Farmers test microbes to nourish crops as climate pressure grows, costs rise

Feb 3 (Reuters) – Tech companies are raising hundreds of millions of dollars, including backing from agriculture heavyweights like Bayer AG (BAYGn.DE), in developing farm products that use living things like microbes and seaweed to nourish crops and lessen the need for synthetic fertilizer.Microbes, including fungi and viruses, have been available for decades as treatments to protect plants from insects and disease, with mixed results. But developers are increasingly deploying them as natural ways to nurture crops while maintaining crop production levels.Such products could help farmers lessen applications of nitrogen that can pollute waterways and generate nitrous oxide, …
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