What is Pivot Bio: Revolutionizing Agriculture with Microbial Solutions

What is Pivot Bio? The company and its namesake product aim to revolutionize modern agricultural practices. As graduate students, the co-founders, Alvin Tamsir and Karsten Temme, explored ways to improve plant access to nutrients, focusing on how plants could “feed themselves” through their own microbiomes.

As the two delved into the topic, they found that synthetic fertilizers had altered rhizobacteria and microbes that could produce beneficial forms of nitrogen. Synthetic nitrogen in the soil made the microbes’ genes responsible for nitrogen production dormant. Using their combined knowledge, the two men decided to put the microbes back to work.

What Is Pivot Bio? Developing a Sustainable Alternative

Molecular biology and bioengineering are the foundations for the Pivot Bio product, and this is the strength behind its success over prior synthetic biology products. The idea of using naturally occurring microorganisms and bacteria in farming is not revolutionary by itself. It is a part of traditional farming methods used around the world. Previous synthetic biology products for modern farming were based on traditional methods but failed to gain traction.

A lack of advancements in chemistry, computing, and genetics, along with the lack of development of technology to manipulate genes, limited synthetic biology.  For example, products used available microbes and added carbon to encourage their growth or coated seeds with bio-stimulants. These early attempts to modify nature and incorporate it into modern farming practices lacked the viability of Pivot Bio as a legitimate alternative.

Core Technology

Biologicals that benefit modern farmers add value by targeting nitrogen fixation, pest control, disease resistance, and environmental resilience. Pivot Bio focuses on nitrogen fixation using diazotrophs. Diazotrophs are bacteria that can naturally convert atmospheric nitrogen to plant-available forms of nitrogen, a process called biological nitrogen fixation (BNF).

Using a gene-editing method, researchers at Pivot Bio altered the genes of the microbes that are responsible for two important processes: nitrogen sensing and nitrogen retention. The changes removed the bacteria’s ability to sense nitrogen in the surrounding soil and encouraged it to quickly release the nitrogen it produced. Testing results showed the microbes provided between 7.5% to 14.5% of plant nitrogen needs, reducing the amount of synthetic fertilizer needed.

Benefits For Modern Agriculture

Over the years, the scale and nature of farming in the US have changed. Specialized crops, the use of technology to maximize efficiency for high production rates, and global markets have altered the industry. To turn a profit and feed an increasing population, modern farmers need to grow more with less.

Want to See Pivot Bio in Action?

Pivot Bio improves nitrogen efficiency and lowers labor costs. With more nitrogen available at crop roots, plants are healthier, and there is less wasted fertilizer. This improves yield and lowers input costs. Farmers apply Pivot Bio once at planting and can eliminate up to 40# of synthetic nitrogen from their overall crop nitrogen plan. Overall, soil health improves. Together, the benefits provide stability in an industry where every day is likely to entail the unpredictable, from weather to pests and equipment malfunctions.

Getting Started With Red Barn Enterprises

At Red Barn Enterprises, we can help you achieve higher productivity and sustainability on your farm. Our team collaborates closely with farmers to evaluate their needs and develop a plan that improves efficiency and sustainability. Tap into decades of knowledge and experience to find out how adding Pivot Bio can work for you.

So, what is Pivot Bio? We believe it is the future of modern farming.

This post was written by Axis Seed – Red Barn Enterprises President and resident corn expert, Matt Long.