Syngenta, a world leader in developing the next generation of biologicals products for agricultural use, will use its extensive knowledge of crop biology to complement TraitSeq’s proprietary AI methods to identify highly specific indicators of a plant’s cellular state called biomarkers. When activated, these biomarkers can indicate how well a plant is responding to efforts to boost its health or to block the effects of external, abiotic stressors.
Biostimulants are products applied to plants, seeds, or the root environment that enhance natural plant processes, leading to an improved nutrient use efficiency, increased tolerance to abiotic stress, or better crop quality. Biostimulants are a vital and growing component of sustainable agriculture, yet their performance can vary depending on environmental factors such as temperature and local climate.
Syngenta has extensive data across different branches of science – such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics. Using TraitSeq’s sophisticated proprietary platform, scientists from both teams hope to leverage AI to analyze complex biological big data, to uncover the intricate molecular interactions that impact a crop’s ability to utilize available nutrients in the soil. Once specific biomarkers can be identified, scientists hope to be able to quickly and accurately assess the efficacy of a new biostimulant in enhancing plant health.
The development of such biostimulants also fits in Syngenta’s efforts to support farmers transition to regenerative practices and its commitment to sustainability. Syngenta’s recently launched Portfolio Sustainability Framework (PSF) rates Syngenta’s products for sustainability and stakeholder alignments into 3 tiers. New products are also included with the aim to shift the portfolio towards the top tier.