Inera, the biological agri inputs business of Absolute, unveils its breakthrough biostimulant, Leiro, at COP28

Inera Cropscience, the leading biological farm input company in India, unveiled its new range of next-gen biostimulants and seed coatings, Leiro, at COP28. A crop-agnostic product that aims to set new global benchmarks for biostimulant performance, Leiro comes with proven improvements in crop yield and quality. Leiro is the latest addition to Inera’s exhaustive portfolio of breakthrough biologicals, which aim to improve global soil health, disease and pest control, and decarbonize agriculture at scale.

As per research by MarketsandMarkets, the biologicals market is currently valued at ~ $14.6 Billion and is pegged to grow at ~13.8 per cent CAGR to reach ~$28 billion by 2028. Out of this biostimulants contribute ~$4 billion in market value and are expected to grow at a CAGR of ~12 per cent to reach ~$7 billion by 2028. These projections are further strengthened by global policymakers actively shifting towards sustainable agriculture. In June 2022, the European Union adopted a proposal to reduce the use and risk of chemical pesticides by 50 per cent by 2030, and China was noted to be in the process of cultivating a group of agri-biological enterprises with an annual output value of RMB 10 billion. In developing countries, Brazil launched its National Bio-inputs Program of 2020 for the development and application of bio inputs and has witnessed a two-fold growth in the application of biologicals year-on-year since.

Products in the Leiro range include cutting-edge biocatalyst-based seed coatings and biostimulants that help in early germination, improve root and shoot development, and help enhance yield while managing biotic and abiotic stressors. The introduction of high-efficacy biostimulant range Leiro is set to impact global-scale agriculture with a significant reduction in the perils of traditional agri-inputs, like the release of greenhouse gasses, fertile soil contamination, eutrophication of water bodies, and the long-term detriment to farmer health. Not only this, but the use of Leiro can also aid in the process of Carbon Sequestration with its continued use for fortifying soil health.

After rigorous trials of over 30 months across seasons and multiple agroclimatic zones, Inera is launching 4 biostimulants under the Leiro range. These trials were led by Inera’s team of leading field trial experts who have worked for leading agrochemical companies including Bayer, Monsanto, Syngenta, PI Industries, UPL, and IFFCO among others. In addition to Absolute’s expansive network of field trials spanning over 2.5 Million sq ft, extensive tests were also conducted in collaboration with farmers. With the use of Leiro, growers witnessed an outstanding performance across crop vigor, plant height, stem girth, shoot, and root length, shoot and root weight, number of tillers, and crop yield. These breakthrough results were observed on a wide range of crops including wheat, paddy, soybean, brinjal, tomato, capsicum, and chilli to name a few. Leiro has demonstrated a significant performance advantage over multiple other global biostimulant products, and products which focus on enhancing plant growth including the popular agrochemical-based products in the market, and aims to establish itself as a category leader in stimulants and seed coatings space.

Inera’s bio inputs are developed using proprietary technologies like STREAC, MSC, and UHRS from Absolute’s R&D core Xenesis, with inputs from over 150 scientists from prestigious global institutions including TUFTS University, Marine
Biological Laboratory - Woods Hole, Deakin University, Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, UT South Western Medical Center, and Indian Council of Agricultural Research among others. The combination of these technologies from Xenesis makes the inputs more effective, stable, long-lasting, and responsive to external stress.

Agam Khare, founder and group CEO, Absolute shared on the occasion: “Biostimulants have a significant role in mitigating climate change, but there is a huge performance gap in the existing products. With Leiro, we’re bringing new-gen high-efficacy products to farmers: solutions that go beyond traditional, synthetic inputs and support in safeguarding the future of people and the planet.”.

• KT Network