With a setup comparable to that of brewing beer , MolGen Biologicals draw attention at this fall ’s Seed meets Technology . However , those who take a closer looking at the event stand did n’t see any beer foaming but instead see a dark green substance . To be exact , the reactor contained the trichoderma fungus , fungal spores . At MolGen Biologicals , they have found a way to multiply these fungous spore in an optimal way and subsequently have the plants benefit from it . " We produce up to twenty times more and much more consistently . "
Bas and Eric at a bioreactor in the office
The young society MolGen Biologicals is posit in Veenendaal , The Netherlands . The ace who pay nigh attention might have receive MolGen ( without the tot up Biologicals ) in the past year already at the aforesaid effect in Zwaagdijk - Oost . Where MolGen allow hardware for testing ground tests ( deoxyribonucleic acid extraction kits and an app ) , the bio class works towards fungus production through fermentation , among other things .
Growers are necessitate to apply increasingly few chemical pesticide . This make substitute means for crop protection all the more important . A healthy root microbiome , which includes fungi , can help .
Eric at Seed meets Technology 2022
Batch consistencyEric van de Zilver saw an opportunity to train technology ( shortly patented ) to spawn fungi spores faster and more expeditiously .
" kingdom Fungi that colonize plants to better the soil for plant ontogenesis are n’t Modern . In the 70 and eighty , this was also done already . The unexampled affair we do is that we look at the matter as bioengineers . We take a look at the education process from the perspective of the micro - being . This makes for a slightly unlike approach and leave than the way fungi have currently been viewed from an agriculture and horticulture view . And then especially the production of secure fungus kingdom . "
The process that the fellowship uses is patented . Besides speed and efficiency , ' batch consistency ' is an important advantage . Once again , the beer comparison can be used . " When you ’re brewing beer , and the taste turns out differently every time , that is n’t ideal . " This also applies to fungi , although ordered ' brewing ' is considerably more difficult . " We manage to have a maximum pas seul of 10 % between batches . This might not seem very telling , but the 1 intimate with gentility fungi know that this is very small . In the current horticultural market , these percentages are much higher . This means that the sight alter greatly . "
Field trials with tomato plant plant , where besides growth , output , and wellness , root colonisation is also considered . Specifically , the swarming of fungi from the roots after having been placed on soil is being research . Left ; the root colonization after program of TrichoderMAX . Right ; a militant product for reference . Do you see the deviation ?
try in tomatoThe fungus kingdom colonize the plant ’s roots . A protective layer is formed around the root so that prejudicious fungi can not give it anymore . " Trichoderma collaborate with the plant , " as Bas Millenaar calls it . Where Eric is the technical world , Bas takes the executive pencil lead . With the fungal spores , MolGen Biologicals creates three products , each with the same goal : reaching the plants ' ascendent .
The product TrichoderMAX has been put to field trial . The goal of these trials was to benchmark whether the different kingdom Fungi formulations still yielded the desired event in the study . This was n’t only compare to untreated references but also the function of competitive products . " Remarkable were the results of ascendent settlement , which appeared to show TrichoderMAX being much easily capable in colonizing the plant ’s roots , " read Bas . " The trial realized mellow yields as well . " Eric point out that in literature , it ’s already love that trichoderma has a positive essence on crop . " A yield increase of some 50 % is cite for tomato . "
Natural barrierYet , what makes the products of MolGen Biologicals special , irrespective of the particular breeding technique ? Eric explicate that it ’s that proficiency , in particular , that makes the product that much stronger . " When you equate our fungus on a metabolic layer , on a cellular level , with the ones of others , you see that the cell wall is built otherwise . The composition of the membranes in our spores contain many more anchor that are used to adhere to surfaces such as roots . We also call our spores , therefore , ' infective spore ' contrast to the spore or our competitors , which we call ' dormant ' or ' sleeping ' spores . " A timelapse video of the bioreactor , in which MolGen Biologicals breeds fungi , provides insight into this . " The darker it gets , the more spores and , thus , more return . The fungus spores are filtered , sanctify , and process by us in a product of choice . "
In the post of TrichoderMAX Paste , that ’s for practical app in seed coating . Bas : " We supply our product to the manufacturer of seed coatings . By pass on the fungus directly with the seed , the appropriate fungus is now in the right position . The fungus is presently able to keep itself alive on the seed for nine months , but these endurance tryout are still ongoing . "
Test on high - character trichoderma fungus of MolGen Biologicals at a Zea mays germ . The fungus colonise the seed without negatively affecting the seed ’s sprouting . Bas : " Addition of trichoderma in a coating improves the sprouting and also the growth . Biomass acceleration contain place in the early stage of the cultivation . "
Balance between interpersonal chemistry and biologyA ' disadvantage ' of biological products is that they want preventive legal action from growers . Once harmful fungi have impinge on , adding the trichoderma fungus no longer help . " This alter from chemic substances , which are in that case more effectual , although with environmental effect , " Eric remarks .
Still , the cultivator does have the possibleness to , if the fungus through a coating on the seed is n’t yet present , get the trichoderma fungi in the right place after all . For this , MolGen Biologicals developed the TrichoderMAX Powder , which growers can add to their irrigation . Bas : " An reward of this is that the product has a longer ledge life-time in powder bod . "
what is more , there ’s the TrichoderMAX Liquid . " This liquid form is filtered from the bioreactor . Compared to powder , however , this production has a unretentive ledge aliveness . On the other hand , the grower does n’t need to add additional water to this before water the plant . And finally , there ’s the choice to commix the fungus in the substratum . Bas : " At a client ’s request , this is also an option . We see possibilities in many cultivation , both indoor and outdoor . "
The young company is already looking beyond trichoderma fungi . " With other fungi , you consider other properties . For model , there are fungus kingdom that can cover pest worm . " With that knowledge of hard-nosed applications , MolGen Biologicals look into possibility of breeding such fungus on a tumid scale leaf . Currently , the company is able-bodied to gain fifty liters of intersection from a exclusive reactor , applicable on twenty hectare . Eric : " Using larger reactor is possible , but that does n’t yet make the production go any faster . "
For more information : Bas MIllenaarEric de ZilverMolGen Biologicals[email protected][email protected]www.molgen.com
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