Farmers looking to optimize nitrogen fertilizer use and adopt more sustainable farming practices will soon have greater access to VIXERAN®, because of an agreement between Syngenta Crop Protection and Ceres Biotics. A recent news release said the collaboration aims to expand the availability of this innovative biostimulant, providing growers with a biological alternative that complements traditional nitrogen fertilizers.
VIXERAN® is based on the endophytic bacteria Azotobacter salinestris strain number CECT9690, which colonizes internal plant tissues without causing disease. This biostimulant operates through multiple modes of action, allowing crops to efficiently access environmental nitrogen through both leaves and root systems.
Addressing Nitrogen Challenges in Agriculture
Nitrogen plays a critical role in plant growth, leaf expansion, and biomass production, but plants cannot directly absorb nitrogen from the air despite it making up 78% of the atmosphere. Modern agriculture relies on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, which require an energy-intensive industrial process and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, impacting the sustainability of farming systems.
By improving nutrient use efficiency, biostimulants like VIXERAN® offer an opportunity to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers while maintaining crop productivity.
Industry Leaders on the Future of Biologicals
“Syngenta is investing significantly to bring the most innovative biological solutions to farmers around the world. Biostimulants that boost the nutrient use efficiency of crops have a significant role in strengthening the sustainability of agriculture, and are integral to Syngenta’s efforts to improve both crop yields and soil health. We are excited to work with Ceres Biotics in this fast-evolving area of plant nutrition,” said Jonathan Brown, Global Head Seedcare and Biologicals at Syngenta, in the release.
Emilio Marin, CEO and co-founder of Ceres Biotics, emphasized the impact of this partnership: “We are excited to collaborate with Syngenta to bring to the market novel and sustainable biostimulants that improve nutrient use efficiency and maximize yield, helping farmers implement more sustainable agricultural practices. VIXERAN® will be accessible to farmers globally, and this is a big step towards building up more sustainable crop management systems.”
With this collaboration, Syngenta and Ceres Biotics aim to accelerate the adoption of biological solutions that enhance soil health, nutrient efficiency, and overall farm sustainability, offering farmers worldwide new tools for sustainable crop production.
