Nitro Boost: Lidea’s innovation that secures yields and rethinks nitrogen nutrition

In response to rising fertiliser prices and increasing regulatory constraints, Lidea announces the launch of Nitro Boost, an innovative dual-action seed coating solution developed in collaboration with Agronutrition by DSG. Acting as a living “mini factory” around the seed, this technology combines biofertilisation and biostimulation to optimise plant nutrition. Designed in close consultation with farmers, Nitro Boost offers a scientifically proven solution that combines economic profitability, agronomic excellence and flexibility.

Today, European farmers face a threefold nitrogen challenge: economic pressure from rising costs, a regulatory framework capping nitrogen inputs, and agronomic risks linked to losses through leaching or volatilisation.

Nitro Boost was developed to address these specific challenges. As Céline Cauhapé, Head of Innovation at Lidea, explained: “Innovation only makes sense when it responds to the realities on the ground: a technology only has an impact if it integrates seamlessly into day-to-day operations and provides farmers with greater flexibility and efficiency.”

Faced with the challenges of the agroecological transition and controlled input use, Lidea and DSG AGRONUTRITION have worked together to combine their complementary expertise. Nitro Boost is a technology developed within a consortium specialising in corn and cereals. This innovation translates five years of R&D into field performance. 

Remaining true to its commitment to science-based innovation, Lidea offers a comprehensive, robust and unique technology.

Nitro Boost’s agronomic expertise is based on biofertiliser active ingredients, a biostimulant (a consortium of selected bacteria combined with a unique protein extract) and a nutritional complex (Zn, Mn). These components act together on the soil, roots and plant metabolism.

This solution addresses 3 key agronomic pillars:

Bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen and convert it into ammoniacal nitrogen in the soil, enriching soil fertility and offsetting a reduction in mineral fertiliser inputs of 20 to 40 nitrogen units, depending on cropping conditions. They also promote biodiversity and soil life through the production of secondary metabolites, promoting beneficial soil bacteria at the expense of pathogenic or opportunistic flora.

Nitro Boost provides a strong “starter” effect through the combined action of its active ingredients on root development and uniform emergence, resulting in a 23% increase in dry matter at the 5-leaf stage. In addition, the natural production of auxin (IAA) by the bacteria multiplies secondary root development by four, ensuring extensive soil exploration.
 

Nitro Boost delivers a long-lasting effect by improving plant physiology and nitrogen-use efficiency throughout the entire growth cycle.

In the field, this innovation meets a strong demand. Matthieu Amadine, a livestock farmer and cereal grower in Bérenx, south-west France, shared his experience with Nitro Boost, from sowing through to the first shoots: “These days, nitrogen is my biggest headache at sowing. Between soaring prices and regulations requiring us to reduce application rates, the pressure is intense.”

By testing Nitro Boost, he opted for a reduced-input strategy, cutting mineral fertiliser application by 30 units: “The bet is paying off. The nitrogen-fixing bacteria introduced with the seed are working at full capacity and taking over from mineral fertiliser. This means real security, because this solution improves nitrogen uptake even under unfavourable weather conditions during early growth stages.”

At the 8-10-leaf stage, when he removed the plant, he observed that “the root system is much denser”, making the plant more resilient. He concluded: “If I can maintain my yields while reducing nitrogen inputs by 20 or 30 units at a cost of just under 2 euros per unit – that’s 60 euros per hectare – it’s a win-win for my profit margin and for the environment.”

Nitro Boost’s effectiveness was rigorously evaluated internally across 33 trial sites between 2022 and 2025 and under various soil and climate conditions. Results demonstrated consistent yield gains:

• +4.1 q/ha under water stress, confirming the technology’s role as an “insurance policy” in difficult conditions. Bacterial development on the roots provides a nitrogen “drip-feed” effect whenever the plant requires it, throughout the corn cycle – even when farm machinery can no longer access the field.
• +3.5 q/ha under reduced fertilisation and +2.5 q/ha under standard fertilisation, thanks to optimised root development enabling better soil exploration and improved water and nitrogen uptake. 

These results reinforce Lidea’s commitment to customer success. Strong farmers satisfaction with Lidea’s solutions was further confirmed in the latest survey (2025 crop season), with an overall Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) of 85.19%, exceeding 88% and 92% in demanding markets such as Germany and Ukraine.