company that offers an alternative bacterial-based fertilizer.

Pivot Bio's product is made by pinpointing a microbe native to the crop's specific microbiome and editing its genetic code for nitrogen fixation. It's applied as a coating on seeds and sticks to the plant as it grows, continuously fertilizing it throughout the process.

The company has seen a major increase in sales since international trade began to fragment last winter, with farmers using its product to shield their environment from toxic runoff caused by excess synthetic nitrogen application.