May 8, 2024

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

BioLumic, a New Zealand-based agbiotech company and developer of a novel and proprietary UV Light Treatment platform that when applied to seeds can regulate their genetic expressions and unlock their natural potential, will benefit from an investment of up to NZ$5 million (US$3 million) from AgriZeroNZ.

Founded in 2013 by Dr. Jason Wargent, the company’s chief science officer and professor of plant biology at Massey University, BioLumic’s UV treatments harness ultraviolet light to activate natural mechanisms in seeds and seedlings that increase growth, vigor, drought tolerance, and a crop’s natural defenses, thus resulting in larger harvest volumes and greater consistency.

These treatments have been shown to significantly improve plant performance across 12 crops, including soybeans, corn, and rice, and result in double-digit gains in yields, improved quality, and enhanced immunity to pathogens. 

This investment, however, will support BioLumic to apply its technology to ryegrass, the most common forage pasturing plant in New Zealand, with the goal of increasing the fat content in the plant, and subsequently reduce methane emissions from animals that consume it. 

It was explained that animals that eat higher-fat diets have lower methane emissions, such as grain-fed cattle in intensive farming operations in other countries. Studies have found that a 1 percent increase in fat content in feed rations can reduce methane emissions by approximately 5 percent. 

BioLumic is targeting a 2-3 percent increase in the lipid content of ryegrass, which has the potential to drive methane reduction by more than 12 percent. 

As a country with a widely pasture-based agricultural production system, Wayne McNee, CEO of AgriZeroNZ, noted how this technology has the potential to deliver a simple solution for the reduction of emissions to help meet global customer demands, protect trade agreements, and to help the country meet its climate benchmarks. 

“Pasture is the foundation of the business for Kiwi farmers, so a pasture solution to curb methane and boost productivity will be an important option in their toolkit to reduce emissions,” said McNee. 

“BioLumic’s work is an exciting prospect to help secure the future of farming in New Zealand with the very thing that makes our agricultural sector unique and drives our competitive edge today – high-quality grass.”

“They have achieved promising results on ryegrass to-date. We’re looking forward to seeing how it progresses.”

“We’ve developed light recipes from billions of potential options that, with a precise application, can significantly increase plant performance across a range of crop varieties and growing conditions,” said Dr. Wargent.

“We’re confident we can achieve similar results in ryegrass with a focus on reduced methane, and we’re really pleased to be working with AgriZeroNZ to develop this important solution for New Zealand to put farmers at the forefront of low emissions pasture farming.”

This investment in BioLumic is the sixth major capital commitment by AgriZeroNZ, bringing total investments to accelerate the development of emissions reduction tools and technologies to support Kiwi farmers to NZ$22 million. 

Dr. Wargent noted that BioLumic is expecting wide scale use of its technology by 2027, with reduced regulatory barriers for a more rapid launch to market. 

“There is a very real and very disruptive risk to our dairy and meat sectors from the need to reduce emissions,” noted McNee, “but there is also a very real opportunity to stay among the most efficient producers of dairy products and meat in the world if we can get the right tools to farmers.

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor in chief with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and Agtech Intel News. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

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