b'opment of new types of plant nutrition.Can you explain how this innovationSW: Niklas, you joined the Arevo The question was just which of the manyworks in more detail?team as CEO in September. Can amino acids available would be most suit- Regina Gratz (RG):In general, arginineyou share some insights into your able? We realized right at the beginningis absorbed faster by plant roots thanmanufacturing processes, and how that a combination of high soil retentionother nitrogenous substances. Becauseit aligns with your commitment combined with high rates of acquisi- it is positively charged in the pH rangeto environmental responsibility in tion of plant roots would be the idealof soils, arginine also binds strongly toagriculture?characteristic for delivering nitrogen tosoil particles. The combination of effi- Niklas strm (NA): The increased plants. The combination seemed unlikelycient root uptake and strong binding todemand for our products motivated us to but tests on tree seedlings showed thatsoil particles leads to very low leachinginvest in a new, custom-tailored produc-arginine displays both characteristics. Weof nitrogen compared to other forms oftion facility in 2022, allowing us to manu-also made the discovery that plants culti- plant nitrogen sources used today. Andfacture our product line in-house. The vated on arginine exhibited a much moreas Torgny already mentioned, argininefacility is much smaller, but much more well-developed root system comparedstimulates growth and development ofresource efficient compared to the pro-to plants cultivated on inorganic nitrogenroots and root-associated microbes. Thisduction of conventional fertilizers, which and, in the case of trees, a much highermakes plants more stress-resistant withlowers our carbon footprint significantly. degree of mycorrhizal roots. This showedrobust and well-developed root sys- In addition, the manufacturing processes that organic nitrogen in general, and argi- tems, providing increased survival, highare designed to minimize waste by re-nine in particular, was not only anothergrowth and simplified cultivation. Ourusing our own waste streams in subse-source of nitrogen for plants but alsocompany has developed a technology byquent production runs. And, as Regina that plant performance was drasticallywhich arginine is released over extendedmentioned, our products do not require improved, in particular root development. periods of time to enable exact dosingfossil fuel-based plastic membranes to for germinating seeds and for stimulatingcontrol their release. SW: What inspired you and yourbeneficial microbes such as nitrogen-fix-team to take your scientific resultsing bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi. At the to the next level by founding acore of the technology is the formulation company that produces plantof arginine into arginine monophosphate biostimulants? crystals. This formulation brings con-TN: I was contacted by a prospectivetrolled release properties which makes forestry customer who was forced tothe product perfectly suited for seed reduce their nitrogen leaching from plantapplications as well as precision place-nurseries. They thought I had a solutionments close to seeds. The controlled that could replace the inorganic nitro- release properties of arginine phosphate gen component in their fertilizers by analso replaces the need for technology organic-derived nitrogen form: arginine.involving membranes.The leaching of nitrate from mineralArevo production facility.fertilizers contributes to severe environ-mental effects such as polluting water-ways. Using arginine as nitrogen sourceSW: Regina, How much product is for plant cultivation maintains plantnecessary, and how much difference growth, development and productivity,does it make? while minimizing leaching and pollution.RG: Because our product is so power-The well-known negative effects of highful and efficient, only 80g nitrogen per rates of inorganic nitrogen supply on roothectare as a one-time application during development was also a major interestplanting of forest seedlings is needed. and when seeing how arginine promotedArginine Phosphate crystals. This shows how a minute amount of a fundamentally different and much moreproduct results in a strong positive developed root system, I understood thateffect on seedling survival and growth, this technology not only could reducewhich directly addresses the attempts to nitrogen leaching but could also contrib- reduce nitrogen inputs in soils. A study ute to the development of more resilientof the effects on golf grass executed by cropping systems. the Norwegian Research Institute, NIBIO, displayed a significantly reduced nitrogen SW: Regina, you are the businessleaching into the environment.and product manager at Arevo, asNIBIO used our product in comparison well as a researcher at the Swedishto a standard inorganic nitrogen fertilizer University of Agricultural Sciences.arGrow, granulate version. to grow turf. They found that the leaching 104/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2023'