Live Challenges
Biological solutions to enhance crop performance under drought stress
“Advances in biological science create unprecedented opportunities to enhance crop resilience to drought. We are keen to collaborate with teams bringing robust science, early validation and the drive to convert novel insights into scalable innovations that make a meaningful difference in the field.”
Ana Karine, Martinez Ascanio, Senior Principal Scientist - Plant Physiology & Phenomics, Syngenta
Background
Syngenta is seeking biological solutions that can be applied externally to crops to improve performance under drought stress.
The focus is on practical, scalable technologies with a clear biological rationale. Eligible approaches may include microbials, natural products, peptides, RNA-based solutions, natural extracts, or similar technologies delivered through methods such as foliar sprays, seed treatments, or drenches.
Strong submissions should explain how the solution works under water-deficit conditions, ideally at the molecular level. Relevant mechanisms could include osmotic adjustment, stomatal regulation, improved root water uptake, delayed senescence, or other processes directly linked to drought response.
Syngenta is looking to collaborate with academia, start-ups, and industry, and particularly encourages submissions from groups working in areas that are well represented in recent academic literature but have not yet been commercially developed.
What we're looking for
- Biological technology (e.g., microbials, natural products, peptides, RNA technology, natural extracts) with a clear mode-of-action hypothesis linked to drought stress, ideally at the molecular level
- Demonstrated proof of concept in plants under defined water-deficit conditions, using field crops, other crop species, or model systems
- Evidence should demonstrate one or more of the following outcomes under water-limited conditions: yield maintenance or improvement relative to well-watered controls, increased water-use efficiency or preservation of grain or produce quality, where relevant.
- Exogenously applied technology (foliar, seed treatment, or drench)
- Proof of concept in Soy or Corn
- Field-validation data under managed or natural drought conditions, demonstrating repeatable, agronomically meaningful yield protection
- Indication of projected cost of goods, IP status, and potential to scale the technology
- Data available on stability / shelf-life
- Biological solutions are preferred, however synthetic chemistry approaches will be considered
- GE/GM crop based solutions
- Solutions that reduce plant abiotic stress more generally, the emphasis of this challenge is on Drought Stress
What we can offer you
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