Syngenta Crop Protection & Alphae.Bio Join Forces

Syngenta Crop Protection and Aphea.Bio have joined forces to provide European wheat farmers with a new biological seed treatment solution. This collaborative effort aims to introduce the solution ACTIV® by Aphea.Bio to multiple countries over the next five years, pending regulatory approval. ACTIV® is a biostimulant made from beneficial microorganisms that can be applied as a seed treatment on wheat. It improves the crop’s nutrient use efficiency, enabling up to 5% higher yields even with reduced fertilizer use.

The collaboration between Syngenta Crop Protection and Aphea.Bio aims to provide a much-needed technology to farmers seeking to improve their farming operations’ sustainability. These farmers face significant challenges due to a limited toolbox of available agricultural technologies—the introduction of ACTIV® by Aphea.Bio offers a unique value proposition in a fast-changing EU landscape. The solution will help farmers address their challenges while sustainably improving crop yields.

Jonathan Brown, the Head of Global Seedcare at Syngenta Crop Protection, expressed his enthusiasm for collaborating with Aphea.Bio, stating that it aligns with their crucial goal of providing sustainable food sources for the continuously growing population. He highlighted their dedication to introducing innovative solutions that enhance nutrient use efficiency for farmers, enabling them to maintain their crop yields while reducing nitrogen inputs. Mr. Brown emphasized that the collaboration would complement their leading conventional seed treatment portfolio, offering a distinct value proposition in the rapidly evolving EU agricultural sector.

The collaboration also supports the ambition of helping to feed growing populations more sustainably while contributing to the goal of the European Union’s Green Deal to reduce the use of synthetic fertilizer inputs. Furthermore, the introduction of ACTIV® represents an additional building block in achieving healthy soils by supporting crops through beneficial microorganisms.

Isabel Vercauteren, the co-founder and CEO of Aphea.Bio, expressed her excitement about their first wheat biostimulant’s launch in collaboration with Syngenta. She stated that the partnership is aimed at creating a sustainable and lucrative future for European farmers, and this is just the beginning of their joint efforts.

Photo by Craig Manners on Unsplash