Valent BioSciences Digs in To Celebrate World Soil Day
December 3, 2020 In support of World Soil Day, Valent BioSciences has announced several strategic initiatives that highlight the importance of healthy soils and sustainable crop production. World Soil Day is a United Nations International Day of Significance that is held annually on December 5 in order to emphasize the role of healthy soil and advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources.
“Soil health is the new frontier in agriculture, and the future of sustainable crop production truly depends upon the living ecosystem underground,” says Steve Wiest, Valent BioSciences’ Global Business Director, Biorational Rhizosphere. “Valent BioSciences is deeply committed to leaving a legacy of healthy soils for future generations through our investments in soil health research, education, and novel inoculant products that help growers easily integrate innovative biological seed and soil technologies into their existing crop management practices. As a global leader in agriculture, we pledge our support for World Soil Day by expanding awareness to everyone dependent upon healthy soils for life.”
With increasing concern about the impact of a growing population on land, water, and environmental resources, Valent BioSciences has produced a new video entitled “Soils for Life” that showcases how healthy, living soils can help restore agricultural and environmental balance.
It stresses how sustainable farming techniques, including soil inoculants, can produce healthier plants that absorb more carbon from the air and hold it underground to rejuvenate degraded soil and boost food production. The video interviews several technical experts and a grower who has successfully pioneered and implemented a variety of effective soil management practices to improve his bottom line and the environment.
In 2021, Valent BioSciences will also launch an educational podcast series called “Sustaining Soils.” These quarterly external podcasts will feature industry pioneers in soil health, academic and research leaders, members of the company’s Soil Health Advisory Board, and other technical experts. The podcasts will explore such subjects as:
• The role of functional soil microorganisms in agriculture
• Mycorrhizal fungi inoculants that improve soil health and crop production
• The science of non-destructive rhizosphere imaging
To further define and shape the science of soil health, Valent BioSciences maintains an ongoing collaboration with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Scientists at the Danforth Center use state-of-the-art imaging equipment and algorithms to pioneer new techniques that evolve the way we observe interactions between plant roots and beneficial soil microorganisms within the rhizosphere.
Valent BioSciences employees are also encouraged to engage in hands-on, soil-related activities through a variety of volunteer initiatives. One example is the company’s relationship with the local Lake County Forest Preserves, which gives employees an opportunity to participate firsthand in seed harvesting, soil cultivation, and other activities. The company is seeking to expand this partnership next year to further study the role of soil microorganisms within natural, Midwest ecosystems.
Finally, Valent BioSciences and its parent company, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., are committed to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which include tackling climate change. In fact, Valent BioSciences technologies directly impact nearly half of these 17 audacious goals.
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