Bayer-backed startup greenhouse for crop-friendly microbes

Joyn Bio will use the 6,048 square-foot facility in Woodland, California to engineer microbial strains that are good for plants, the company said in a statement Wednesday.

The move comes as agribusinesses like Bayer try to find alternatives to chemical pesticides and man-made fertilizer, with farmers increasingly under pressure to switch to more environmentally friendly practices. At the same time, pests and diseases are becoming more resistant to current synthetic chemicals. 

Through its microbe work, Joyn Bio seeks to cut the need for nitrogen fertilizer. That's relevant now as farmers are considering whether to reduce next season's plantings of corn -- which typically uses lots of nitrogen -- due to skyrocketing prices.

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Photo by laura s on Unsplash

Source: Bloomberg