Sep 16, 2024

Syngenta and Provivi partner to combat corn pests

Syngenta Biologicals and Provivi have partnered to develop pheromone-based solutions targeting pests in corn and rice crops across Asia.

The collaboration with Provivi, an ag pest company, will focus on controlling the yellow stem borer in India and Indonesia and the fall armyworm in Thailand.

The new eco-friendly products, including the YSB Eco-Dispenser and FAW Eco-Granules, are slated for release in 2026. Made from biodegradable materials, these products are designed to improve pest management while reducing environmental impact, according to a news release.

Pheromones disrupt pest mating behaviors, offering a non-toxic and species-specific alternative to traditional pest control methods. Jonathan Brown, global head of biologicals at Syngenta, emphasized the importance of these solutions, especially as pest threats intensify due to climate change.

Pedro Coelho, chief business officer at Provivi, added that pheromone-based solutions help preserve biodiversity by protecting beneficial insects and pollinators.

The partnership builds on previous collaboration between Syngenta and Provivi, aligning with Syngenta’s sustainability goals of increasing crop productivity with reduced environmental harm, according to the release.

Provivi develops scalable and safer insect control technologies targeting global destructive agricultural pests. The company’s Nobel prize winning technologies enable a step change in the production of affordable pheromone-based solutions that can be conveniently used by growers for preventive pest control. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the company has operations in Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia and Europe.

Syngenta Group is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland with North American operations based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Syngenta Crop Protection develops inputs for crop insect and disease protection, seeds, seed treatments and traits and offers more than 145 products used in more than 200 crops in the U.S. Syngenta Crop Protection’s 17,900 employees work in more than 90 countries.