HayRite Field Study Program — Open Forage Inoculant Trials for Dairy, Beef, Equine, and Producer Operations

What Is a Forage Inoculant Field Trial?

A forage inoculant field trial is an applied agricultural research study conducted directly on working farms to measure the real-world performance of biological hay preservatives. Rather than relying solely on controlled laboratory data, these trials track practical metrics like dry matter retention, aerobic stability, and livestock feed conversion under authentic weather and storage conditions. By comparing treated bales against untreated controls, these trials provide transparent, farm-specific data to prove economic value and biological efficacy.

Why this exists

HayRite is a young product on top of an old science lineage. The Bacillus-on-hay research the product builds on stretches back decades; the DB38 strain in HayRite was selected from that lineage and manufactured at the QUT Mackay facility (the same facility behind the H57 sister strain). The peer-reviewed work on DB38 specifically — and on HayRite-treated forage's downstream effects on milk, meat, and animal health — is exactly what we're now doing.

Most preservative brands won't put their open questions in public. We do, for two reasons:

1. Honesty is a competitive advantage. Operators who buy farm inputs are tired of being sold features that haven't been measured. Telling the truth about what's measured and what's still open earns trust where competitors lose it.

2. Farmers running real operations are the best research partners. Lab studies are useful but limited. The questions that matter — does this product reduce refusal in our cattle? does treated dairy hay move milk components? — only get real answers from real operations.

How the program works

1. Apply. Short intake form (5–10 minutes). Indicates which study and your operation basics.
2. Review. Darts research team reviews your application within 5 business days.
3. Qualifying call. 30-minute call to walk through study protocol and contract.
4. Onboarding. Study packet, materials, baseline measurements before the study window opens.
5. Study window. Active data collection — typically 6 to 12 months depending on the study.
6. Report. Full study report shared with participants. Aggregate findings published; individual farm data anonymized.

✓ Confirmed Participants own their farm-specific data. Anonymized for publication; participants get the option to be named or stay anonymous in any released materials.

Active Field Studies

Eight active studies currently open for enrollment. Each is tied to specific OPEN QUESTION tags across the rest of this site.

Investigator-Initiated Trial Program

For University Extension Specialists and Academic Researchers
‍In addition to our farm-level studies, Darts Biotechnologies funds an Investigator-Initiated Trial (IIT) Program specifically designed for academic researchers, PhD candidates, and university extension specialists. Modeled directly on traditional NIH and USDA grant structures, this program funds independent, rigorously designed studies exploring Bacillus-based forage preservation, microbial competitive exclusion, and downstream livestock outcomes.

We offer base grant funding ranging from $40,000 to $80,000 per approved study. To guarantee absolute scientific independence and maintain a strict, Conflict of Interest (COI)-safe structure, all grant funds are routed directly through your university's or institution's sponsored research accounts—never to individuals. Darts provides the trial product and the financial grant; you design the protocol, own the resulting data, and retain full, unencumbered rights to publish the results in peer-reviewed journals, regardless of the study's outcome.

‍To apply for an IIT grant, please use our general contact form and use the subject line "IIT Program Proposal."