Syngenta aims to become Brazil’s largest supplier of biological crop inputs within five years, betting on an aggressive pipeline of new products to gain share in the country’s highly fragmented market.
The company took a step toward that goal this week with the launch of Avakitt Neo, a mycorrhizal fungi-based treatment designed to boost nutrient uptake and crop yields.
Brazil’s biological crop-input industry has about 600 companies, while the market leader holds no more than an estimated 8% to 10% share, said Igor Lyra, Syngenta’s head of Biologicals and Seedcare, in an interview. The company plans to launch at least three biological products a year as it seeks to build scale in the segment.
Avakitt Neo uses mycorrhizal fungi to expand plant root systems and improve the absorption of water and nutrients, offering growers another tool to manage elevated fertilizer costs. The product is designed for soybeans, corn, cereals and sunflowers.
Syngenta developed Avakitt Neo with Israel-based GroundWork BioAg, which will manufacture and supply the products for Latin America and Europe. Syngenta will market them under its own brand.
The company also expects to launch a combined nitrogen-fixing and phosphorus-solubilizing product in Brazil in the second half of 2026.
“Growers already combine chemical and biological crop protection,” Lyra told The AgriBiz. “The key difference is that we will be one of the few companies able to offer both.”
New Product
Mycorrhizal fungi occur naturally in soil and form mutually beneficial relationships with plant roots. Avakitt Neo contains a high concentration of the microorganisms.
“The fungi increase the plant’s root area and improve its ability to absorb nutrients and water,” Lyra said.
Syngenta’s research and field trials in Brazil showed soybean yield gains of more than five 60-kilogram bags per hectare, equivalent to more than 0.3 metric ton per hectare, or about 4.5 bushels per acre.
Commercial sales are scheduled to begin in August ahead of planting for the upcoming soybean season. The product must be applied before planting so the fungi are already in the soil when roots begin to develop.
Initial supply will be limited, and Syngenta plans to distribute the product for testing on smaller areas so more growers can use it during the first year. The company expects to broaden distribution in 2027, Lyra said.
Pricing is due to be announced in the coming days. Lyra said the product should generate a significant return relative to its cost.
Biologicals Strategy
Syngenta’s planned nitrogen-fixing and phosphorus-solubilizing product will target Brazil’s safrinha corn, the second crop planted on the same land after the soybean harvest, beginning with the 2027 season.
The product is also designed to improve nutrient-use efficiency by helping plants capture atmospheric nitrogen and use it for growth, Lyra said.
Syngenta organizes its biologicals business into three categories: nutrient-use efficiency, biocontrol and biostimulants. The company has pursued partnerships and acquisitions to strengthen each area, with Brazil among its priority markets.
Its nutrient-efficiency partnership with GroundWork BioAg is relatively recent, while its biocontrol investments date back further. Syngenta acquired a Novartis microorganism library in 2024, giving it a research base for metabolites, RNA interference and peptides. It has also entered partnerships with Biotrop and Provivi.
Developing products from those research platforms can take at least five years because of studies covering chemical compatibility and shelf life, Lyra said.
In biostimulants, Syngenta strengthened its business through the 2020 acquisition of Italy’s Valagro, then a global leader in the category. Valagro operates a research center in Italy and an industrial plant in Pirassununga, in São Paulo state, and was fully integrated into Syngenta this year.
Syngenta’s broader objective is to combine its biological and chemical portfolios into integrated crop-management programs.
The biologicals division has 200 specialized employees and a dedicated sales team. Another 500 employees from Syngenta’s crop-protection business also sell the company’s biological products.
Beyond Brazil, Syngenta sees China and India as potential expansion markets for the business. The company said its aim is to make the technology available to farms of different crops and sizes.
This story was translated from the original Portuguese with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by The AgriBiz editorial staff.
