V6: Sustainably Higher Yields through Fertilizer Innovation
From precision agriculture to machine automation, the global farming industry continues to take on new technology to improve yield, increase sustainability and be more efficient with expensive resources. However digital technology and apps are only one side of the multifaceted story of innovation taking place in the farming industry.
As the pioneering V6 Agronomy (V6 Ag) team will remind you, farming is about producing food, a tangible process that produces tangible outputs, requiring continued innovation that supports a measurable increase in sustainable yield growth.
This is something V6 Ag has consistently delivered, producing high-efficiency precision fertilizers since 2018. Where precision agriculture meets precision fertilizers is a game-changer for farmers and their crops.
Precision Fertilizer through Custom Multivitamin-like Granules
The need for high-efficiency precision crop nutrition is central for V6 Ag. The company has produced compound fertilizers that combine entire nutrient profiles into one granule. Their formulations follow Fertilizer Canada’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship principles, which advocate the Right source at the Right rate, Right time, and Right place. The 4R principles balance farmer, industry, and government goals to improve on-farm economics, crop productivity, and fertilizer efficiency while benefiting the environment.
By using high-density granules that combine a complete nutrient profile as opposed to a blended mix of separated nutrients, farmers can confidently fertilize their fields knowing all ingredients are distributed in the right proportions. The all-in-one composition of the granules has led to V6 Ag coining their products as the multivitamins of fertilizer. So far, the Eastern Ontario company has developed a portfolio of three flagship formulations customized for different crops and markets.
"The results have been proven,” says Ryan Brophy, CEO of V6 Agronomy, “Our customers boast rapid and uniform seedling emergence with superior plant health and improved yields after switching to V6 Ag’s precision compound fertilizer."
Fertilizer for Environmental Sustainability and Reducing Emissions
Beyond improving yields, V6 Ag’s patented formulas have been developed to support the sustainability of the farmland with a substantial decrease in salt composition and to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide, a common by-product of fertilizers.
One key differentiator is V6 Ag’s ability to support the sustainable use of urea, a fertilizer of critical importance that is used around the world to raise nitrogen levels in soil and support plant growth. Unfortunately, urea is highly prone to nitrogen loss into the atmosphere and water table. These losses are not only detrimental to the environment but also to the crop’s yield potential and farmer’s bottom line.
As a solution, many farmers have adopted the use of chemical stabilizers that effectively control nitrogen losses when applied to the urea before field application. Although these products help to preserve nitrogen, they have proven to be detrimental to soil microbial health.
V6 Ag has developed a patented mechanism that incorporates organic, mineral components into the base composition of the urea granule itself, rather than a coating. This invention has shown to be equal in its capacity to control nitrogen loss to the benefit of the grower and our environment while simultaneously supporting soil microbial health, remineralization, superior shelf life and product handling. V6 Ag will be producing this new urea source at its Ontario production facility once commissioned in 2026 and is presently in discussion with international manufacturers regarding licensing and production.
To validate these formulations, the company partnered with Trent University’s School of Environment on a multi-year soil health research project. The goals were to leverage biological versus synthetic treatments to improve the microbial performance of the soil health, while at the same time encouraging increased carbon capture and the reduction of nitrous oxide emissions.
V6 Ag left the project with a proven dry compaction granulation process that uses extreme force to press the necessary ingredients into a dense, water-soluble granule that their customers can conveniently store, ship and handle.
Building a Solid IP Strategy
Throughout the process, V6 Ag leveraged the Launch Lab team, with a specific focus on building a robust IP strategy. The organization knew their recipes and granulation process were pushing the boundaries of fertilizer innovation and wanted to ensure they were taking the right steps to bring the product to market.
Launch Lab started by connecting V6 Ag with Elevate IP, where there was a complete landscape analysis to pinpoint how their product is unique from other compound granular fertilizers. By understanding their product differentiators, the company was not only able to protect what made their solution innovative through patents but also sharpen their organization’s market fit as they prepared for commercial growth.
“The development of a strategic IP strategy and IP implementation is at the core of growth and innovation,” remarked Brophy.
“Launch Lab’s understanding of the importance of IP to a business portfolio, and the expert team has resulted in our company’s ability to put innovation at the forefront of all our research and development across our portfolios.”
As V6 Ag moves on to its next round of patent applications, their projections for growth and market evaluations have become clearer. In fact, sales revenue for the company is projected to grow tenfold within the next three years as the company moves from R&D to focus on scaling manufacturing for both domestic and global markets.
Ready to Disrupt the Global Farming Industry
As farmers are looking to digital technology to improve automation and data-driven decision-making, they are also looking for more tangible innovations that will improve yield, maintain soil health, and support the environment. V6 Ag is planning to deliver, looking in the short-term to target a 2% market entry, prove their worth to the early adopters and then become a staple in the future of crop farming.
“Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue our growth at both our Ontario and Saskatchewan locations, and developing fertilizer technologies for crops across Canada and beyond”, says Brophy. “We’ve really only scratched the surface of what enhanced efficiency fertilizers can do to improve soil health today to feed tomorrow.”
