'Startups marketing alternative crop fertilizers said they are gaining traction among U.S. farmers and investors, pitching themselves as a potentially cheaper o

'Startups marketing alternative crop fertilizers said they are gaining traction among U.S. farmers and investors, pitching themselves as a potentially cheaper option as prices for traditional fertilizers surge. Companies such as Pivot Bio, Kula Bio and Anuvia are pushing development of farm fertilizers by harnessing microbes or plant-based products to deliver nutrients that corn and other crops need. They aim to replace traditional fertilizers produced from natural gas or mined underground, prices of which have hit records this year due to supply-chain constraints and Russia’s war on Ukraine. While some farmers have been skeptical of trading in tried-and-true fertilizers for still-nascent alternatives, startup executives and investors said that escalating prices for traditional nitrogen, potash and phosphorous-based fertilizers are giving farmers extra incentive to test drive the new products. Such startups, which pitch their products as more environmentally friendly than conventional fertilizers, have attracted roughly $1 billion since early last year, according to research AgFunder. Dan Hansen, a fifth-generation farmer in Avoca, Iowa, said he is saving money by using Pivot microbes instead of conventional fertilizers. Mr. Hansen, who has been applying the startup’s products to his roughly 700 acres for several years, said he has cut his nitrogen fertilizer use by about 25% over that period and that his corn yields have been bigger, too.' ...