As the leaders in crop nutrition, Mosaic has decades of in-lab and on-farm research to support its understanding of how crop nutrition works. This scientific discovery and expertise in crop nutrition led Mosaic scientists to one important truth: biologicals work. In fact, science is quickly uncovering the connected potential between the soil, the plant and the microbiome to efficiently improve crop health. That’s why Mosaic is developing a science-backed portfolio of biological technologies to activate this connected potential.
But, how does Mosaic find the right biologicals? It all starts with identifying a problem that needs to be solved.
Identify a problem to solve
“You have to be exceptionally clear about the problem you are trying to solve,” said Dr. Scott Rabe, Research and Development Director at Mosaic Biosciences™. “And then we have to be able to describe what a successful product looks like before we work to find the biological that will help solve the problem.”
Throughout this process, Mosaic researchers consider a variety of different factors such as the application system, rate, formulation type and crops in which the biological will need to be applied in order to solve the problem.
Test potential solutions
Once the problem has been clearly stated and the criteria for success have been identified, the Mosaic Biosciences research and development team begins testing biological leads to narrow down the field of options. To do so, Mosaic relies on its team of biosciences and crop nutrition experts, as well as its partners at universities and research institutes around the world, to learn more about how different biologicals may work to address various issues in crop production.
The testing process begins in the lab, where researchers work to understand each lead’s mode of action at the genetic level by leveraging modern scientific technologies like genome sequencing and artificial intelligence. Then, the researchers run highly controlled lab assays to confirm that the biological provides the desired effects on the plants.
Once the laboratory phase is complete, the best biological leads move on to the greenhouse for further assessment. The greenhouse provides the variability needed to test the efficacy of biologicals on plants in a controlled environment. Leads with high efficacy in the greenhouse will move to the next phase of testing — real-world field trials.
Assess the feasibility of the product
A final step in bringing a new biosciences product to market is ensuring it is feasible to do so. Once it is determined that a biological can help solve a problem, Mosaic Biosciences must also assess whether it is cost-effective or can be produced at scale. While it may seem strange to wait until after the testing phases to assess these feasibility factors, keeping this step toward the end of the process allows Mosaic to find the right biologicals to begin with.
“If you worry about factors like cost and producing a biological at scale in step one, you’re never going to find something to even test,” said Rabe. “You’ve got to make sure the biological can solve the problem before you get into the next phases.”
Ultimately, this thorough research and development process ensures Mosaic Biosciences provides farmers with innovative biological solutions that work and deliver a return on investment.
