UK farms set to trial fertiliser invented by two PIOs

More than 90 farms across the UK are set to participate in the trial of a natural fertiliser developed by two Indians from Kerala who founded an agri-biotech company in Britain.The liquid bio-fertiliser known as “Reclaimer” helps crops withstand extreme conditions such as flooding and drought without the use of harsh chemicals.It was developed by Reclaimer Industries, a graduate startup in Hertfordshire, co-founded by Adwaith Suresh (28), who graduated from the University of Hertfordshire in 2023 with an MSc in finance and investment banking and Abhijith Padukana, a biotechnologist. Reclaimer is being developed with ecosystem support from the university and the company is now preparing for regulatory approval and pilot production.The technique focuses on converting agricultural byproducts and farm residues into biologically active liquid fertilisers through controlled microbial fermentation. The treatment helps increase organic matter in the soil to improve long-term nutrient availability and helps plants to absorb nutrients more efficiently. It strengthens soil structure and boosts resilience against extreme weather.“Abhijith and I came up with this idea after realising how poor the soil conditions were following extreme weather in Kerala,” Suresh said. “We realised that even after rapid advances in digital technologies, many farms still lacked resilient soil to protect crops. Together we researched and developed a regenerative solution made from up-cycled agricultural waste and we were able to adapt our solution to UK soil conditions.”It was after developing his product with the support of the University of Hertfordshire’s enterprise team that Suresh was able to introduce it to the UK market in mid-2025. Since then, Reclaimer has gained strong early traction, with 92 farms signed up for the trial across more than 25,000 hectares.Catch the latest world news and top headlines. Download the TOI App.