Solena's Methodology Biological Capital

Farmers are forced to overexploit their soil and use a large number of chemicals in order to meet the intensity of the modern agriculture.

We've created a methodology to help farmers to understand and control its biological capital of the soil, helping them to decide what crop fits better in the soil and conserve it. Making them an average of 30% more profitable and sustainable.

Agricultural soil tends to lose its fertility and productivity, this problem name its desertification, according to FAO 30% of the non-renewable resource soil is affected by this problem. Soils are the basis for healthy food production, host a quarter of our earth biodiversity, help to combat & adapt to climate change, are essential for food security and store & filter water.

FAO mentioned that the source problem for this major problem it's related to lack of information to help farmers make decisions in a wider time-lapse, such as the best fit between soil and crop (reduce goods needed and impact) and strategies for soil conservation.

A Biotech based methodology that allows farmers to take control of their soil biological composition, the biological capital. We help them to get the data and relevant information to make decisions like what crops could be more suitable, considering the soil composition, profitability, yields, and input during the crops cycle. 

Then, we use that same data to create a custom strategy to develop sustainable agriculture based on rebalancing the soil health using native microorganisms isolated in the data generation step.

Our solution it's created and constantly improved in order to be feasible, applicable, and rich in value for the farmers. 

Our concept is very simple and straight forward, but it lays some technical difficulties that we have been able to solve. Such as the integration between molecular biology, bioinformatics, TI, microbiology, and fermentations, always keeping simple for the farmers.

We serve two users. Consumers and food producers (farmers). We guarantee the benefit of the consumers by empowering the Ag-industry of its biological capital.

Consumers need innocuous, safety, and sustainable food irrigates the season, which forces farmers to use a huge amount of resources to accomplish that mission.

Focusing on how we can deliver simple but highly effective solutions to the food producers we can ensure farmers use our technology and start taking control of its soil biology, changing the future of the land and food production.

Soil degradation affects the fertility and profitability of the crops. In degraded soil farmers need to use a lot of goods in order to succeed on their crop, affecting negatively food safety, the environment, and the loss of biodiversity. 

Controlling the soil's biological capital within getting data and making inputs that enhance and balance the biodiversity in the soil is the best shot for sustainable agriculture.

Our approach to develop sustainable agriculture based on rebalancing the soil health using microorganisms native to the farmer's soils represent a huge innovation, both in concept and results for the farmers and the environment.

There are similar projects all around the world and but they are not with a level even close to what SOLENA is achieving. Actually the concept is very simple and straight forward, but it lays some technical difficulties that we have been able to solve. We simple farmer´s soil and identify the beneficial and pathogen microorganism in the soil. We can then isolate the beneficial microorganisms, grow them in ours bioreactors and send them back to the farmer. Since the “good” (beneficial) and “bad” (pathogen) microorganisms compete for the same resources, if we are able to increase the amount of “good” microorganisms we can decrease the amount of the “bad” ones and help restore the balance of the soil without adding chemical compounds or foreign microorganisms.

We use molecular biology: sequencing with 16s, ITS, and 18s. Bioinformatics for processing the information. Microbiology for isolating and conserving microorganisms. Software and app for process and work with the data. And Biotechnology and fermentation for the culture of microorganisms.

We are currently working in 36 agricultural zones in Mexico. We have mapped more than 45,000 acres and counting.

We have worked with hundreds of small producers associations in Central Mexico. And have more than 120 big producers.

Building alliances in science, research and technology. We'll materialize and apply science bossting the develop of our technology in terms of making it more accessible, simplier for farmers, and more understandable in the soil health biology. 

Doing that we expect to reach more farmers, helping them to control and undestand their biological capita, assuring they will have more profitable crops at the time they take care of the enviroment, soil, and food safety. Impacting at the end in the benefit of the consumers.

Once we accomplish our mission, we'll created a world of agriculture in harmony with nature.

We are working with more than 120 big food producers that feed thousands of people. In one year we expect to at least reach 500 big producers and more than 1000 small ones. Next 5 years we'll need to be working in the south and north America were the average of desertification reach more than 50% of the land.

We have pivoted a model that we are ready to replicate, it consists of centralizing part of the process and having laboratories that act as satellites to deliver a more opportune product.

We have done that in Mexico and we're ready to open in the US and Guatemala

Mostly cultural. Education over the use of technology to make decisions has a curve of adaptation that takes time. The biggest barrier that I consider will be that.

The talent that we need to overcome our barriers to this monumental task is huge. We believe that talent, partnerships, and alliances are the key to improving any technology and financial challenge. 

NA

35 full time

5 part time

We are passionate about our job, we understand the mission that we are trying to solve every day. To be consistent on that way of thinking we had become experts in being a nexus between experts in every field of technology that Solena needs at a time and the problems or difficulties that we face to deliver our solution. 

That is a multiplying effect that we are used to working because we really believe that the problem that we are solving it's bigger than ourselves and we need as much help, talent, and experience as possible. Our board and technical committee are signs of that.

• Kirchner Impact foundation
• Wageningen University Research
• Proagro del Noroeste
• Solarea Bio
• Noble Research Institute

The way we create revenue its though our methodology.

Our technology has 2 main stages:
The first is intended to be a tool for food producers to generate information in an easy and useful way for decision-making. From the aptitude of the soil to plan with the use of data to the activities that must be carried out to improve its soil health and profitability. At this point, the farmer knows his soil and Solena manages to conserve and characterize all that richness of the soil. In this stage, we charge a very low-profit margin just to cover the cost and the conservation of the strains and data. The main objective of our business is that this stage should be available to everyone.

In the second stage, Solena helps farmers use biology to their advantage. Leaving aside the constant struggle and now teaming up with nature, the farmer can choose and work to achieve the best configuration of his biological capital, most suitable for his conditions and cultivation. In this stage we bet with the farmers that they will improve their agricultural operation, here we make a profit with them.

Besides those two stages, we are able to map and conserve all the biological richness by isolating all types of soil microorganisms and keeping the information. We are constantly discovering the best biological compositions in the different geographies that best fit for crops.

Soil is one of the most heterogeneous components of earth, it has more than a quarter of biodiversity and its use is related to the good or bad impact in food production, environmental problems, and prosperity in consumer's well-being.

Its commonly forgot and unpriced because for its complex nature it's very difficult to understand.

We are applying to Solve because we need to lead efforts, talent, minds, and resources to unveil Soil's complexity. We are conscious that at the time that we simplify how we see, use and manage the soil; we'll make more accessible and so on more impact to society. We are sure that the path starts with agriculture, and the only way to win this again time race it is with partnerships and alliances, being a Solver brings that options to our advantage.

We are looking at science, technology and practical cases/problems with farmers get together. We are looking to bring enthusiastic researchers, students to partner were we can provide data and users, to speed technical development in order to improve constantly how society sees and use soil.

Indigo Ag

MIT Misti

MIT Biology faculty

MIT Open agriculture 

And the Big Data Laboratory

Solena has been born as a profit company because since day one, We understood that if we really need to address the Soil degradation problem. We need to be a feasible and real solution for the market were agriculture develops, otherwise, said by own experience, we can just be a good wish.

Our numbers in sales, users, number of microorganisms isolated and acres mapped shows that we had worked hard, but hard is not enough when we refer to the Soil degradation problem. As a company that mainly relies on is own revenue we are organically growing since degradation that started to speed since the green revolution.

We'll use the capital to speed our expansion, reaching farmers mainly in North America. Where numbers says Soil degradation is a major deal.

We as a company and idea we'll be very honored to be considered. I'll be happy to share more information about our path till today but more about the way to our future.