Copenhagen — Scandinavian bioinnovation company Novozymes announced on Oct. 26 that it has entered into an exclusive global marketing and distribution agreement with Syngenta for the product Taegro®, a microbial-based biofungicide developed by Novozymes to combat fungal disease for a range of crops. Financial details about the agreement were not disclosed. “This collaboration matches Syngenta’s global market strength and leading position within fungicides and integrated solutions with Novozymes’ deep know-how on sustainable, biobased technologies,” said Thomas Videbæk, executive vice president of Novozymes. “Using technology developed by Novozymes, Syngenta will provide farmers all over the world with a biological product to help sustainably combat fungal diseases in a powerful manner.” Taegro is based on the naturally occurring Bacillus subtilis bacterium, which effectively targets fungal diseases such as Rhizoctonia and Fusarium on fruit and vegetables. Its application is expected to be expanded to a wider portfolio of broad-acre crops such as wheat, soy, and corn. “We’re delighted to enter into another agreement to commercialize a Novozymes technology,” said Syngenta CEO John Atkin. “Having worldwide commercial rights for Taegro will further strengthen our ability to offer high-performing integrated crop solutions.” Under terms of the agreement, both companies will help bring Taegro to market. Syngenta will be responsible for sales, marketing, and distribution, while Novozymes will be responsible for production and registration. Taegro is currently registered in the U.S., and trials are planned to secure data for a global rollout.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain