SoilSeed

Arsenii Hordeichyk, of the Technical University of Munich, is one of the six finalists of our Scientists for Nature Challenge 2026: A Quantum Leap for Biodiversity. He presented his work at the 75th Anniversary Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.

SoilSeed: A Multi-Kingdom Local Approach to Soil Biodiversity Restoration

Industrial agriculture is degrading soil that hosts an enormous share of life on Earth, and current biofertiliser solutions aimed at improving plant growth rely on generic lab-grown strains that often fail to succeed in local conditions.

SoilSeed takes a different approach: a multi-kingdom seed coating delivering bacteria, fungi, and earthworms - all sourced from the same regional soils where they will be applied. By restoring native soil communities rather than introducing foreign organisms, the goal is to rebuild soil biodiversity while cutting farmers' fertiliser costs and locking carbon back into degraded land.