As the largest company in the world fully dedicated to agriculture, Syngenta is continuing to build on an unprecedented, integrated platform of innovative research, breadth of products/offerings and global reach to bring new technology to growers, processors and consumers. 

With more than 5,000 researchers at leading-edge facilities around the world – including the company’s biotechnology research headquarters at Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc. (SBI) in North Carolina – and a commitment to invest more than 10 percent of its sales into R&D, Syngenta is a leader in the industry in crop production research. 

“Delivering innovation is the focus of scientists at SBI, where researchers use a combination of bioscience and cutting-edge technology to develop innovative solutions that help farmers, food companies and consumers meet tomorrow’s challenges,” says Roger Kemble, Head, Crop Genetics Research for Syngenta.

The richness and diversity of Syngenta germplasm resources combined with precise molecular breeding has accelerated the rate of innovation of seeds that will result in more efficient production of crops and renewable fuel, better nutrition and digestibility in animal feed and improved quality and nutrition in food – to name only a few.

“Growers and processors are seeking better opportunities in an evolving agricultural industry,” says Jeff Cox, head of global corn and soybean seeds, Syngenta.  “We’re focusing our product development resources so growers benefit from the opportunities in this rapidly changing crop production environment.”

Leading Biotech

As the first company to launch Bt corn in the U.S. market in 1996 for control of corn borer, Syngenta remains at the forefront of introducing innovative traits to make crop production more profitable for growers.  Syngenta’s corn rootworm event, MIR604*, is in final stages of approval. Syngenta expects to market the corn rootworm trait as Agrisure™ RW and stacks of the trait through elite hybrids in the U.S. with an aim of introducing these traits in time for planting in the 2007 season.

Another trait in the pipeline is a novel insect control trait for cotton, known as VipCot™.  By uniting the power of two genes, VipCot will provide the first truly new approach to insect control since the introduction of biotechnology to cotton 10 years ago. Developed through a partnership with the premier cotton seed company in the USA, the trait has reached the final stage of determining options for ultimate commercialization.

Syngenta is also developing traits and technology that add value for processors and consumers.  These include both corn-expressed enzymes that lead to better nutrition and digestibility in animal feed as well as those which result in the improved production of renewable fuel.  Corn Amylase, designed to increase the efficiency of ethanol production, is one area of opportunity that Syngenta is exploring in the area of biofuels.  Pending the achievement of a number of technical, commercial and regulatory milestones, Syngenta expects the new trait to be a significant advancement for the ethanol industry by delivering a novel alpha amylase enzyme necessary for ethanol production with the enzyme being expressed directly within the corn seed itself. 

Precision Breeding

In addition to other innovative input traits and stacks in development, Syngenta is a leader in the industry in bringing new technologies to growers through conventional breeding processes, crossing and re-crossing lines to transfer desired traits into elite germplasm.  Syngenta has a map for more than 11,000 genes in corn, as well as key genes in rice and other crops.  As a result, scientists can identify a gene that confers a desired trait and then introduce it with great accuracy to the target crop.

“Syngenta is at the leading edge for applications of advanced genomics and molecular markers.  We are focusing on identifying and transferring desirable native traits into elite germplasm,” Kemble says. “Through industry-leading techniques, our teams of scientists are working to expand the quality and diversity of genetics that are brought to market.”

Collaborative approach

In addition, an open and collaborative approach by Syngenta brings essential new technologies to growers.  Syngenta has in the past and is continuing to invest millions of dollars in biotech start-up technologies.  In addition, joint ventures such as GreenLeaf Genetics LLC will offer corn and soybean germplasm from both DuPont subsidiary Pioneer® Hi-Bred International and Syngenta.  This venture will also facilitate the licensing of biotech traits by both companies.

“We’re excited about the future,” Kemble says.  “Syngenta and its partners are focusing their full arsenal of technology and research on delivery of an ever more complete toolbox of crop inputs for growers.”

Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology.  The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market.  Sales in 2005 were approximately $8.1 billion.  Syngenta employs some 19,000 people in over 90 countries.  Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT).  Further information is available at www.syngenta.com.

* MIR604, the corn rootworm event, is not currently registered for sale or use in the United States and is therefore not being offered for sale. This news release does not constitute an offer for sale. This product will not be available for sale until the EPA has approved registration and all necessary authorizations have been granted.

Agrisure™ and GreenLeaf™ Genetics are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Pioneer is a registered trademark of DuPont Company.