Exacta Bioscience and Ginkgo Bioworks have entered into a partnership whereas Exacta will be leveraging Ginkgo Bioworks’ end-to-end agricultural R&D services to run a fermentation optimization and scale-up program to enhance one of its crop protection products, FitoRoot, paving the way for large-scale commercialization.

FitoRoot, a biostimulant product composed of three Bacillus strains, is designed to help crops better absorb water, nutrients and strengthen their defenses against abiotic stress. This can lead to overall better crop health, improved yield and increased resistance to stress conditions such as drought or extreme temperatures.

Through this partnership, Exacta will use Ginkgo's fermentation and formulation optimization services to reduce the cost of goods to make its FitoRoot technology more competitive.

Accordingly, FitoRoot is currently marketed in Chile and is expected to expand to other Latin American markets, with a planned launch in 2023 by Adama Chile, who is driving biological adoption in the region. Adama Ltd is one of the world's leading crop protection companies.

"We chose Ginkgo because their deep expertise in agricultural product development and optimization positions us to make one of our key crop protection products, FitoRoot, more accessible," said José Bustos, CEO at Exacta Bioscience. "We're proud of the progress Exacta has made, and this partnership marks a vital step toward accelerating our efforts to assure the quality and availability of one of our products and creating a stable and safer ecosystem."

"Exacta Bioscience's emphasis on microbial solutions in crop health brings more sustainable and differentiated solutions to farmers throughout the Americas," said Magalie Guilhabert, Head of Ag Biologicals, Ginkgo Bioworks. "Together, we can continue to push the boundaries of agricultural innovation through biotechnological solutions that promote a more sustainable future for our food systems."