We are looking for breakthrough, soil-applied technologies that can accelerate the restoration of degraded cropland by directly improving the soil’s physical, chemical or biological functions.

Submissions should:

• Enhance the processes that rebuild soil function such as increasing stable organic matter, improving water infiltration and retention, restoring nutrient cycling, or re-establishing beneficial and active microbial communities

OR

• Directly mitigate soil impairments such as salinity, compaction or poor drainage when this leads to improved soil function.
• Be applicable at field or farm scale using practical deployment methods.
• Show a clear mechanism of action on the soil itself, not just on plants.
• Have potential to deliver measurable improvement in soil function within a few cropping seasons.

We especially value breakthrough solutions that:

• Have early proof of concept or field data demonstrating improvement of key soil indicators such as SOC, infiltration and microbial activity.
• Clearly describe the soil conditions, climates or cropping systems where the solution performs best.
• Are potentially scalable and economically feasible for large-acreage deployment.
• Are compatible with farm operations and regulatory frameworks.
• Offer potential for longer-term persistence of improvements rather than only short-term effects.

We are not seeking:

• Plant-centric solutions that do not directly modify soil properties such as plant biostimulants, seed coatings or varieties that tolerate poor soils without improving them.
• Standard practices already widely used such as cover crops, no-till or manure/compost unless they are part of a novel mechanism or delivery system.
• Conventional inputs such as standard fertilizers, lime or gypsum without an innovative mode of action.
• Technologies whose primary benefit is improving plant performance in suboptimal soils rather than improving the soil itself.