PhylloStart, an innovative agricultural solution, is poised to change the way crops are cultivated crops by enhancing yields, reducing environmental impact, and promoting plant health.
Developed by Dr. Britt Koskella and Elijah Mehlferber at the University of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with Manteca resident Dr. Rajnish Khanna of i-Cultiver, Inc., PhylloStart is a groundbreaking product that leverages the power of beneficial microbial organisms to increase plant health and yield.
This community is applied to the leaves of young plants at an early stage, offering them a robust start in life.
One of the most significant achievements of PhylloStart is its remarkable impact on crop yields. In greenhouse environments, it has led to an average of 30% increase in tomato yields. These results, based on trials conducted over the past five years and recently accepted for publication in Frontiers in Plant Science (Mehlferber et al., 2023), demonstrate the product's effectiveness and reliability.
What sets PhylloStart apart from other microbial products is its unique mode of action on the leaves, rather than in the soil. This allows for easy application as a foliar spray, simplifying the process for farmers. Moreover, PhylloStart provides protection against plant pathogens, as evidenced by its successful defense against common foliar pathogen Pseudomonas syringae PT23
The impact of PhylloStart goes beyond tomatoes. The product is currently undergoing trials on various greenhouse crops, including lettuce, strawberries, and more. In 2024, research will be extended to field-grown tomatoes, which will further validate PhylloStart's effectiveness in diverse agricultural settings.
The profound success of PhylloStart underscores the critical role of the phyllosphere microbiome (the above-ground microbial community) in plant health and reproductive performance. Our team is diligently working on scaling up production and conducting additional research to gain deeper insights into its mode of action.
We are thrilled to announce that the official release of PhylloStart will take place at the World Ag Expo 2024. This event will introduce PhylloStart as a foliar microbial amendment designed specifically for greenhouse tomato growers, providing them with a game-changing tool for their agricultural practices.
PhylloStart is a testament to the power of collaboration, with contributions from the University of California, Berkeley, i-Cultiver, Inc. and the BEST Program providing research experience to community college students, supported by i-Cultiver, Contra Costa College and Carnegie Institution, Stanford. It signifies a major leap toward sustainable agriculture, offering farmers the means to increase their yields, enhance crop quality, and minimize their environmental impact.
For more information about Phyllostart and its upcoming release, please visit i-Cultiver.com or
