Expanding Biological Technology Reach: New Strategies from Syngenta, Bayer, BASF, Corteva, and UPL

Global agrochemical leaders are accelerating their biologicals business growth through four coordinated approaches that blend science, partnerships, and market access. The result is a faster pipeline for nature‑inspired products and broader farmer reach worldwide.

1) R&D Collaborations: AI, Peptides, Encapsulation
Syngenta partnered with TraitSeq to apply AI to multi‑omics datasets and identify plant cellular biomarkers that guide next‑gen biostimulant design.
Bayer awarded a LifeHub California Golden Ticket to Genvor, supporting antimicrobial‑peptide innovations that tune early seed‑to‑sprout traits for resilience and nutrient efficiency.
BASF teamed with AgroSpheres to deploy AgriCell encapsulation for novel broad‑spectrum bioinsecticides that maintain control at low dose rates.
Corteva began a multi‑year collaboration with Micropep to co‑develop micropeptide‑based biocontrols, with exclusive access to a defined peptide library.

2) Venture Investments:

Seeding New Biological Modalities
Through Corteva Catalyst, the company backed Micropep’s Series B to advance the Krisalix micropeptide discovery platform and led IBI Ag’s Series A to harness single‑domain antibodies for highly selective bioinsecticides. It also funded Puna Bio to scale extremophile‑based seed treatments that enhance nutrient uptake and stress tolerance, and invested in Symbiomics, which screens thousands of microbes using integrated molecular and gene‑editing tools.

3) Strategic Acquisitions: Building Biological Asset Depth
Syngenta acquired the remaining 60% of Intrinsyx Bio, consolidating a platform focused on nutrient‑use efficiency, and secured key natural‑product assets and strain libraries from Novartis, along with the transfer of a specialized team and access to Basel R&D infrastructure.

4) Distribution Alliances: Scaling Access Across Regions
Syngenta signed with Agrauxine to distribute the systemic resistance inducer STROVEQ and yeast‑derived biofungicide SPREXIMA in U.S. ornamentals, and with Ceres Biotics to expand access to VIXERAN, an Azotobacter‑based nitrogen fixer.
Bayer secured exclusive rights to M2i pheromone gels across APAC, Latin America, and the U.S., and an exclusive EU distribution with Ecospray for a garlic‑extract bionematicide branded as Velsinum for vegetables and potatoes.
UPL partnered with Elemental Enzymes to target corn and soybean diseases in Brazil, with STK to bring tea‑tree‑oil fungicide Timorex Pro to Mexico, and with Provivi to supply second‑generation FAW Eco‑Dispensers for fall armyworm control.
BASF aligned with Elicit Plant on phytosterol formulations (EliSun‑a, EliGrain‑a) for drought resilience in French sunflower and cereals, and added Acadian Plant Health seaweed biostimulants to bolster crop resilience and quality.
Corteva advanced a European distribution deal for Simbiose’s biological phosphorus‑solubilizer.

Why It Matters

These moves knit together discovery engines, capital, biological asset libraries, and last‑mile channels. The net effect is faster validation, diversified modes of action, and wider on‑farm availability of biocontrols, biostimulants, and microbe‑based inputs that complement or replace conventional chemistries in stress management, nutrition efficiency, and pest control.

Forward Look
Expect continued convergence between computational biology, peptide engineering, microbial discovery, and encapsulation science. With scaled distribution and targeted acquisitions, the big five are positioning biologicals as mainstream tools in integrated crop management, moving from pilots to portfolio pillars across key regions.