Testing and validation of seaweed-based biostimulant
Organically certified food grade facility
BeoBio Teoranta, established in 2017, are a Galway based SME that develop agricultural products from hand harvested seaweed. Harvested seaweed is processed in a HSE registered and organically certified food grade facility.
Cold extraction process
Traditional seaweed based biostimulants are produced using a hot extraction process. Seaweed is a tough material and extraction of compounds from this biomass can be challenging. In general, the biomass is dried first (a time and energy consuming process) prior to addition of a solvent, which is then heated to extract specific compounds of interest. Downstream precipitation or additional treatment may also occur. BeoBio have developed a cold extraction process which does not require the seaweed to be dried. This results in a process that is much more sustainable and quicker than current standard industrial processes. In order to drive commercial sales, scientific testing was required to demonstrate efficacy of the product, particularly as it is produced using a different production process than the existing standard.
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Irish company
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organically certified food-grade facility
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Galway-based SME
“While we at BeoBio always knew we had developed a powerful new Seaweed Biostimulant product based on our green principles, we needed to prove to our customers its efficacy. In 2019 we received our first significant order from a Chinese client; however, the order was subject to our product being independently tested for several different parameters. We worked quickly with the team at CELLS and Shannon ABC and designed a trial specifically for our customer. Shannon ABC and the CELLS group were able to provide us with a full and comprehensive report, various different parameters were measured and the trials proved successful. In turn we were able to supply this to our customer and most importantly secure our first significant order. I can highly recommend working with the team at CELLS and Shannon ABC and we look forward to collaborating with them on future projects.”
Alan O’ Sullivan
Managing Director, BeoBio Teoranta
The BeoBio Teoranta & Shannon ABC Technology Gateway partnership
Shannon ABC and the CELLS research group at LIT dedicated a scientist to deliver this project which was carried out in controlled growth chambers. The liquid biostimulant was applied to a number of representative plant systems which were grown under controlled conditions. Broadleaved plants were selected and placed under nitrogen stress (nitrogen starved). The biostimulant ability of the BeoBio product was then determined and compared to a negative control and the biostimulant properties of other commercially available products. A report was compiled which was delivered to the client.
Scientific proof was essential for BeoBio to validate the efficacy of their extraction process and to drive sales. The report delivered by Shannon ABC and CELLS provided the platform for BeoBio to secure a contract with signficant clients in China.