What are the solutions to the climate emergency?

When a discovery becomes an invention… and is transformed into an innovation

Nowadays, the term “disruptive innovation” is on everyone’s lips…and is misused almost as often as it is used. While “incremental innovation” is about improving an existing technique, disruptive innovation involves a real paradigm shift. It provides a solution to a problem that we didn’t necessarily think could be solved, or even to a situation not always identified as a problem! And innovations are rarely adopted quickly, since future users don’t necessarily see the benefits; hence the need for inventors to raise awareness about the innovation’s capabilities. New uses, new practices, new behaviors, new added value… a disruptive innovation is all of these things. Examples from the past? The invention of the automobile, the television or, more recently, the touch screen, digital photography or Netflix, which has completely revolutionized film production and distribution, and with it the whole value chain. These innovations break with previous modes of operation, opening up new potential.

Agriculture: fertile ground for disruptive innovations

Over the last century, the agricultural sector has also seen its share of ground-breaking innovations: chemical fertilizers, the combine harvester, hybrid seeds, genetics… all of these have led to increased productivity and the opening up of new markets, especially export markets. More recently, the technology developed by Elicit Plant has also emerged as a true disruptive innovation for optimizing water consumption by plants and improving a plant’s resistance to drought stress. Why? Here are some explanations.

Exploiting a scientific discovery

It all starts with a molecule: phytosterols. These are natural molecules already clearly identified by science and present in all plants. Their role has been known for over 40 years and is the subject of ongoing research: phytosterols help to maintain the integrity, fluidity and permeability of the cell membrane, thereby increasing the stress resistance of plants.

An essential invention for more resilient agriculture

Elicit Plant has succeeded in harnessing the natural properties of these molecules for the benefit of agriculture by overcoming a technological hurdle, which has made it possible to apply them on a large scale by spraying large areas with conventional agricultural equipment. Invented by Elicit Plant and protected by over a dozen patent families, the formulation is compatible with both agricultural equipment and crop management practices.

“We were the first to use these phytosterols exogenously, by formulating them specifically for application to field crops”, confirms Olivier Goulay, co-founder behind the project.

A paradigm shift

While every farmer knows that water is essential for the proper functioning of the crop cycle, not many would guess that the solution to consuming less water could come from… the plant itself. Elicit Plant’s innovation is based precisely on this principle: helping plants to better manage their own water consumption and become more resilient.

Until now, solutions to drought stress have included genetics, irrigation and agronomic practices. With our technology, instead of adding more water, we reinforce the plant’s natural ability to make do with less.

So, because of the technology we use and the way it is applied, our invention is an unconventional response to a real need. Applied preventively, before the critical phases of drought stress, it enables the plant to anticipate and adapt even before the water shortage is felt, with a residual effect until senescence. We don’t just treat symptoms once they appear; we prepare the plant to cope with them and reduce their effects over the long term. This is a solution that supplements current practices, changes the way we look at the problem of water scarcity in agriculture, whether crops are irrigated or dry, and saves water resources.

“Our technology doesn’t just improve on what already exists, it actually redefines how we think about water management in agriculture”, Olivier Goulay added.

Toward a new sustainable and profitable agriculture

By protecting yields in the face of ever-increasing periods of drought stress, our technology makes certain agricultural sectors completely resilient and encourages better use of water, with a consequent reduction in the volatility of farmers’ income.
These factors are likely to have an impact on insurance schemes, by reducing premiums. This technology is also attracting interest from governments, who see it as a solution for improving the management of shared water resources while safeguarding agricultural production and their ability to feed their populations using a sustainable agricultural approach.

In countries where irrigation is lacking, such as Mexico and south-west Ukraine, the water issue has become a national cause. Adopting this innovation means that production can continue, even in regions where water resources are dwindling. Governments don’t usually drive technologies, but in the face of urgent climate and water issues, this is exactly what’s happening – a sign that beyond yields, a major change is taking place.

After initial commercial successes in Europe and North and South America, Elicit Plant will continue to spread the word and accelerate the propagation of its technology to convince all distributors and farmers of the urgent need to protect themselves against the risks associated with climate change. Some of them, who fall into the category of “early adopters”, have already identified the solution and do not hesitate to use it every season and ask for more to apply it to other crops.

This is confirmed by Olivier Goulay, who cites feedback received from farmers who are discovering the results obtained with this new solution: “At last, some really good news!”   He adds:

Changing practices, changing behaviors, mobilizing industries and governments: isn’t this one of the most tangible signs that we are facing a truly disruptive innovation? An innovation that not only improves on what already exists, but also redefines how water management in agriculture is viewed, paving the way for sustainable crop resilience in the face of increasingly frequent periods of water scarcity worldwide.

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