A Johannesburg biotech start-up specialising in bacteria-based solutions has developed a nitrogen-fixing product that it says yielded a 75% average profit increase for fruits and crops in multiple trials.
Custom Chemistry founder Gerhard Vermaak said the product, EL-I Tech, uses bacteria to create crop food — at a fraction of the cost of conventional fertiliser. After multiple trials, the company found that the innovation works on a large, predictable scale.
“There’s a bacterium that creates the food, the nitrogen," Vermaak said. EL-I combines it with another micro-organism that has chlorophyll like a plant, "which helps make an energy source for the nitrogen-fixing bacteria".
"It is the same principle of all living things where sugar is used to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate)," he said. "This is an energy source, or like a battery that stores energy. This is used to change atmospheric nitrogen into plant-absorbable nitrogen."
The product comes in the form of a water-soluble powder, which is essentially dried bacteria.
Vermaak founded Custom Chemistry in 2020 after spending some time in the applied microbiology industry. He started the company to increase access to biotechnology solutions in agriculture.
We have now proven it in a real-play world where weather and scale come into play. The bacteria produce food for the plants. It’s such a novel thing that we have filed patents on it
He said EL-I’s efficacy was first demonstrated in greenhouses. "But we have now proven it in a real-play world where weather and scale come into play. The bacteria produce food for the plants. It’s such a novel thing that we have filed patents on it and we are also exploring international relationships.”
Custom Chemistry also provides waste management solutions. He said the start-up was already exporting to New Zealand.
He said EL-I was applied in a ratio of 100g per hectare.
“In row crops… we are seeing consistent increase in yields. That increase in yields translates to about a quarter ton of fertiliser. That is where we are seeing the 75% average profit increase.
“We are seeing bigger results on the fruit trees, even though we are seeing phenomenal results on the row crops. In citrus trees, we saw a 35% increase in fruits.”
GrainSA head researcher Godfrey Kgatle said applied microbiology and the use of agricultural biologicals promise to revolutionise the agricultural sector.
“This natural process, where specific bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into a plant-usable form, greatly reduces the reliance on synthetic fertilisers. This not only lowers farmers’ input costs but also enriches the soil with fixed nitrogen, benefiting other crops in subsequent growing seasons.”
However, he said while microbial innovations hold great promise, farmers were often slow to adopt new technologies due to scepticism or uncertainty about their effectiveness.
“Logistical and financial constraints, such as product availability and cost, may limit access to these innovations, especially for small-scale farmers. It is important to note that there are so many of these products available and everyone wants to sell them to producers.”
He said producers need to make sure that these products have been tested thoroughly in local conditions, are sold by reputable companies, and are registered under relevant legislation.
Albert Strever, head of the agri-innovation and entrepreneurship faculty at Stellenbosch University, cautioned that with vineyards, there is such a thing as too much nitrogen, and the traditional practice of cover cropping could be an effective and cheaper alternative to EL-I.
“Nitrogen-fixing bacteria, such as those found in EL-I, can provide a natural and sustainable source of nitrogen to vineyards, but so can nitrogen-fixing cover crops. No information was found to prove that this technology has any cost or sustainability benefits over this well-known practice in vineyard surface management.”
He said challenges that may hinder widespread adoption of products such as EL-I included regulatory hurdles, cost-benefit analysis, and the fine balance between optimum fruitfulness and excessive nitrogen.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.