Vita-Rhize (VR) is a start-up company looking to provide novel and disruptive technologies from the pharmaceutical industry into agriculture. Founded in 2022, by Nick Read and Mark Wood, who have access to multiple touch points in the industry through farmers, distributors, input providers as well as research and development organizations.
In our first 2 years, we successfully managed trials in locations all over England, on various crops and are focused on dramatically improving productivity, environmental resilience and the return on investment for farmers and growers. Trials have demonstrated yield increases and input cost decreases with repeatable results in various soil types and in different climatic conditions.
With more than 60 years of experience in Agriculture and the Agricultural value chain we have seen the need for significant change to be made in order that the industry survives and moves forward. As passionate advocates of quality nutritious food and the maintenance of food security, we are working at all levels within the chain to make the journey to net zero a reality.
Partnered with one of the leading research-intensive Universities, we are focused on improving farmer economics and long-term sustainable soils and healthy plants to minimize impacts of supply chain disruptions, climate change and pests & diseases.
Nicholas (Nick) Read (Director) is a Chemical Engineer with 25 years of experience in the agricultural industry in crop protection and seeds, having worked for multi-nationals and privately owned companies with business’s spanning the globe. With links to the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, we are constantly looking to introduce disruptive technologies across industries. Job functions have covered sales and marketing, supply chain, production, finance and product development. In these roles, it became clear that Europe (and the UK) is lagging behind in the adoption of biological products to improve the health of the soil and plants that enable their resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses. It was also clear that the interests of the companies providing inputs on farm did not align with the needs to improve soil and plant health and subsequently started the partnership with Mark Wood to create Vita-Rhize.
Mark Wood (Director) Diploma in Agriculture, MBA, BASIS qualified Agronomist FACTS fertiliser advisor and 38 years experience in Agricultural Supply. Worked within all aspects of the Agricultural industry Crop Protection, Seed, Fertiliser and Application Equipment. Responsible for the conception and development of new to the sector dry fertiliser blending operation, and a new liquid fertiliser operation, establishing manufacturing storage and distribution systems for both. Industry representative on a BBSRC project looking at Phosphites as biostimulants at Nottingham University. During this period co–chairman of the UK Task Force for the European Biostimulant Industry Council (EBIC). Experienced in working with small to medium sized businesses running new product trials whether strip, on farm or formal, and assisting with the assessment of these trials using extensive experience from agronomy and husbandry experience. Produced and provided training for agronomists, farmers and growers on soil, soil management, nutrition and balanced approach to nutrition and proven biostimulants.