More than ever, corn and soybeans are fueling the fleet of Syngenta’s corn and soybean business.  The company has converted 34 percent of the light-duty vehicles in its fleet to run on E-85 fuel and 43 percent of its heavy-duty vehicles to biodiesel.  These vehicles are operated by Garst®, Golden Harvest® and NK® Brand, as well as Syngenta product development and seed supply operations.  The company plans for its fleet to be converted to100 percent renewable fuels as it replaces vehicles over the next few years.

“As a leader in helping corn and soybean growers increase their productivity and realize additional value from the emerging renewable fuels industry, Syngenta is not only providing new technology for customers but also living - and driving - our commitment to industry growth,” said Jim Peters, director, renewable fuels business in Syngenta’s corn and soybean seeds business.   “Ethanol production consumed a record 1.4 billion bushels of U.S. corn last year, creating a greater demand than growers have seen in years.  We want demand for our customers’ products to continue increasing.”

Developing new technologies and yield-enhancing agronomic practices is a priority for Syngenta, according to Peters.  “Our corn and soybean research and development programs are laser-focused on helping customers produce more bushels to meet the rising demand for their product represented by renewable fuels.” 
Syngenta is intensifying development of its industry-leading corn and soybean germplasm through genomics

expertise, marker-assisted breeding, traits and new modes of action in genes to expand production potential.  For example, the company has in development a unique, proprietary corn amylase output trait aimed at increasing ethanol production efficiencies and potentially providing more market opportunities for growers. The project is currently under regulatory review.

“We intend to provide customers high-yielding, better-performing corn and soybean products at a much faster pace than has ever been possible,” Peters said.