In close cooperation with producers in the field of crop production, high-quality and sustainably produced foodstuffs are to be launched on the market, which can also be identified and traced as such in the further processing process.

Better nutrient absorption and higher resistance to drought stress

Changing modern agriculture one microbe at a time

Indigo Agriculture expanded to Europe in 2019 and is taking its first steps in the German and Turkish markets from its new European headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. The US company offers a portfolio of advanced technologies to the agricultural sector, including microbial seed treatments, digital agronomy services and grain quality testing. In the current season, farmers in Germany and Turkey are already using microbial treated seeds from Indigo. Benefit: the plants are more resistant, crop yields are higher and grain quality is better. 

Indigo already offers a variety of microbially treated seed products for wheat and corn in various countries on several continents. In Europe selected farmers in Germany and Turkey are currently using Indigo WheatTM. In Germany there are about twenty farmers with a total of 550 ha, in Turkey there are 20 farmers and two seed companies who grow the treated seeds on a total area of ​​more than 2500 ha.

Close cooperation between Indigo and farmers

Indigo works directly with farmers and provides them with microbially treated seeds. Farmers grow Indigo microbially treated seed in parallel with their conventional seed. After the season, the yields of both cultivated areas are compared. If the yield from the treated seeds of Indigo is higher, the profit is divided between Indigo and the farmer. If the yield isn´t higher, the farmer doesn´t have to pay for the microbe and the further services of Indigo.
Partnering with growers has helped the company enter the market faster.

Portfolio of researched microbes is growing steadily

Microbes occur in and on the surface of every plant, some of these microbes are beneficial. Indigo's research team studies microbes across the globe and identifies those microbes that are beneficial to the health and stress resistance of the plant. After successfully performing tests in the laboratory, in the greenhouse and on the field, the products are tested in commercial scale settings in cooperation with farmers.

Indigo has been at the forefront of discovering that these beneficial microbes play an important role in helping crops survive a variety of stresses. By treating the seed with  microbes, the uptake of macro- and micronutrients into the soil is increased and the plant's resistance to drought is significantly improved. This has a positive effect on crop yields and grain quality.

Flexible partner for the plant

A characteristic of natural microbes is that they make the plant more efficient and more resistant to stress than conventional chemical fertilizers. They react within seconds to changes in their environment, such as cold, heat, moisture or drought. This capability makes microbes flexible in a way that synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are not. Their responsiveness makes them a dynamic partner for plants exposed to ever-changing pressures throughout the year.

Incentive for sustainable agricultural cultivation

Digital Platform Marketplace: Fair prices for high-quality and sustainably produced grain

Following the opening of the new European headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, the US company Indigo offers the European agricultural industry a portfolio of pioneering technologies. In Germany and Turkey, farmers can already cooperate with Indigo. In addition to microbial seed treatments and digital agronomy services, the product range will also include a digital marketplace: from 2020 on, farmers can sell their grain via Indigo Marketplace. Buyers have the advantage of sourcing grain that meets their qualitative requirements. As a result, growers can be paid not only for quantity but also for the quality of their products.

End-consumers are increasingly willing to pay for high quality and sustainably produced food. However, it is difficult to meet these consumer desires if grain identity and quality characteristics of the grain are lost along the way. This is where Indigo comes in with its digital e-commerce platform Marketplace that connects growers directly with buyers, incentivizing sustainable, quality driven cultivation while preserving grain identity. Marketplace is a neutral platform; it is open to any interested buyer (e.g. grain processors), grower, cooperative and other distributor (e.g. private trader). Growers get the right price for the quality of their products, and buyers can source grain that meets their specific needs.

How does Marketplace work?

The growers enrol in Marketplace with no obligation. They can then offer their crop and start receiving bids from purchasers. On the demand side, purchasers create offers, which are sent to all growers whose crops meet their specifications. The farmers can accept or reject the offer. If they don´t accept any of the offers, they are free to sell their grain through other channels at any time. The final decision of who to sell to, lies with the grower. If they accept an offer via Marketplace, they can decide whether they organize the logistics by themselves or handle it via Indigo.

Important component of the Indigo product portfolio

For Indigo, Marketplace is an indispensable part of its product portfolio, which also includes microbial seed treatments, digital agriculture services and a carbon sequestration program. Indigo's goal is to help farmers produce and market sustainably grown food. By launching Marketplace, Indigo offers farmers and buyers a transaction platform for sustainably grown and differentiable crops.

Marketplace will provide a range of additional services. These include, for example, cross-border transactions, specific quality requirements, transport services and grain quality checks. The price and fee structure will be transparent and comprehensible for every user.

