By Janet Kanters

Syngenta and Ascribe Bioscience have signed a development and supply agreement that will give Syngenta exclusive commercial access to Phytalix, a biofungicide designed to strengthen crop resistance against a broad range of diseases in Southeast Asia.

The agreement covers rice and other major crops in the region, with the potential to expand into additional markets in the future. The companies plan to advance registration and market development activities, with the first commercial launches targeted for 2029.

Phytalix has undergone four years of validation trials by Syngenta, where it demonstrated strong performance against fungal, bacterial and viral diseases. According to the companies, the product also supported consistent yield improvements in rice and showed value in integrated pest management programs, including against bacterial leaf blight.

Developed from discoveries at the Boyce Thompson Institute at Cornell University, Phytalix works by mimicking natural plant processes to help crops such as rice, soybeans, corn and wheat strengthen their resistance to pathogens throughout the growing season.

The companies said the product could provide rice growers with an additional disease management option at a time when climate pressures, emerging diseases and resistance issues are increasing production challenges. Rice remains a staple food for nearly half of the world’s population, making crop protection and yield stability a growing concern across Asia.

Phytalix is designed for use at low application rates and offers a new mode of action against a broad spectrum of pathogens. Its stability and disease control capabilities are expected to support adoption across farms of varying sizes.

“The collaboration with Ascribe reflects our commitment to bringing farmers differentiated solutions that help them implement more efficient farming strategies and more modern farming approaches by combined use of conventional and biological products,” said Emilhano Lima, Syngenta’s Global Head Seedcare and Biologicals. “Partnering with other innovators in the industry is crucial to accelerate the delivery of biological solutions to the farmers who need them most.”

Ascribe sees the agreement as a key step in moving the technology into commercial agriculture.

“By partnering with Syngenta in Asia, we’re able to bring this innovation out of the lab and into the hands of farmers who need new, sustainable options to manage crop diseases,” said Dr. Jay Farmer, cofounder and CEO of Ascribe. “Syngenta’s partnership represents strong validation of the global potential for Phytalix.”

Founded in 2017, Ascribe Bioscience develops crop protection products derived from naturally occurring compounds found in the soil microbiome. Phytalix is the company’s lead product.

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