INNOVATORS BY NATURE
We are an agricultural biotechnology company located in the Chilean Patagonia
At Patagonia Biotecnología (PatBio), we harness the power of Patagonian seaweed to develop products that improve the resilience of crops to abiotic stress and increase their yield.
Using seaweed extracts from multiple species and backed by a strong track record in research and development, we offer reliable and sustainable solutions for farmers.
FERTUM®: Proven solution
Years of formulation, testing, and field research experience, in collaboration with well-known universities, and advisors has led the PatBio team to design and validate a complete line of products, each with multiple modes of action for maximum benefit to crops.
+ 25 years invested in R&D+i
Our research team has perfected a patented process for extracting active components from seaweed. Our R&D+i trajectory linked to the use of seaweed in agriculture, arises from the extensive research work promoted by Dr. Gotardo Schenkel, a world-renowned eminence in the study of soil health.
PatBio, a SICIT GROUP company
After years of performing research and trials using different seaweed from all over the world, SICIT GROUP, a global leader in the production of high-quality amino-acid and peptide based biostimulants, found the perfect ally in the PatBio technical team, and the ideal formula in its seaweed extracts. SICIT GROUP acquired PatBio in 2023.
Seaweed extract is an effective component
Seaweed extract is known to be an effective component used in increasing the uptake of plant nutrients and providing tolerance to abiotic stresses.
Our seaweed
Patagonia seaweed
Among Chile’s 4,000-mile-long coastline, the southern coast is well known for its cold, pristine waters that are continuously replenished by the Humboldt Current, originating northwest of the Antarctic Peninsula.
PatBio maintains maritime concessions along a 400-mile coastal region from Valdivia to Chiloe. This archipelago is rich in pristine micronutrients due to its relative isolation and provides PatBio with an abundant, recurring, sustainable, seaweed resource base.
Our seaweed are a testament to the power of evolution
The main seaweed species in FERTUM® formula is Macrocystis pyrifera, the largest seaweed in the world and the fastest growing. In the southern Pacific Ocean near Patagonia, this type of seaweed has adapted to various stressors, such as the El Niño phenomenon, cold waters and strong currents. Its adaptability has led to the formation of active compounds in its structure that, when applied in the form of extracts to crops, promote an anti-stress capacity in plants, improving their resistance to adverse climactic conditions.
Mixture of four seaweeds from Patagonia provides a unique set of active compounds
The FERTUM® formula contains a blend of four seaweeds that provides a unique set of active compounds: polysaccharides, mannitol, betaine, phytohormones, macro and micro elements.
Macrocystis pyrifera
Seaweed from the Kingdom Protista, also known as giant kelp. It is recognized to be the largest and fastest growing seaweed. It can reach lengths of 45 meters or more and grow up to 16 cm a day under ideal conditions.
Durvillaea antarctica
Brown seaweed of the Kingdom Protista, abundant on the Chilean coasts, is robust and large, being able to reach 15 meters in length.
Ulva lactuca
Green seaweed of the Kingdom Plantae that grows in intertidal zones in most of the world's oceans.
Pyropia columbina
Red, sometimes brown or slightly purplish seaweed of the Kingdom Plantae that lives on the edge of the tidal zone.
Our seaweed sources
Naturally occurring beds
Our seaweed is hand-harvested from natural beds by experienced divers who use specialized tools and employ gentle practices that cause little to no impact on the seaweed’s ability to regenerate.
Our seaweed long line farms
In our specialty seaweed long line farms, the seaweed is planted using small pieces of seaweed cultivated in a specialized nursery. This seaweed is also hand harvested and collected manually after a precise designated growth time that ensures optimal balance between the biomass and the concentration of its active compounds.
Precise harvesting schedule in order to collect the seaweed when the content of active molecules is at its peak
Our process
Our manufacturing process is powerful enough to release the active and beneficial components of the seaweed, and gentle enough not to destroy them.
We hand harvest seaweed during the spring and summer months to assure a consistent supply of fresh seaweed that contains the maximum amount of nutrients in the active ingredients.
Once harvested and before being integrated into the production process, the seaweed's defense metabolism is briefly stimulated through the application of physical stress, a key component of the company's proprietary industrial methodology. This is done to maximize the production capabilities of bioactive compounds. Subsequently, the seaweed is processed to obtain a liquid extract that is the base of FERTUM® products.
Quality assurance
To ensure the consistency of our products, our Quality Management team maintains rigorous supervision of the physiochemical parameters throughout the production chain.
Likewise, our R&D team regularly verifies the consistency of products’ biological performance in experimental models such as: ryegrass, oats, wheat, cucumber, cherry tomato, and others.
FERTUM® Properties
Why FERTUM®?
Our products are a unique blend of four different types of seaweed, each with its specific contribution of polysaccharides, mannitol and betaine.
We combine these seaweeds to create specific mixtures according to the desired characteristics of each product, ensuring an effective solution to support the different stages of a plant's growth.
FERTUM® regenerates soil and improves plant nutrition, helping plants withstand drought, high temperatures, wind, and climate stress, allowing crops to thrive.
Benefits
Resiliency
FERTUM® promotes improved plant tolerance to abiotic stresses: high/low temperatures, drought, wind, and salinity.
Nutrition
FERTUM® contributes to faster transfer of nutrients to sectors of higher requirements, quickly and efficiently improving overall crop quality.
Endurance
FERTUM® supports plants during crucial physiological changes throughout their development, resulting in better plant performance for the entire season.
Balancing
FERTUM® allows crops to increase rooting, vegetative development and fruit growth due to the presence of natural phyto-hormone precursors, which support and promote cell division and cell elongation.
Proven solution
Decades of research, rigorous testing and finally application in the field, through a network of thousands of farmers worldwide, have resulted in:
A patented technological extraction process that preserves the physio-chemical and biological characteristics of seaweed micronutrients for use in both organic and conventional farming.
A product whose quality, consistency and efficacy have been validated with formal trials at Universities, Contract Research Organizations and with leading agribusiness clients.
Certificates
Our Impact
Wellbeing of future generations
We are committed to meeting the farmers’ needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Our Vision is to responsibly unlock the potential of biological systems, turning our research and innovation into enduring, environmentally sound solutions for our customers, our partners, and the world.
Multi-impact business model
Our multi-impact business model generates benefits in the social, environmental and economic spheres, and addresses some of society's greatest challenges such as food security, environmental care, and climate change.
A Certified B Corporation
At PatBio, we are committed to advancing as a society by promoting environmental stewardship, fostering social development, and creating enduring economic value.