Wheat
Globally, Syngenta is the largest wheat breeder. Syngenta and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) have entered into a public-private partnership to focus on the development and advancement of technology in wheat through joint research and development in the areas of native and GM traits, hybrid wheat and the combination of seeds and crop protection to accelerate plant yield performance.
Wheat is the most internationally traded food crop and the single largest food import in developing countries. But wheat production is not keeping pace with the global demand for food. Public-private collaboration in research, such as this, is essential for advancing agriculture to meet global challenges such as food security, climate change, natural resource depletion, and access to technology.
Syngenta is also a member of the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP) and as an executive member Syngenta also has a membership on the Scientific Impact Executive Board (SIEB) which makes recommendations to IWYP on which R&D proposals are funded.
Soybeans
Our industry-leading disease portfolio includes varieties resistant to soybean cyst nematodes, sudden death syndrome, phytophthora root rot, stem rots, frogeye leaf spot and more. The Syngenta soybean pipeline is also filled with emerging technology to help increase yields and quality.
The Syngenta AMS™ (Aphid Management System) is the industry’s first native soybean trait bred to resist yield loss by aphids. This trait, together with the Syngenta approach to trait stewardship results in a proactive, industry-leading aphid resistance management system, all season long that will keep lost revenue by aphid infestations to a minimum.
Syngenta research efforts in soybeans are focused on premium performance, and this investment has increased four-fold since 2004. Soybean breeding is based on both science and local knowledge to best fit local needs.
Corn
Syngenta’s germplasm is now accompanied by an outstanding suite of biotech traits. For the 2011 season, we launched AGRISURE VIPTERA™ – our first distinctive proprietary trait with unparalleled broad lepidoptera control. Initial yield data and market reception were highly positive. With key import approvals in place (including China and the EU), farmers have access to this market for both corn grain and processing byproducts like dried distillers grain (DDGs).
Available with many of our trait offerings, Agrisure E-Z Refuge offers a 5% blended refuge in the bag. E-Z Refuge offers the simplicity and convenience of automatic refuge compliance, enabling growers to meet the refuge requirements specified by the CFIA for managing insect resistance.
We were also the first company to bring to market a water optimization solution with the launch of AGRISURE ARTESIAN™, a native trait offer with the potential for subsequent biotech combinations. An output of our deep understanding of water use efficiency at the genomics level combined with extensive breeding programs, AGRISURE ARTESIAN™, offers 15 percent yield preservation in mid- to high-drought conditions without yield drag. Agrisure Artesian technology is available with many of the other Syngenta traits and trait stacks.