LiveGrow Bio and Südzucker collaborate to combat SBR disease in sugar beets using advanced microbial formulation technology and future manufacturing capabilities

LiveGrow Bio, a leader in microbial formulation and manufacturing solutions, announced a collaboration with Südzucker, Europe’s largest sugar producer, to test microbial strains aimed at suppressing the bacteria responsible for Syndrome Basses Richesses (SBR) in sugar beets. This partnership exemplifies LiveGrow Bio's ability to accelerate microbial product development while positioning itself as a toll manufacturing partner for companies developing novel microbial products.

LiveGrow Bio’s patented microbial formulation technology allows Südzucker to use microbes already formulated into a product for their upcoming greenhouse trials this fall. This ensures the data generated will match the final product’s performance capability, significantly shortening the R&D process by bypassing the need for post-trial formulation development. If the greenhouse results are positive, field trials are planned for 2025, moving Südzucker closer to commercialization faster than traditional product development methods.

″Our goal is to save companies years of re-formulation work by providing them with ready-to-use microbial products that are tailored for trials and commercialization from the start,″ said Andrey Pinchuk, CEO of LiveGrow Bio. ″This collaboration with Südzucker highlights how we can accelerate R&D while positioning ourselves as a long-term manufacturing partner. Once a microbial product is ready for market, we can provide cost-effective manufacturing solutions, saving companies up to 95% compared to what it would cost them to produce non-spore-forming microbes using existing fermentation and formulation methods.″

In addition to these cost savings, LiveGrow Bio’s technology offers a superior shelf life of over two years at room temperature, with microbial concentrations of no less than 10⁷ cfu/g. This ensures that products can be distributed through existing crop protection sales channels, which typically require at least two years of room temperature stability to take on a product.

LiveGrow Bio aims to become the go-to manufacturing partner for microbial R&D companies by offering a full range of services — from accelerating initial R&D with robust formulations to long-term, cost-effective toll manufacturing. ″Our partnership model allows R&D companies to focus on innovation while we handle the formulation and manufacturing, ensuring their products reach the market faster and more efficiently,″ Andrey added.

Südzucker Agricultural Research looks forward to the results of this collaboration and the benefits it could bring to sugar beet growers. The partnership success would provide a key tool in addressing SBR through innovative, cost-effective microbial solutions.

About LiveGrow Bio

LiveGrow Bio specializes in advanced microbial formulation and manufacturing technology that not only accelerates the R&D process for companies developing novel microbial products but also dramatically reduces manufacturing costs, offering a significantly faster and more effective path to market.

By providing ready-to-use, commercially formulated microbes from the start, LiveGrow Bio eliminates the need for post-trial re-formulation, saving years in development. This approach allows companies to quickly generate meaningful greenhouse and field trial data with the same formulation that will be manufactured and sold, significantly reducing time to market.

Once a microbial product is proven effective, LiveGrow Bio offers cost-effective manufacturing solutions, delivering up to 95% savings compared to conventional fermentation and formulation methods. Additionally, their proprietary technology ensures superior shelf life, with microbes remaining stable for over two years at room temperature at high concentrations of 10⁷ – 10⁸ cfu/g. This makes products easier to distribute through existing crop protection channels, which typically require long-term shelf stability.

About Südzucker

Südzucker is Europe’s leading sugar producer, known for its innovation and commitment to sustainable agriculture. With facilities across Europe, Südzucker is dedicated to improving sugar beet yields and supporting the agricultural community.