Indigo Biological Science

What if microbes could help plants protect themselves?

Since its inception, Indigo Ag has been on the cutting edge of scientific innovation. We leverage powerful microbiology, machine learning, and digital technologies to make agriculture more productive, profitable, and sustainable.

While our goals are ambitious, we think big by starting small — at the microscopic level.

To discover the microorganisms with the greatest positive impact on crop health and yield, Indigo’s Biologicals team scours the globe for strong, thriving plants among less thriving neighbors. These “survivor” plants could possess a microbial advantage in fields subject to high stress.

Back in the lab, Indigo scientists isolate and identify bacteria and fungi inside that may have allowed these plants to withstand adverse environments and pests. These all-natural microbes are then combined in a formulation carefully developed to be used in conventional seed treaters to coat seed as part of our biotrinsic® product offering. Since the microorganisms that we harness are rigorously tested and selected for compatibility with seed chemistries, planting methods, and plant care strategies, seed providers and farmers can follow Indigo instructions for use and seamlessly combine Indigo products with their management practices. And because we've invested significantly in shelf-life and stability, seed treated with Indigo® Biological Technology will maintain viability and efficacy between purchase and planting — even after weeks of on-farm storage.

Indigo^® Biological
Technology

Indigo’s collection of beneficial microbes has the capacity to protect crops from nearly every abiotic stress imaginable – from extreme temperatures and water scarcity to nutrient-deficient soils. By helping shield plants from tough conditions and enhancing their use of resources, microbes within Indigo's biotrinsic collection have the potential to improve yields while decreasing inputs.

What sets our Biologicals portfolio apart

We strive for best-in-class performance across our portfolio of crops. Lab testing and small plot trials alone are not sufficient to achieve our high standards, so we work in tandem with farmers to assess our seed treatments in real-world, commercial-scale settings. We’re also fortunate to employ and partner with some of the brightest minds in the business – scientific advisors, research universities, and other collaborators – with decades of microbiology experience to strengthen our products.

Where we're headed

In previous decades, agricultural productivity steadily advanced with the advent of new breeding techniques, synthetic fertilizers, traits, and other industrial technologies. But that growth has since stalled, and productivity has reached a plateau. Rather than taking a traditional industry approach, we are focused instead on fortifying plants against environmental pressures and pests that are preventing global harvests from potentially doubling, or even tripling. That’s the future Indigo envisions. Microbe by microbe, we’re working to break the productivity ceiling and raise the bar for more beneficial agriculture.

Hear from the scientific community

Microbes do a lot of great things for plants. They have an activity which lowers stress levels. They help fight off pathogens. They really are unique organisms that mother nature has chosen to put inside of plants.

Scott Lowman, PhD | Director of Plant Endophyte and Applied Research, IALR

At Indigo, we've built out one of the largest and most diverse collections of microbial endophytes on the planet. And many of those now have high quality genome sequence data so we can understand exactly what these microbes are capable of, how they interact with plants, and how they might improve plant health.

Sarah Seaton | Sr. Scientist, Indigo Biological Products

A characteristic of natural microbes that makes them more powerful than traditional crop technologies like chemistries and GMOs is their ability to respond rapidly to their environment. Whether it’s cool, hot, wet, or dry, they respond. And they do so within seconds.

Geoffrey von Maltzahn, PhD | Indigo Ag Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer

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What if microbes could help plants protect themselves?

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What sets our Biologicals portfolio apart

Where we're headed

What makes biotrinsic® seed treatments different:our microbes

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Indigo^® Biological
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What makes biotrinsic® seed treatments different:
our microbes