Switch Bioworks is moving its engineered microbial fertilizer into U.S. field trials, giving the company a practical test for technology designed to reduce dependence on conventional nitrogen fertilizer.
The San Carlos, California-based biotechnology company has received authorization from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to begin advanced research and development field trials across multiple agricultural sites in the U.S. Midwest.
The trials will focus on corn, the largest U.S. crop by acreage and one of the most nitrogen-intensive parts of American agriculture. For growers, corn production is closely tied to fertilizer availability, pricing, and timing, making it a key market for any alternative nitrogen product.
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