New biostimulant seed treatment set to boost wheat yields with reduced fertilizer use

The collaboration aims to accelerate the introduction of a novel biological seed treatment solution across multiple countries in Europe over the next five years, pending regulatory approval. This places a much-needed technology in the hands of farmers seeking to improve the sustainability of their farming operations, and to address challenges arising from an increasingly constrained toolbox of available agricultural technologies as well as evolving consumer demands.

ΛCTIV®by Aphea.Bio is a biostimulant applied as a seed treatment on wheat that is based on beneficial microorganisms. By improving the crop's nutrient use efficiency, it enables as much as five percent higher yields even with reduced fertilizer use.

“We are excited to announce this collaboration with Aphea.Bio, which supports our important ambition of helping feed ever growing populations in more sustainable ways,” said Jonathan Brown, Head of Global Seedcare at Syngenta Crop Protection. “It demonstrates our commitment to bringing novel, nutrient use efficiency solutions to growers, helping safeguard yields if nitrogen inputs are reduced. Combined with our leading conventional seed treatment portfolio, ΛCTIV® by Aphea.Bio will offer a unique value proposition in a fast-changing EU landscape.”

Isabel Vercauteren, CEO and co-founder of Aphea.Bio, said: “We are excited to launch our first wheat biostimulant in partnership with Syngenta. We are joining forces to build a more sustainable and profitable future for European farmers. And this is just the beginning.”

An introduction of ΛCTIV® by Aphea.Bio will represent an additional building block in the strategy to achieving healthy soils by supporting crops through beneficial microorganisms. It furthermore has the potential to contribute to the goal of the European Union's Green Deal to reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers inputs.