Key Takeaways:
- SugaROx has secured funding from Innovate UK to advance its T6P biostimulant for wheat, developed in collaboration with Rothamsted Research and Oxford University.
- The T6P biostimulant MVP has shown promising results, with potential wheat yield increases of 5%-22% under favorable conditions and 4%-14% under drought stress.
- A large-scale R&D partnership will now focus on refining biostimulant performance across various wheat genotypes, environments, and management practices.
- ADAS will facilitate commercial field trials in the UK over the next four years to validate the product’s efficacy and support farmer adoption.
Innovation & Excellence Recognized in Agriculture
SugaROx recently received the 2024 Innovation & Excellence Award for Agriculture Chemical Manufacturer of the Year for its pioneering work on T6P biostimulant technology, developed by plant biologists at Rothamsted Research and organic chemists at Oxford University. Building on this recognition, SugaROx has now secured funding from Innovate UK to launch an extensive R&D partnership aimed at accelerating the development and commercialization of its T6P biostimulant to improve wheat productivity and sustainability in the UK.
Promising Results from Global Wheat Trials
Since its launch 3.5 years ago, SugaROx’s T6P biostimulant, SugaROx MVP, has undergone trials across the UK, Canada, the US, Germany, and India. Field data indicates potential wheat yield increases of 5%-22% under optimal conditions and 4%-14% under drought stress, highlighting the product’s resilience. “Our work suggests response differences based on environmental conditions and wheat varieties,” explained Dr. Cara Griffiths, SugaROx CTO and Co-Founder. “In this project, we will collaborate with Rothamsted to screen wheat genotypes for T6P response and develop markers for predicting performance in commercial varieties.”
Precision Science Meets Agronomy
This collaboration builds on over 25 years of research on T6P’s role in plants, initiated by Rothamsted scientist Dr. Matthew Paul and Oxford’s Prof. Ben Davis. Dr. Paul notes, “Our understanding of T6P in plants enables a precision approach to biostimulant development, which could transform wheat yield potential.” The project will focus on understanding genotype x environment x management (GxExM) interactions to optimize biostimulant application in the field.
Field Trials with ADAS
To validate the T6P biostimulant in real-world conditions, ADAS, a leading UK agricultural consultancy, will facilitate 40 field trials with UK farmers over the next four years. Dr. Despina Berdeni, Soil Scientist at ADAS, remarked, “With our Agronomics software and rigorous trial design, we aim to quantify the biostimulant’s impact on wheat yield.”
Addressing Adoption Barriers
Beyond field testing, SugaROx and ADAS are conducting surveys with stakeholders, including farmers and agronomists, to address adoption barriers identified in an 18-month Feasibility Study completed in March 2023. “Our new project will ensure that we address questions from the agricultural community, aiming to accelerate end-user adoption,” said Bianca Forte, SugaROx’s Business Development Director.
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