NoduMax: Inoculant for Soybeans

Advanced Soybean Inoculation Solution for Sustainable Agriculture

This technology is a solid inoculant, which contains the industry-standard strain USDA 110 and includes a gum Arabic adhesive and user instructions. It is packed in 100 g packets sufficient for 10 to 15 kg soybean seed.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

7•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 7/9; level of use 7/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive medium

Under 18: Positive medium

Women: Positive medium

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Much less carbon released

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Water use: Much less water used

Problem

Poor Root Nodulation and Low Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) in Soybeans: In many instances, soybean crops suffer from inadequate root nodulation, leading to suboptimal levels of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). This results in reduced plant growth, lower yields, and increased reliance on nitrogen fertilizers, which are costly and environmentally impactful.
Lack of Quality Inoculant in the Market: Farmers often face challenges in obtaining high-quality inoculants for soybean cultivation. The lack of standardized strains and rigorous quality testing in available products can compromise the effectiveness of inoculation, impacting overall crop performance.
Limited Access to Affordable Inoculants in African Countries: In many African countries, farmers may face difficulties accessing affordable inoculants for soybean cultivation. The limited availability of cost-effective options hinders widespread adoption of inoculation practices, limiting the potential benefits for soybean farmers.
Complex Application Procedures: Farmers may find the application of inoculants to soybean seeds to be a complex and cumbersome process. Difficulty in following instructions and achieving a uniform distribution of the inoculant can lead to suboptimal results.
Lack of Protein Sufficiency and Soil Fertility in Soybean Production: Insufficient protein availability and poor soil fertility are challenges in soybean production, impacting both crop yield and nutritional outcomes for farming communities.
Clumping in Alternative Inoculation Methods: Alternative methods of inoculation may lead to clumping, affecting the uniform distribution of the inoculant on soybean seeds. Clumping can result in uneven nodulation and compromised effectiveness.

Solution

Ensures the presence of symbiotic rhizobium bacteria, improving root nodulation and promoting high rates of BNF. This eliminates the need for costly nitrogen fertilizers.
Contains the industry-standard strain USDA 110 and undergoes rigorous testing for quality, ensuring at least 1 billion live cells per gram. It is produced by the IITA Business Incubation Platform (BIP) in Ibadan, Nigeria, providing a reliable and high-quality inoculant product.
Provides user-friendly instructions and offers a two-step application method, ensuring a uniform distribution on soybean seeds. This simplifies the inoculation process for farmers.
Investing in soybean production, including the use of NoduMax, generates income for farmers, contributes to import substitution, enhances the nutritional status of farming families, and improves soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation.
NoduMax recommends the two-step method to prevent clumping, ensuring the fine brown powder is uniformly distributed on seeds for optimal effectiveness.

Key points to design your project

NoduMax, an innovative soybean inoculant, boosts yields, empowers women, and reduces environmental impact. By enhancing root nodulation and nitrogen fixation, it cuts reliance on costly fertilizers, fostering gender equality and climate resilience. Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals, NoduMax represents a holistic path to sustainable agriculture, health, and equality, contributing actively to climate action. In essence, NoduMax is a catalyst for transformative progress, marking a resilient and equitable future.

To incorporate this technology into your project and develop a list of project activities along with prerequisites, follow these steps:

Assess the quantity of products required for your project by considering the technology cost at approximately USD 3.2 per 100 g, sufficient for 10 to 15 kg of soybean seed.
Take into account that the technology is accessible in Nigeria, and factor in the delivery cost to the project site, including potential import clearance and duties.

A team of trainers could provide training and support during project installation. Include the cost for training and post-training support for using the technology.

Communication support for the technology should be developed (flyers, videos, radio broadcasts, etc.)

To enhance the optimization of the improved maize variety, it is advisable to companion plant with soybean varieties resistant to pests and diseases, notably Asian Rust. Additionally, fundamental nutrient fertilization, focusing on elements beyond mineral nitrogen, holds significance, especially for phosphate, such as Super Phosphate, or fertilizer blends tailored for grain legumes, like Sympal (NPK 0-23-16+). Commercial farmers also utilize pre-emergent herbicides to minimize the need for field weeding operations.

To implement the technology in your country, you could collaborate with agricultural development institutes and agro-dealers.

Cost: $$$ 3.20 USD

For the purchase of 100g

ROI: $$$ 1 USD

Profit per unit for retailers

150,000 USD

To build the NoduMax factory

120,000 USD

To equip the NoduMax factory

IP

Unknown

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested

Countries where the technology has been tested and adopted
Country	Tested	Adopted
Benin	–Not tested	Adopted
Ghana	–Not tested	Adopted
Mozambique	–Not tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–Not tested	Adopted
Togo	–Not tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 3: good health and well-being

Goal 5: gender equality

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Goal 12: responsible production and consumption

Goal 13: climate action

Preparation of Adhesive Solution: Dissolve the gum Arabic adhesive in clean, hot water.
Coating Soybean Seeds: Apply the adhesive solution to 10 to 15 kg of soybean seeds, ensuring an even coating on the seed exterior.
Inoculation with NoduMax: Add the inoculant to the adhesive-coated seeds. Mix until the inoculant appears as a fine brown powder, uniformly distributed on the seeds.
Planting Seeds: Plant the inoculated seeds shortly after application, ensuring they are protected from direct sunlight.