1000 Solutions - June 19, 2019

AgRHO® S-Boost™ is an eco-friendly germination seed booster.

farming
- Photo by Photo by meriç tuna on Unsplash

Written by Laetitia Waku 4 min read

AgRHO S-Boost favors and optimizes water and nutrients absorption by the seed.


In the world 33% of all the soils are degraded and their state continue to deteriorate at an alarming rate due in majority to human activities according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The main causes of this environmental disaster are well known: unsustainable agricultural practices, spreading of plant protection products such as pesticides and herbicides, as well as emissions of livestock buildings and farms.

"Soil acts as a filter for contaminants. But when its buffering capacity is exceeded, contaminants can enter the environment and the food chain. This undermines food security by making crops risky and unsafe for consumption". 
Maria Helena Semedo Deputy Director-General at FAO.

It is in this context that the company Solvay has developed AgRHO® S-Boost™, an innovative biodegradable and environment-friendly product allowing producers to conciliate good agricultural yield and soil protection. The germination seed booster, a modified natural macromolecule extracted from Guar - a leguminous plant, is a seed treatment for field crops that consists in stimulating the root development to make the plant more robust.

Thanks to its unique properties, this biostimulant favors and optimizes water and nutrients absorption by the seed in the ground. This enables the boost of its germination while avoiding the farmer from spraying his field with unnecessary amounts of fertilizer and water. The action of the product is not biological nor systemic, but based on a modification of the seedling’s environment that starts developing just after germination.

Bio-based, biodegradable and non-toxic for plants or people, this solution allows plants to be more resistant and vigorous to the hazards of an agricultural season and thus provides a stable income for farmers, while reducing the environmental impact of agriculture. AgRHO® S-Boost™ is a unique product on an agricultural market in dire need of innovation in order to feed the world while preserving the planet.

“AgRHO® S-Boost™ allows to boost resource efficiency in agriculture by reducing water consumption, a crucial issue in order to be able to feed a growing global population without sucking water resources dry."
Richard Thommeret, Solvay, Head of Partnership Solvay-Solar Impulse Foundation.

Soil is a finite resource, meaning its loss and degradation is not recoverable within a human lifespan. Healthy soils are the key to food security and our sustainable future in accordance with the FAO. Nowadays, it urges to change our food production habits in privileging responsible and sustainable methods to better shape our future!

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