On his way to a conference in Orlando, Fla., Brian Vande Berg pulled his rental sedan over every 10 minutes to hike along beaches and marshes and occasionally stoop down to pack dirt into small, plastic vials.  His target: microscopic, soil-dwelling organisms that agricultural companies consider a new frontier in protecting crops.

 

Seed and pesticide makers like BASF SE, DuPont, Bayer and Monsanto are investing heavily to develop new products incorporating organisms like bacteria and tiny fungi, which executives say can help corn, soybean and other plants fend off pests and grow faster.

 

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