Nov 15, 2019

Rhizolizer named top biological tool for carbon removal, ag productivity

Locus Agricultural Solutions (Locus AG), a certified B Corp and U.S.-based agtech startup, announced Nov. 14 hat Rhizolizer won Best New Biological Product of 2019 in the Crop Science Awards’ biostimulant category due to its ability to remove record amounts of atmospheric carbon while sustainably growing more food.

With about 15% of all surface land being used to produce crops, the ability to sequester carbon in soil in a way that benefits growers financially makes Rhizolizer a practical and potentially disruptive tool in the fight against climate change.

“The easiest and fastest way to keep global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius is by accelerating crop soils’ ability to sequester and store atmospheric carbon,” said Paul Zorner, Locus AG’s acting CEO and chief agronomist. “These natural, microbial-based soil amendment treatments speed the transformation of crop lands from a carbon source to a beneficial carbon sink. This award recognizes a breakthrough technology that does this and creates a win for farmers, the environment and society.”

Third-party verified data confirms Rhizolizer increases crop yields up to 34% and soils’ ability to sequester by up to 8.6 additional metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalents per acre annually. Locus AG’s line of soil treatments can be tailored for use in various crop types and managed turf to deliver environmental and economic benefits.

The “probiotics” technology was developed from the ground up to be a scalable, cost-effective and easy-to-use carbon removal tool that increases soil health and enables farmers to boost yields and profits.

Rhizolizer was commercialized in 2018 and won the award over more established products with global reach. For more information and to see ongoing results, visit LocusAG.com/Rhizolizer.

John Rea accepting the award on Locus AG’s behalf. Photo: Locus Agricultural Solutions