Startup Bets Its Magic Touch on Seeds Can Boost Crop Yields

Might the communities of microörganisms living in healthy plants hold the keys to dramatically increasing crop yields? A new venture-backed company is betting yes. Indigo, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based startup, is developing microbe-based crop treatments identified through the study of the beneficial bacteria and fungi - collectively known as the microbiome - that naturally live in and around plants. Formerly known as Symbiota, Indigo announced Thursday that this year it would release its first two products, microbe-based seed coatings for two undisclosed crops.

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