If 2025 has taught us anything, it’s that the era of “going it alone” in seed and crop innovation is over. Success now means building the best possible teams—of people and of microbes—and unleashing their collective natural power through true collaboration. As the seed industry gathered at the ASTA Field Crop Seed Convention in early December, collaboration was more than a theme. It was our collective call to action.
The fact is, the next big leap for agricultural biologicals won’t come from silos, but from collaborations that combine expertise, data, and disciplined product development. While the biologicals segment has become crowded, breakout opportunities exist for strategic partnerships. We are seeing innovators and agribusinesses join forces to rethink how biologicals integrate into modern crop systems, whether as pure-play biologicals or in combination with chemistry. In the new year, expect major shifts as expectations rise and the bar for performance and reliability gets higher.
At Jord BioScience, we were excited to unveil two years of independent, multi-state field data at ASTA, showing our proprietary SignalGrowTM microbial solutions consistently deliver yield boosts of 1.4 to 3.1 bushels per acre—outperforming industry standards across 16 locations and both drought and wet seasons. Win rates over 80% against leading biological and chemical benchmarks are only possible because of how we work—with partners, not in a vacuum.
- Corn biofertilizers: In our first-year trialing, one lead advances with >7 bu/acre advantage and 80%+ win rate over elite benchmarks (Jord win: >2.5 bu/acre), improving nutrient availability and beneficial microbe function. The second showed 4 bu/acre gains and 70%+ wins by enhancing macronutrient access.
- Soy biofertilizers/biostimulants: Consistent across three years, one delivered 3.0 bu/acre increases and 75% wins (Jord win: >0.5 bu/acre) over elite chemistry/biological treatments by boosting soil microbes, establishment, and biomass. Another added 2.1 bu/acre with 75% wins via nutrient access, vigor, and plant health—translating to $20-30/acre ROI for farmers.
These results stem from our Biologicals Playbook and 6,500-isolate library, now powering partnerships with seed companies and trait providers to discover and commercialize products faster. At ASTA, we met partners exploring pipeline opportunities—from seed treatments to traited hybrids—accelerating innovation from lab to field.
Real and rapid innovation comes through co-development.
As 2026 begins, one thing stands out above all else: farmers win when our industry collaborates—and the companies who work together will set the new performance standard for biologicals.
