Syngenta, a global player in agricultural innovation, is teaming up with TraitSeq, a pioneering AI company, to harness the full potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in the development of advanced biostimulants.
The collaboration aims to accelerate the creation of high-performance products that can enhance plant health and resilience.
Combining Expertise for Cutting-Edge Solutions
Syngenta brings its vast knowledge of crop biology, while TraitSeq contributes its proprietary AI technology.
Together, the two companies will identify highly specific plant biomarkers—molecular indicators that reveal a plant’s cellular state.
The biomarkers can indicate how effectively a plant is responding to treatments that enhance its health or counteract external stressors, such as extreme weather or pests.
Biostimulants: A Key Component of Sustainable Agriculture
Biostimulants are substances applied to plants, seeds, or their root environments to improve natural plant processes.
They enhance nutrient use efficiency, boost tolerance to abiotic stress (like drought or temperature fluctuations), and improve crop quality.
As an essential part of sustainable agriculture, biostimulants are gaining importance.
However, their performance can vary depending on factors like temperature and local climate, making it crucial to improve their consistency and effectiveness.
AI-Powered Insights for Better Performance
By combining Syngenta’s extensive data from genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics with TraitSeq’s AI platform, the partnership seeks to unlock complex molecular interactions that influence a crop’s ability to absorb and utilize nutrients.
The goal is to identify biomarkers that can be used to assess how well biostimulants enhance plant health.
The AI-driven approach promises to speed up the evaluation of biostimulants, providing more reliable and targeted solutions for farmers.
Supporting Regenerative Practices and Sustainability
The collaboration aligns with Syngenta’s commitment to sustainable agriculture and regenerative farming practices.
Syngenta’s new Portfolio Sustainability Framework (PSF) evaluates products based on their sustainability impact. It aims to push new products to the highest sustainability tier.
The focus is on accelerating the development of biostimulants. It also includes creating other sustainable solutions to help farmers transition to more regenerative practices.
Driving Innovation in Agricultural Solutions
Camilla Corsi, Head of Crop Protection Research and Development at Syngenta stated, “At Syngenta, we are accelerating the pace at which we innovate, to deliver solutions farmers urgently need. Technologies such as TraitSeq’s AI-driven platform enable us to revolutionize our research, attain important data-driven insights, and develop the next generation of sustainable solutions faster”.
AI Unlocks New Possibilities for Sustainable Agriculture
Dr. Joshua Colmer, CEO of TraitSeq, highlighted, “This collaboration demonstrates how TraitSeq’s versatile AI platform can directly link molecular insights to biostimulant performance. By equipping Syngenta’s innovation pipeline with these capabilities, we aim to optimize the development of new biological solutions. These solutions will help farmers adopt more sustainable agricultural practices.”
Meeting the Demand for Sustainable Farming Solutions
Biostimulants play a vital role in helping farmers increase sustainability. They also address the challenges of limited agricultural tools and shifting consumer demands.
As per the press release, Syngenta and TraitSeq are enhancing the development of these products through AI. They are contributing to the evolution of agriculture. This shift aims for more efficient and environmentally responsible practices.
