10107059Development of a bacteria-based biostimulant for the berry sectorClosedLaunchpadInnovate UKBiostimulants are beneficial microbes that are applied to crops to promote plant growth and increase yield. These microbes live naturally on plants and produce molecules that stimulate plant growth, either by producing plant growth hormones or by increasing the bioavailability of nutrients from the soil. Biostimulants are seeing increasing use in agriculture, as they represent an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical fertilisers. Despite their benefits, however, hurdles remain to the widespread adoption of biostimulants in agriculture, including inconsistent results and long development times. By repurposing our highly promising research pipeline for biocontrol bacteria (i.e. natural alternatives to chemical pesticides), we aim to overcome these barriers and generate a highly efficient biostimulant to support sustainable agriculture and specifically berry growers. Berries are one of the most valuable crops in the UK and globally, and production is heavily dependent on the use of synthetic agrochemicals. Currently, the use of biostimulants by the UK berry market is limited, although our initial market research suggests that this limitation is primarily due to the absence of reliable, cost-effective products on the market. The demand for these products is high, and our biostimulants will launch into a large and enthusiastic marketplace. The proposed project will use our innovative discovery technology to overcome the limitations of current biostimulant generation pipelines, allowing us to deliver a highly effective, bacteria-based biostimulant for the berry sector. We aim to \[1\] identify new berry biostimulants from our existing bacterial collections, \[2\] test their durability and survival on berry plants, \[3\] define the biochemical mode-of-action of our biostimulant strains, and \[4\] address key questions relating to scalability, formulation and product stability. This work will run in parallel to and support our highly successful, ongoing discovery of effective biocontrol agents for key berry diseases, and has the potential both to open up an exciting new market for PfBIO and to increase the value of our existing biocontrol prototypes. Ultimately, the generated biostimulants will support berry growers, contribute to more sustainable farming practices, reduce waste and costs, enhance plant health and crop quality, and decrease the ecological footprint of berry horticulture. With InnovateUK support, this 12-month research programme will deliver a commercial prototype product that will revolutionise the future of horticultural practice and food security with global exploitation potential. The project promises significant growth, a strong return on investment, increased employment, and further prospects for research and development investment for our rapidly growing agribusiness.