In 10 years, biologicals have made big strides—going from $10 billion in sales in 2021 to an estimated $18 billion in 2026, according to industry analysts. Credit for the increased adoption goes to improved biological product performance, which includes how the biologicals are handled and applied in the field.
That’s what Jane Fife, chief technical officer at 3BarBio, and team have been working on for 10 years—delivery mechanisms.
Two examples of 3BarBio-developed solutions are the Meristem Bio-Capsule and the Indigo Ag Clips device, which is at the center of a new distribution agreement with Growmark just announced in November.
“Product efficacy is tied to delivery—from when the biologicals leave the manufacturer to the time they are used,” she says. “And the channel is not forgiving.”
Fife says one of the breakthroughs in higher biological adoption rates has come from the biological industry conceding the handling, storage and application of biologicals can’t go against the current.
“We think differently to make the products perform better. We use innovation in engineering and microbiology to ensure living micro products are viable at the point of use,” Fife explains. “Our protocols need to be reasonable.”
Notably, an area for improvement was in the way dry products were handled and applied.
“It’s been easy to see the preference has been for liquid products,” Fife says. “But in focusing on keeping the microbe dormant as long as possible to survive in the supply chain, we’ve unlocked new options with dry and expanded its appeal.”
As she explains, in every step of the process, you have the potential to lose a living microbe, and each one lost is a detriment to performance in the field.
“It’s a threefold consideration: how can we improve the formulation, improve the package and fit it into the supply chain conditions,” she says. “And the packaging matters. If you have dry powder and it’s clumpy from exposure to humidity, that’s not good packaging.”
The milestones for success at 3BarBio is finding the solutions to advance biologicals.
“We are measuring for better formulations, better delivery and also increased success in the field,” Fife says. “Because these are the tools that allow retailers to get on more acres as farmers ask for what is working.”
