Today, along with @Seeds_Canada, we unveil the fourth in our series of 8 Innovation Showcase finalists — @LucentBio! Innovation: Micronutrient Seed Coatings for Sustainable Crop Nutrition Lucent Bio has attracted significant attention from industry peers by raising $19 million in funding from the Protein Industries Canada Supercluster and a group of investors to support Canadian growers’ efforts to elevate their sustainability efforts and reduce carbon emissions via the commercialization of its line of micronutrient fertilizers. Lucent Bio’s newest product, Nutreos, is a biopolymer micronutrient seed coating that is plastic-free and non-toxic. Nutreos has been designed to improve germination, emergence and increase yields while being sustainable and climate-positive. What sets Nutreos apart is its embrace of the circular economy concept accomplished by upcycling food processing co-products into a seed-safe and effective nutrient delivery system for growers. Nutreos introduces a novel and innovative mode of action for delivering nutrients to young seedlings. This bio-available, non-water-soluble form safeguards the nutrients from leaching or soil entrapment, ensuring they’re readily available to emerging plants. This approach allows for the delivery of nutrients to seedlings without having long-lasting negative effects on the soil, the company says.