The Bio-Reckoning Is Here in Agriculture

The biologicals industry is entering a consequential chapter. As biologicals become easier to buy and harder to dismiss, the standard for success is changing.

Growers want proof about where a product works, when it works, and whether it works consistently enough to justify a place in their program.

The next phase of biologicals will be decided in the field, not in the laboratory.

“We start with a real agronomic challenge, understand the biology behind it, and develop a solution that can fit practically into the way growers already manage their acres,” says Ross Bender, Director for New Product Development at Mosaic.

That approach may be one of the clearest signs of maturation. Instead of asking what a biological can replace, companies are increasingly asking what job it can perform within the larger crop production system.

As biologicals become more integrated into crop production, the question for ag retailers is becoming less about whether they work and more about where they belong.

PI AgSciences, for example, says its biochemical nematode technology can be tank-mixed with conventional crop protection and fertility products, while Jord Bioscience describes its biostimulant as a complement to crop input programs growers already use.

For ag retailers, that puts more emphasis on understanding the agronomic problem a product is meant to solve, the conditions under which it performs, and what it is intended to complement or replace.

That question of how a product fits into a system is becoming more specific as well.

Jon Treloar, Agronomist with Novonesis, points to early-season establishment as one area where biologicals may play a larger role as growers plant earlier into cooler soils.

“Growers are looking for tools that deliver consistent performance under variable conditions, and biologicals are playing an increasingly important role in helping protect yield potential from day one,” Treloar says.

He expects continued development around technologies that support root growth, nutrient-use efficiency, and resilience to environmental stress heading into 2027.

For ag retailers, that may require looking past the biological label itself. Questions to ask about biological products include:

• What problem does the technology address?
• Where does the product fit within the grower’s existing program?
• Does the product’s data support using it under the grower’s current conditions?

Biologicals may finally be finding their place in the crop input toolbox, but the next step is making sure growers are reaching the right tool for the job.

New Vs. Stability and Scale

Another defining development in biologicals’ maturation as a category is that it’s beyond another new product launch.

Companies are building the manufacturing, discovery, distribution, and agronomic systems needed to make biological technologies a more predictable part of crop production. Industry developments are showing this already.

GROWMARK in Bloomington, IL, is adding dedicated biological manufacturing capacity in St. Louis, MO, citing demand that is growing faster than available capacity.

Corteva and Hexagon Bio also formed a multimillion-dollar joint venture combining microbial genetics, artificial intelligence, chemistry, and synthetic biology to discover nature-inspired crop protection solutions.

Biological and biochemical technologies are also moving through established regulatory and commercial channels.

Recently, PI AgSciences received EPA registration for its peptide-based biochemical nematode technology and is working through partners including Wilbur-Ellis. Meanwhile, Syngenta is commercializing Groundwork BioAg technology, and BW Fusion introduced EPA-registered biocontrol products.

Performance expectations are changing as well.

“The next era of biologicals will be defined by performance and consistency, not novelty,” says Dr. Keri Carstens, President and CEO of Jord BioScience. Jord reports that its 9311 biostimulant achieved a 2.6-bushel-per-acre average soybean yield advantage over industry-standard treatments.

The question is shifting from whether biologicals can work to when, where, and how reliably they perform.

Mosaic’s Bender says growers and retailers increasingly want to know “under what conditions it works, how consistently it performs, and where it fits within an overall crop nutrition program.”

From Single Products to Systems and Platforms

That shift is also changing how companies think about biologicals in the field. Rather than positioning them as standalone alternatives, companies increasingly are looking at how biologicals fit alongside crop protection, fertility, and nutrition.

“With continued pressure on farm economics, sustainability, consistency, and return on investment, we’re focusing on how we can integrate biologicals into our more conventional programs,” says Cody Eubanks, National Marketing Manager for Innvictis BioScience.

Innvictis has added Vinseari, a seaweed-derived biostimulant aimed at stress mitigation, and Viaduct, a line of foliar secondary and micronutrient products, to a portfolio that combines biological and nutritional tools.

Mosaic is taking a similar approach. Bender says BioPath and PowerCoat are intended to complement rather than replace fertilizer by improving nutrient availability and uptake.

This system’s approach extends to product development and recommendation. Mosaic’s TruResponse platform evaluates product response by factors including geography, application method, and soil texture, while Jord selects microbes for their ability to colonize, persist, and function within the existing microbiome rather than simply evaluating what an organism can do in isolation.

Biologicals are entering a new phase in agriculture as the industry shifts its focus from product novelty to proven performance, consistency, and practical fit within growers’ existing programs.

Increased investment in manufacturing capacity, discovery platforms, regulatory approvals, and distribution is helping move biologicals from emerging products toward scalable crop-production tools. The industry’s next chapter will increasingly center on integrated systems and site-specific solutions designed to address challenges such as nutrient efficiency, early-season establishment, and environmental stress.