ProGro BIO Releases New Independent Research

Confirms Rhizol® Helps Farmers Retain More Nutrients in Their Soils, Increase Organic Matter, and Improve Crop Nutrient Uptake

ATLANTA, Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ProGro BIO today announced new third-party research demonstrating that Rhizol®, the company's flagship microbial soil inoculant, delivers impressive and measurable improvements to soil health and crop nutrition across real-world field conditions. The findings, based on more than 1,000 independently analyzed soil samples, confirm what growers consistently report when using Rhizol: stronger soils, better nutrient efficiency, and crops that make better use of available fertility.  

Zach Lancaster, Director of Field Agronomy & Grower Relations at ProGro BIO, emphasized how these results align with on-farm experience: "Growers want products that prove themselves in the field, not just in a lab. What this independent data shows is exactly what growers who integrate Rhizol in their operations are experiencing.  Rhizol helps keep nutrients where they belong, strengthens soil function, and supports better in-season crop performance. It's a practical tool that delivers real value across different soil types and management systems."

Improved Nutrient Retention
The research was conducted by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA & CS) Agronomics Division, using soil samples collected from treated and untreated field sections both before planting and after harvest. The nutrient index is a tool used to assess the likelihood that plant-essential elements—such as phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and others— may move from soils and be lost by way of leeching, volatilization, surface runoff, etc. Higher index values correspond to a greater probability of nutrient loss; lower values indicate stronger nutrient retention. The nutrient-index analysis which was conducted (and is depicted below) further reinforces these findings.

Nutrient-index testing also revealed a clear trend. While pre-planting variability appeared similar across all plots, post-harvest nutrient mobility was consistently lower in Rhizol-treated soils—including key elements such as phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and nitrogen.  Lower nutrient-index values indicate that more nutrients remain in the root zone where crops can use them, less leaching, volatility, and runoff risk, and greater efficiency from every unit of applied fertility.

Organic Matter – Soil Nitrogen Improvement
Across this large, diverse dataset, soils treated with Rhizol also demonstrated a meaningful, statistically significant increase in Humic Matter (HM%) when compared to untreated soils. This measurable improvement is consistent with Rhizol's documented ability to enhance biomass production, stimulate microbial humification pathways, and promote the formation of stable humic fractions. Increases in HM% are widely recognized as indicators of improved soil fertility and structure, higher biological activity, better moisture retention, and enhanced soil nitrogen content—all critical for nutrient retention and crop productivity. For growers, these improvements translate into soils that are more productive, more resilient, and more consistent year after year.

Improved Nutrient Uptake by Plants
To determine how improved soil retention of key plant-essential nutrients affects plant nutrition, ProGro BIO also conducted significant multi-site plant-tissue sampling, processed independently by Waypoint Analytical in Memphis, Tennessee.  The results of these tests demonstrated a clear and consistent pattern:  crops grown in Rhizol-treated soils displayed higher tissue concentrations of essential nutrients compared to untreated controls.  Rhizol-enhanced nutrient uptake supports early vigor and stand strength, enhanced stress tolerance, and improved yield potential under variable conditions. 

These outcomes reinforce Rhizol's role as a dependable, season-long partner for crop nutrition.  With fertilizer costs remaining volatile and nutrient regulations continuing to tighten across many regions, Rhizol gives growers a proven, field-ready way to build healthier soils, reduce nutrient loss, and get more value from every acre throughout the season input costs remaining high and market values projected to remain compressed, growers need a product to put side by side applied nutrients to achieve maximum benefit. 

Blake Young, CEO of ProGro BIO, highlighted the importance of these results for growers navigating rising input costs and tighter environmental expectations:  "Farmers are being asked to do more with less—protect their soils, reduce nutrient loss, and still deliver strong yields. Rhizol's remarkable ability to provide a dual benefit – stronger agronomics and improved environmental stewardship – is increasingly important as growers balance productivity with compliance and sustainability objectives. These exciting, independent findings validate what growers have demonstrated time and again: when the soil performs better, the entire system performs better."

About ProGro BIO: ProGro BIO is an agricultural biotechnology company committed to improving soil health, nutrient efficiency, and crop performance through advanced microbial technologies. Rhizol® is designed to help growers enhance nutrient availability, strengthen soil structure, and support long-term farm productivity.

For more information, visit ProGroBio.com. 

SOURCE ProGro BIO Inc.