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Live Challenges

Soil restoration solutions


Matthew Wallenstein Headshot

“Around the world, soil degradation is holding back the potential productivity & sustainability of the farms we all depend on. We want to collaborate with innovators that have novel solutions for soil restoration so that we can put them in the hands of farmers to solve this grand challenge.”

Matthew Wallenstein, Chief Soil Scientist, Syngenta


Background

Syngenta is seeking breakthrough technologies capable of improving the physical, biological and/or chemical properties of soils to improve soil functionality, allowing farmers to grow more sustainably. 

Past agriculture practices have led to compaction, salinization, loss of organic matter, poor drainage, and erosion, which in turn have led to lost productivity and profitability. Syngenta scientists are looking for technologies that restore soil and reverse this damage.

Syngenta’s primary interest is improving the functionality of the soil to support improved crop growth. Potential solutions would be applied to the soil and alter its properties, making the conditions for growth more optimal, rather than technologies that allow a plant to grow in suboptimal conditions. Applicable cutting-edge innovations may be chemical, physical or biological solutions.  


We are open to research collaborations or technology licenses that help us accelerate innovation to improve soil functionality, one of Earth’s most valuable resources. 

What we're looking for

Breakthrough solutions that demonstrably improve one or more physical, chemical and/or biological properties which are indicators of soil functionality (including but not limited to:) 

Physical properties, e.g.: 

  • Soil compaction
  • Soil aggregation
  • Soil erosion
  • Soil aeration
  • Soil hydrology


Chemical properties, e.g.: 

  • Desalinization
  • Soil pH
  • Soil nutrient capacity


Biological properties, e.g.: 

  • Carbon sequestration and nitrogen mineralization
  • Microbiome functionality
  • Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
  • Early evidence of efficacy/demonstration of proof of concept
  • Information on which soil types to target to achieve maximum effectiveness from the solution

Incremental solutions - this challenge is seeking breakthrough technologies. 

  • Solutions that do not directly improve the soil’s properties are out of scope (including but not limited to:)
    • Plant specific biological treatments
    • Seed varieties/technologies that enable a plant to grow in sub-optimal conditions  
  • Solutions in common use such as:
    • Compost
    • Fertilizers
    • Lime
  • Management practices such as:
    • Plant-based cover crops
    • No-till
    • Livestock rotation practices

What we can offer you

Collaboration

Access to expertise including our 6,000+ forward thinking scientists

Realize real world potential from your research

Through our global reach and market knowledge we can help deliver impact from your research or technology

Funding and backing

We are able to fund selected projects to drive toward commercialization through our global footprint. We'll discuss with you how best we can take forward your technology or research together

New avenues and opportunities

Shared passion to tackle agriculture’s most complex challenges, increase innovation, and advance more sustainable agriculture

Work with us to help with our challenge

Our people are specialists: they are innovators, scientists, engineers, technologists, regulatory experts and data scientists in multiple fields.