There is a critical need for innovative technology to reduce drought induced crop losses on more than 45 million acres of US dryland grown small grains

Montana bioagriculture, mbai, licensed patents for a plant symbiotic fungus, curvularia protuberata, which confers tolerance to drought in wheat and barley. Mbai sees opportunity to bring c. Protuberata to commercial use. Phase 1 demonstrated proof of concept: low cost spore production using commercially scalable culture conditions; efficient delivery by spore coating seeds; up to 10 days of increased tolerance to water stress in wheat grown from nonsterile seed, planted in nonsterile soil. Phase II will advance c. Protuberata to a commercial product with objectives and work plan to:develop methods to product ensure efficacy over long term culture maintenance, production scale up and deliveryconfirm efficacy with different wheat varieties and integration with agronomic practicesdemonstrate efficacy in field trialsgenerate the economic information needed to raise capital for commercial production and marketing.mbai will raise capital for commercial production and marketing to help grain farmers respond to climate change and unpredictable rainfall. Based on phase 1 results, mbai can sell c. Protuberata as low cost drought insurance while providing attractive return to investors.as a commercial product c. Protuberata will contribute to food security and advance development and delivery of science for agricultural to mitigate climate impacts