– The results of the Brazilian field trials with maize plants grown with NFT were encouraging and confirmed the preliminary results at the early stage in the greenhouse, which showed greater efficiency in the use of nitrogen and water and a greater carbon sequestration –
– NFT is a sustainable agricultural solution in line with environmental responsibility and the reversal of climate change since it uses less nitrogen and enables low carbon emissions –
– After receiving product registration in Brazil, Grace Breeding is advancing its NFT program with plans to market the product in Brazil before the end of the year –
REHOVOT, Israel, June 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Grace Breeding Ltd. (the “Company” or “Grace Breeding”) (TASE: GRAC), a forward-thinking AgClimateTech company that develops sustainable biologically-based products to improve crop yield and vigor, today announced the results of trials with NFT Bio-fertilizer in corn plants, carried out in the field during a research and development collaboration with the partners at the University of Londrina (UEL), based in Paraná State, Brazil. The encouraging results, which confirm preliminary results from greenhouse studies previously announced in January, showed that when using Grace Breeding’s NFT Bio fertilizer and reduced nitrogen use, there was greater efficiency in the use of nitrogen and water and greater absorption of carbon in the corn plants. These results support the use of Grace Breeding’s NFT Bio-fertilizer as a promising solution for both robust maize plant growth and reduced carbon emissions. The Brazilian maize growing season in particular tends to be characterized by reduced water availability, making the use of NFT particularly valuable in maize in these areas.
“These results showing that our environmentally sustainable NFT biofertilizer enables robust maize growth in Brazil are exciting as Brazil has just been predicted as the largest maize exporter, surpassing even the US1“, stated Assaf Dotan, CEO of Grace Breeding. “The results, initially conducted in the greenhouse and now achieved in field trials with the support of our collaborators at the University of Londrina and Gaia AgroSolutions in Brazil, further validate our technology as we approach us to be able to market in this important territory. Brazil has just been ranked as the largest user of biofertilizers globally1, and our NFT technology offers a sustainable solution – both to reduce nitrogen use and mitigate the harmful effects of urea. Following our recently approved product registration in Brazil, we look forward to advancing this program to make it available to farmers there.”
Complete results from the Brazilian field trials in cereals
Both physiological and nutritional analyzes were carried out which showed greater production of photoassimilates, less water loss and higher internal carbon accumulation in maize plants grown with NFT technology in the field. Furthermore, under low doses of nitrogen (using 50% of the recommended amount), maize plants did not show changes in physiological and nutritional parameters. Furthermore, when evaluating these plants grown at these lower doses of nitrogen, it was observed that the levels of the foliar nutrient were not altered, nor was the amount of dry matter of the respective shoots and roots, compared to the plants grown at 100% of the recommended amount of nitrogen . In addition, when applying NFT with these low doses of nitrogen, maize plants did not change in size, stem diameter, or number of leaves.
Professor, Juliano Vilela de Resende, Ph.D. from the Agronomy Department of the Universidade Estadual de Londrina, commented: “The full results of our trial with NFT are very encouraging and we have found that the technology improves the photosynthetic apparatus of the maize plant, increasing carbon fixation without the same dependence on water. Constant chlorophyll amounts were also observed, regardless of the applied nitrogen dose. In addition to improving the physiological mechanism of photosynthesis, we also believe that there were positive effects on the soil biome – and specifically that the technology provides nutrients and carbon to beneficial microorganisms, such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria.”
The use of NFT leads to lower carbon emissions, which is essential for slowing down damage to the environment. The findings of this study are important as Grace Breeding’s NFT will allow farmers to significantly reduce their reliance on environmentally harmful synthetic fertilizers as well as provide them with an alternative that is more economically viable and increases carbon sequestration.
The search for more sustainable technologies for agribusiness has been the focus of studies around the world. These technologies should promote higher productive performance, lower production costs and greater environmental conservation. The greater efficiency of biofertilizers, especially nitrogenous, greater efficiency in the use of water in the production of dry matter and, consequently, the higher mobilization of carbon via the photosynthesis process, are at the forefront of research by scientists worldwide. world. In Brazil, Londrina State University-UEL in collaboration with Gaia AgroSolutions from Israel tests and validates technologies suitable for these purposes.
Among the technologies, Grace Breeding’s NFT is in a very advanced validation process. Field trials with maize growth using farmer management have shown promise with greater efficiency in the use of nitrogen, water and greater mobilization of carbon.
Previous studies of NFT
In January 2023, Grace Breeding announced the preliminary results of this study. The results showed superior growth results in Brazilian corn that outperformed standard nitrogen fertilizers while reducing carbon emissions.
About the collaboration between Grace Breeding and UEL
In November 2022, Grace Breeding announced a strategic research and development collaboration with the prestigious University of Londrina (UEL), based in Paraná State, Brazil. UEL is a top 10 university in Brazil. The university is investigating Grace Breeding’s NFT related to improving the absorption of nutrients from the soil as well as increasing carbon sequestration and the efficiency of nitrogenous feeding. These properties will allow farmers to significantly reduce their dependence on synthetic fertilizers.
About Grace Breeding’s NFT
Grace Breeding’s NFT works in combination with a natural, non-pathogenic bacteria that enables crops to naturally fix nitrogen and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers. As a result, the process reduces CO2 emissions and leads to a significantly lower environmental impact on soil and groundwater, while reducing the use of synthetic nitrogen by up to 50%. The global market for chemical nitrogen fertilizers reached a value of over USD 163.2 billion in 20212, but the use of these fertilizers continues to be under heavy scrutiny with increased regulation due to their environmental impact on soil and groundwater. As a result, sustainable alternatives that are also competitive for crop health are in demand by farmers and distributors. Grace Breeding’s NFT can be applied to a wide range of field crops, including corn, wheat, soybeans and rice, and can be applied less frequently – once, at seeding versus three to four times during the season, which is otherwise the norm.
About Grace Breeding
Grace Breeding is an AgClimateTech company focused on developing environmentally sustainable products that are biologically based and provide effective and natural solutions for farmers and distributors. Grace Breeding aims to disrupt crop agriculture – by providing solutions for biofertilizing crops and alleviating climate stress and offering innovative products and solutions that reduce the environmental damage caused by synthetic fertilizers. Grace Breeding has an R&D center in Israel and in parallel the company develops its products with several leading research and development centers around the world. For more information, visit
References:
1Farmdoc Daily (“Will Brazil emerge as top corn exporting nation?”; 16 Mar 2023)
2Fertilizer Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunities and Forecast 2022-2027
Forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements about our business operations and future plans. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that can be considered as forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this press release have been made based on management’s current expectations, which involve risk, uncertainty and other factors that may cause results to deviate significantly from those expressed in forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the preliminary nature of the Company’s business operations, the dependence on the success of future filed litigation, the regulatory environment, the Company’s financial condition and other risk factors. For a more detailed discussion of these and other risks that could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements in this press release, please see our most recent annual report. The company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements herein.
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