Source Agriculture has announced a strategic investment in Ascribe Bioscience. Ascribe, founded in 2017, is focused on discovering natural products derived from the soil microbiome to help farmers achieve more reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible farming practices.
Ascribe Bioscience's product, Phytalix, acts like a vaccine for plants by priming their natural defense systems against pathogens. Based on naturally occurring molecules produced by soil organisms, Phytalix has shown proven efficacy in controlling a broad spectrum of pathogens across multiple crops, including corn, wheat, soy, rice, potatoes, and tomatoes. The product is non-toxic, biodegradable, and non-GMO, making it an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pesticides and expensive biological treatments.
Phytalix works by triggering the plant's immune system, allowing crops to respond more rapidly to stressors such as pathogens. Applied as either a seed treatment or foliar spray, the product requires only small amounts of active ingredient per acre, significantly reducing the cost of crop protection while increasing the sustainability of agricultural practices.
Ascribe's proprietary platform uses advanced metabolomics to unlock the potential of the soil microbiome, identifying small molecules that enhance plant health and productivity. This discovery process has led to the development of biobased products that are shelf-stable, durable, and more reliable under diverse field conditions compared to traditional live microbes or complex mixtures.