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BOCA RATON, FL, UNITED STATES, September 20, 2023 / — Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc., an agricultural biotechnology company focused on sustainably improving farmers’ crop yields, today announced that the Agricultural Science Digest has published a peer-reviewed research paper detailing a successful field application of the company’s plant priming technology. The findings of the case study, from an Indian papaya farm, validate the unique ability of Zero Gravity’s elicitors to stimulate a plant’s innate immune system to fight off viral disease – an industry-first for large scale field studies.
Zero Gravity’s field trial observed more than 700 papaya plants were infected by Ringspot Virus, causing severe leaf yellowing and curling. After applying Zero Gravity’s elicitors, dead leaves dropped from the plants, and new disease-free leaves appeared within a week. Over the course of two months, treated plants continued to produce healthy growth and developed elongated, evenly shaped fruit in great numbers. Ultimately, the treated plants increased yield nearly three-fold over the diseased population.
“The future of sustainable farming lies in plant elicitors, which harness plants’ natural pathways to stimulate enhanced expressions of bio-active compounds that increase yield, quality and improve resiliency to abiotic and biotic stressors, ” said Dr. Ravi Pottathil, Zero Gravity Solutions’ Chief Science Officer. “Zero Gravity’s case study is an important milestone, providing the first instance of a large-scale in-field application of elicitors that improved resistance to viral pathogens, and increased crop yield simultaneously,” added Dr. Kiran Kharat, Zero Gravity Research Advisor.
India produces over one-third of the world’s papaya, but is increasingly subject to various pathogens and pests. While Zero Gravity’s priming technology saved the harvest of this one small Indian farm, this case study more broadly demonstrates the promise of plant elicitors as a tool for growers worldwide who will be threatened by increasing stressors to their crops due to climate change.
“Farmers are dealing with dwindling arable land and irrigation, and the compounding problems of climate change, all while needing to feed two billion more people over the next 30 years,” said John McLean, Zero Gravity’s Chief Executive Officer. “Instead of leaning on outdated and expensive chemistries that harm the ecosystem, growers can now empower their plants to defend themselves. This study proves that elicitors can sustainably, and affordably increase yields and resilience to abiotic and biotic threats.”
The referenced published research paper is available at: https://arccjournals.com/journal/agricultural-science-digest/D-5692
About Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc. —
Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on safe and sustainable agriculture. Its plant priming technology harnesses natural physiology to more sustainably improve crop yields, resistance to disease, and increase farmer profitability. For more information, please visit zerogsi.com.
The published Press Release is available on EIN Newswire: