Frenzy triggers plant’s survival instincts

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — While observing the impacts herbivores had on plant growth 40 years ago, Ken Paige made a discovery that could transform soybean production.

Decades of research and development has led to Frenzy Crop System, located at University of Illinois’ Research Park where Paige serves as founder, chief strategy officer and president, and Chris Harbourt is CEO.

They gave a presentation on the Frenzy system at the recent Research Park’s AgTech Summit.

At the beginning of his career, Paige, now U of I professor emeritus in evolutionary ecology and biology at the Department of Animal Biology, observed the impacts of animal grazing on high mountain wildflowers.

“He found that plants that are eaten by animals, in some cases, actually come back outsized in terms of yield. They’ll come back with a 200% or 300% seed increase,” Harbourt said.

“This is the opposite of what we’re taught in school. We’re taught that if you damage a plant, it never really comes back. That’s how farmers view it, as well. You beat up a plant too much and it’s not going to come back.”

Paige spent much of his career debating others in the academic community about his theories and observations.

“He moved it over into the genetic realm and started to look for the genetic underpinnings. He discovered genes and pathways and chemical responses in plants that are triggered by grazing animals,” Harbourt continued.

Paige developed a method to increase seed yield in soybeans by removing the apical meristem at a specific stage in plant development.

Removing the apical meristem at a specific growth stage in certain cultivars can cause increased gene expression and more protein synthesis, which leads to increased seed production and other benefits.

This method increases seed yield, seed weight, seed oil content, seed protein, above-ground and below-ground biomass and secondary metabolite production, increased abiotic and biotic stress tolerance.

“It makes sense when you think about it from an evolutionary lens. If you go, yes, I guess all plants grew up being eaten by animals, and the ones that survived being eaten are the ones that were successful and that are here today,” Harbourt said.

“What we’ve managed to do, though, in modern agriculture is we are giving the plants everything they could possibly desire. We’ve genetically selected away from that being important. So, these genetics have become rare, particularly rare in soybeans.”

Yield Increase

When the company was started in 2019, Paige and Harbourt found the system increased soybean yields by 30% or more.

“We got huge numbers, almost unbelievable type stuff. I’m a credible guy in agriculture and when I tell people I feel like a loon sometimes saying it. How have we missed this? Some guys spend their whole career for a 1% change in yield,” Harbourt said.

“We’re seeing 30% and in some cases we’re seeing over 100%, doubling soybean yields in places like North Dakota and other areas where they have a little more stress on their soybeans.

“That was sort of the genesis for the company was we’ve got this powerful set of ideas, we’ve got these genetic traits in soybeans that are largely being bred out of modern soybeans because we’re not triggering this gene.”

The patented system triggers the soybean plant’s natural survival instincts.

“We named the company Frenzy because we’re basically sending a plant into a biological frenzy and it outgrows,” Harbourt noted.

“The product mimics the plants being eaten at exactly the right time and exactly the right way, with the right variety.”

Product System

The system begins with the right seed genetics, and Frenzy Crop System is working with seed companies to make sure the right soybean genetics are available.

The second piece is treating the soybeans at the right time with a foliar chemical treatment — Frenzy’s RevCell.

“Rather than come in with animals, we’ve discovered a chemical approach that basically does the same thing. It triggers the plant that way,” Harbourt said.

The Frenzy foliar product is an enzyme produced by a beneficial bacteria. This enzyme has been removed from the bacteria and concentrated to increase the response and benefit to the plant and to improve tank mix compatibilities.

Frenzy is a biotechnology that is proven in helping plants withstand and recover from stress, while increasing nutrient efficiency.

Seed Genetics

About 95% of the soybean seeds in the market don’t have the right genetics for this system.

“If you try our system on the wrong seed, your yield will go down. We’ve found a few of the lines and we’re working with the seed companies to get those back into the hands of farmers at scale. You’ve got to have that piece,” Harbourt said.

“The approach for us with the seed companies is we’re open for business. We are there to bring this technology as quickly as possible to the market.

“So, we’re working with and have engaged with all of the soybean seed majors to talk to them about the best way to get this moving forward and proving to them that it works on their varieties, as well.

“Then, because the yields are much higher, we have companion products that go along with it that agronomists and others can sell that make sure you can take advantage of that higher yield, that you’re not yield-limited by molybdenum or boron or some other micronutrient. We’re selling that as a system and pulling that all together.”

Investors

Frenzy is currently in a phase of company growth after its 2019 start.

“We got our first employee in 2024, and we took on a bunch of investments from farmers,” Harbourt said. “We have farmers and agriculture companies who believed in us and who put money into the company and created the opportunity for us to then go out and test this.

“We spent last year testing from North Dakota down to Alabama. We did a number of tests in Illinois. We’re located just outside of Champaign.

“We’ve done the proof to ourselves that this is a soybean technology that works across the soybean market. It certainly works on every soybean across Illinois and we’re in the process of commercializing that.

“We think we’ll have a commercial rollout in the next couple of years where growers can start to work the system into their practices.

“What we do know, based on a typical average yield of soybeans, a 30% to 40% increase, we’re talking about north of $200 an acre of additional revenue coming in for a farmer. That’s a huge deal.

“I’ve been talking about this as one of the biggest opportunities for farmers on their farm in a long time.”

Research Park Innovations

Harbourt, U of I research assistant professor, agricultural and biological engineer, and Technical Entrepreneur Center adjunct assistant professor, has over 25 years of experience in agriculture, business and academia.

His expertise includes startup business operations, software product development, robotics, sustainability, hydrology, field data collection, automation and practical farming experience.

He is the founder and managing partner of Hatch Ag Group LLC, a consulting company focused on finding answers to technical challenges and investing in great ideas in agriculture.

Before the launch of Hatch Ag, he was cofounder and CEO of Agrible Inc., where he built the company and team, developed multiple software and hardware products and led the company in raising three rounds of venture capital.

“The story around the AgTech Summit for me is I’ve had a number of successful companies that have come out of Research Park, software companies and others that I have through the venture fundraising route and really got them off the ground here,” he said.

“The community means a lot to me and here’s another opportunity, and I like the story this one tells — university technology being developed at the university Research Park with Illinois faculty, Illinois business people, Illinois investors in terms of farmers and others, Illinois businesses. Brandt Consolidated is one of our investors and partners. There’s a number of really strong Illinois businesses involved.

“The big news out of that event to me was it’s a great Illinois story, helping Illinois farmers on a huge crop like soybeans, and that’s exciting for me.”