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Syngenta and Amoéba join forces to launch a groundbreaking amoeba-based bio-fungicide for wheat and other cereal crops
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Monday, 24 November, 2025, 15 : 00 PM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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In a major stride for sustainable agriculture, Syngenta Crop Protection has teamed up with French greentech firm Amoéba SA to develop and market a cutting-edge bio-fungicide for cereals and other field crops in the EU and UK.
The breakthrough centers around amoebas — specifically, a single-celled organism called Willaertia magna C2c Maky. Scientists use the lysate (a kind of extract) from this amoeba to formulate a biological active substance. In trial settings, this novel bio-fungicide showed strong ability to fight off harmful fungi, while also triggering the plants’ own immune defenses.
Syngenta and Amoéba have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), laying the foundation to develop and commercialize this solution for cereal and field-crop farmers.
The initial target two of the most damaging diseases in wheat septoria tritici blotch (STB) and yellow rust. These diseases hit hard across Europe and the UK. For example, STB can cut German wheat yields by 5–50%, representing losses of up to €1.5 billion annually, while yellow rust can slash yields by 10–70% in susceptible varieties.
Syngenta’s Head of Seedcare and Biologicals for Europe, Matthew Pickard, emphasized that the company is “committed to deliver advanced, effective biological solutions at the cutting edge of science.” On the other side, Amoéba’s leadership voiced excitement over combining their scientific know-how with Syngenta’s market leadership to drive innovation.
Importantly, this isn’t just theory the active substance has already been approved by the EU following a rigorous assessment by EFSA, and product-specific approvals are underway.
This collaboration is more than a business deal. It represents a shift: using nature-inspired, biological tools to help farmers fight disease in a more sustainable way, reducing reliance on chemical fungicides and addressing the growing issue of resistance.
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