Syngenta recently announced a partnership with TraitSeq, a technology firm specializing in artificial intelligence, to explore new methods for developing biostimulants.
The collaboration combines Syngenta’s crop biology expertise with TraitSeq’s AI platform to identify biomarkers, which are cellular indicators that can reveal how plants respond to efforts to improve their health or manage abiotic stressors such as drought or extreme temperatures.
Biostimulants are substances applied to plants, seeds, or soil to enhance natural biological processes. These products can improve nutrient efficiency, increase resilience to environmental stress, and improve crop quality. However, their performance often depends on factors like temperature and local environmental conditions, making their development and use complex.
Syngenta brings a wide range of data from fields like genomics, metabolomics and proteomics, which TraitSeq’s AI technology will analyze to identify patterns and molecular interactions. The goal is to use these insights to pinpoint biomarkers that can measure the effectiveness of biostimulants in promoting plant health and improving nutrient uptake. Identifying reliable biomarkers could help researchers more efficiently evaluate new biostimulant products.
The development of biostimulants aligns with Syngenta’s stated efforts to support sustainable farming practices. The company has implemented a Portfolio Sustainability Framework (PSF) that assesses its products based on environmental and stakeholder impact, aiming to prioritize products that align with sustainability goals.
“At Syngenta, we are accelerating the pace at which we innovate, to deliver solutions farmers urgently need,” said Camilla Corsi, head of crop protection research at Syngenta. “Technologies such as TraitSeq’s AI-driven platform enable us to revolutionize our research, attain important data-driven insights, so that we can develop the next-generation of sustainable solutions faster – while further strengthening our pipeline of innovative agricultural technologies.”
“This partnership highlights how TraitSeq’s versatile platform can transform agricultural input development by uncovering predictive biomarkers that directly link molecular insights to biostimulant performance,” TraitSeq CEO Joshua Colmer said. “By equipping Syngenta’s innovation pipeline with these capabilities, we aim to optimize and accelerate the development of new biological solutions, which will support farmers in adopting more sustainable agricultural practices.”
Biostimulants are viewed as an important tool for sustainable agriculture, helping farmers address challenges like limited access to traditional inputs and shifting consumer expectations. By using AI to streamline the development process, this partnership could contribute to more efficient biostimulant innovation and improve the availability of tools to support sustainable farming practices.
While the collaboration remains in its early stages, it represents a growing interest in the use of AI and big data to address complex challenges in agriculture.