Successful introduction to the USA

Indigo has already successfully launched Marketplace in the US. In total thousands of growers have registered over $ 12 billion worth of products, while buyers have tendered more than $ 30 billion. Marketplace will be rolled out across Europe. In 2020 it will be available to growers in selected countries, such as Germany. From the very beginning, buyers from all over Europe will be able to access grower offers via Marketplace.

Sustainable increase in crop yield through data-based cultivation strategy

Digital Services: Indigo offers farmers complete package including advice

After opening the new European headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, the US company Indigo Agriculture offers the European agriculture industry a portfolio of pioneering technologies. Farmers in Germany and Turkey can already cooperate with Indigo. In addition to microbial seed treatments, the Indigo product range also includes digital agriculture services: Indigo provides farmers with ongoing support and advice throughout the growing cycle of the crop.

Indigo's agricultural advisors are equipped with the latest tools and software that enable farmers to make intelligent, data-driven decisions about their operations. Before the planting season, Indigo conducts an advanced digital soil analysis, creating multi-layered soil maps. These maps provide information on the physical characteristics of the soil and the availability of macro and micronutrients. Based on the test results, an Indigo agricultural consultant develops in cooperation with the farmer a plan for the use of fertilizer and plant protection. The knowledge from the soil maps and samples is transformed into a strategy that is specifically tailored to the farmer's field and helps to sustainably increase crop yield.

Ongoing monitoring of plants with drone technology

Indigo uses drone technology and software which is designed specifically for agriculture. The goal is to provide the farmer with information and recommendations throughout the season. The Indigo agricultural adviser visits the farm regularly, flies over the field with the drone and informs the farmer about:

• Condition of the arable land: Where are gaps in the cultivated area? What measures should be taken?
• Plant health: Are the plants stressed by drought, disease, pest infestation, weeds or chemicals?
• Fertilization: Development of a fertilizer strategy to increase overall productivity and reduce fertilizer costs

Grain quality check before harvest

Indigo checks the grain quality shortly before the harvest. The protein content and the moisture are determined with a special handheld analysing tool. The level of this analysis is comparable to a laboratory test. Based on these values, the optimal date for the harvest can be determined.

Indigo Atlas - satellite images with great significance

Indigo is working on an "Indigo Atlas" for Europe. This atlas is a living map detailing the world's agricultural crop production. Based on up-to-date satellite imagery and weather information, Atlas can produce high-resolution, real-time images that enable farmers to make more informed cropping and harvesting decisions as well as forecasting.

Farmers can earn money in 2020 with regenerative soil cultivation

Indigo Carbon: carbon dioxide storage for healthier soils

Indigo Agriculture opened their European headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, in 2019. The US company offers the European crop industry a portfolio of cutting-edge technologies. In Germany and Turkey, farmers can already cooperate with Indigo. In addition to microbial seed treatments and digital agriculture services, the product portfolio will also include "Indigo Carbon". Indigo will start a pilot for this program in Europe in 2020 and requests interested growers to sign up. The program wants to promote soil health and carbon sequestration in soils by helping farmers get paid for sequestering carbon.

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased dramatically. In 2019, we hit a new record high of 415 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide. That amounts to a total increase of approximately one trillion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide over the last 250 years. The world's agricultural soil offers the most immediate, scalable and affordable opportunity to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This is where Indigo comes in with Indigo Carbon. Indigo Carbon helps farmers get paid for increasing the carbon content of their soil and reducing overall emissions. Indigo will trial the program in 2020 with selected farmers in Europe.

The farmer benefits twice from Indigo Carbon

Farmers participating in the Indigo Carbon program will benefit in two ways: improved soil resilience, and increased profitability. Higher soil carbon content and regenerative farming practices help improve the resilience of the grower´s land, it increases the nutrients in their soils. Carbon-rich soil also absorbs and stores water more efficiently and helps farmers to better protect themselves against the effects of floods and droughts. In addition, the farmer receives compensation for the reduction of emissions or CO2 storage in their soil. In this way they increase the profitability of their business.

How will the program work?

Interested growers can register on the Indigo Europe website (www.indigoag.eu) and will then be contacted to further their enrolment in the pilot program. Indigo will work together with the selected farmers and determine the right protocol to sequester carbon effectively. For the accurate, efficient, and affordable measurement of soil carbon levels, Indigo will complement its own expertise in microbiology, remote sensing and data sciences by working with partners. Indigo will support farmers who enter the pilot in three ways: first in establishing the right protocol to sequester carbon, secondly in measuring and proving carbon is sequestered, lastly in enabling payment for every tonne of carbon sequestered.

Indigo Carbon - part of the Terraton Initiative

Indigo Carbon is part of Indigo's global Terraton Initiative. It aims to remove one trillion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to enrich agricultural soils. Indigo Carbon has been launched successfully in the US in cooperation with many farmers covering more than 4 million hectares.