Biologicals remain one of the fastest growing segments in agriculture, but questions remain about which ones work, and how. Ever committed to transparency, Mosaic BiosciencesTM launched the Frontier Fields program in 2024, a docuseries on YouTube, to share the authentic opinions and experiences of farmers using their BioPath® bio crop nutrition product. Throughout the 2024 growing season, the six farmers in the inaugural Frontier Fields program discovered the yield advantages and return on fertilizer investment BioPath can provide.
“Biologicals are extremely beneficial for crop nutrition, but what we’ve learned through our research at Mosaic Biosciences is that not all bio crop nutrition solutions are the same,” said Matt Sowder, Director of Field Solutions at Mosaic Biosciences. “Soil types, moisture levels, growing conditions, even existing microbial activity in the soil all impact if and how a biological product will work. With the Frontier Fields program, we put BioPath to the test in six real-world trials, and we’re pleased with the results.”
Delivering a Return on the Fertilizer Investment
BioPath is a bio-crop nutrition product intended to help improve nutrient use efficiency in the soil by making nutrients more accessible and available to the crop. With additional nutrients taken up and utilized during the growing season, maximizing yield potential becomes more attainable. For southern Illinois farmer Granvil Travis, yielding extra bushels comes down to making his more challenging soils perform better.
“I used BioPath this season to see if I could unlock some of the nutrients to help improve the health of my plants in my challenging soils,” said Travis. “If I can make my tougher soils produce more with more available bio crop nutrition, I can improve the overall yields on the farm.”
Brooks Reid, a farmer in western Missouri, says there isn’t a lot of difference in how the BioPath-treated crop looks visually, but he found a big difference when he looked deeper.
“It’s tough to see a four-bushel increase when you’re walking in the field, but I’ve been seeing more fibrous roots in my root digs, which can make more nutrients available to my plants,” said Reid. “Fertilizer is more efficient because of these types of biologicals, which I believe may be the key to increased yields.”
In addition to increased yields, several of the Frontier Fields participants also noted a positive return on their investment.
“If you put too much onto four-dollar corn, you can end up upside down really quick,” said Travis. “With the price of BioPath and the returns I’m seeing, it’s an easy decision,” said Travis.
North Central Indiana farmer Dave Schrock agrees. “I want to see an ROI of at least 3-to-1 when I’m trialing any product,” says Schrock. “Our BioPath trial field ended up about four or five bushels higher than other fields, so with the price of BioPath, that’s a win in my book.”
Still More to Learn
Even with these six farm trials, Mosaic Biosciences and the Frontier Fields farmers believe there is still more to learn about how biologicals work in the soil. Brothers Jake and Ryan Drozd, who both farm near the Great Lakes in Michigan, didn’t see much difference in their fields with the naked eye. But harvest proved them wrong.
“We saw about a four-bushel increase during harvest from BioPath in our Frontier Fields trial,” said Jake Drozd. “I wasn’t sure there was going to be a noticeable difference based on what we saw in the fields, but it was pretty clear once we compared the numbers.”
The learning won’t stop with the soil activity though. Biologicals consist of living organisms that may adapt their behavior based on environmental factors. Understanding how certain biologicals act and react with different seeds, fertilizers, environmental conditions and moisture levels will help move agriculture forward.
“I ended up doing two field trials using different seed varieties,” said Iowa farmer Andrew Focht. “In one of those field trials, I saw about a 25-bushel increase, and in the other, I saw an almost two-bushel loss. So, with that discrepancy, it’s clear there are other factors in the field that impact how the biologicals work. The trick now is to solve the puzzle and find what works well together to maximize yield potential in each field.”
Even with this difference in results between hybrids, Focht felt the trial provided valuable insights about how BioPath fits into his operation. “Overall, it was a great success. Now I know where to push and maybe where not to,” he said.
“There are a variety of factors that can influence yields and ROI. If we can figure out that perfect systems approach — the one where we say this type of soil requires this type of seed, and that seed needs this type of fertility, and that fertility needs this bio-crop nutrition product — then we’re cooking with gas,” said Sowder. “The Frontier Fields trials this year are helping to get us closer.”
Overall, the 2024 Frontier Fields program provided valuable insights into how biologicals work on real-world farms. On average, the farmers observed a yield advantage of 5.12 bu/ac and an ROI of 3.9-1. The participants’ results are consistent with what Mosaic has observed through its robust field trials of BioPath, which have shown a win rate of 80% over the untreated check.
Throughout the season, the Frontier Fields farmers documented their learnings and experiences in a 12-episode docuseries. To date, the series has garnered more than 1 million views on YouTube. The Frontier Fields program will return for Season 2 in the 2025 growing season as six new farmers trial Mosaic biologicals to discover the benefits and improve the return on their fertilizer investments. To learn more, watch bonus content from the 2024 growing season and meet the 2025 Frontier Fields farmers, visit FrontierFields.com.
