New biological seed treatment to enhance nutrient use efficiency
10th May 2023
UK farmers will soon benefit from a novel biological seed treatment that naturally improves the crop’s nutrient use efficiency, increases yield and promotes plant and soil health, Syngenta and Unium Bioscience have announced yesterday (9th May).
Based on Nuello iN, the seed treatment works by combining bacterial strains produced by Intrinsyx Bio with Unium’s prebiotic stimulant to boost the plant’s ability to convert and use nitrogen readily available in the atmosphere.
This has the potential to reduce nitrogen use by more than 10 percent and could help mitigate the environmental impact of farming, while offering farmers greater flexibility in their nitrogen management strategies.
Through its collaboration with Unium Bioscience, Syngenta has gained exclusive access to the product Nuello iN and has also become the exclusive commercial distributor across northwest Europe for Unium’s Tiros biological seed treatment. The already established product combinations in the UK will continue and be offered under the brand name Nuello iN.
The company feels the collaboration is an exciting first step toward seed-applied biofertilizers and strengthens Syngenta’s position in northwest Europe, where it is already actively bringing foliar-applied biofertilizers such as Vixeran to more markets this year.
Jonathan Halstead, head of North West Europe at Syngenta Crop Protection and managing director of Syngenta UK Ltd., commented: “Syngenta is unlocking the future of farming by encouraging sustainable practices and helping growers reduce their carbon footprint while increasing yields.
“We are thrilled to announce this long-term partnership with Unium, leveraging the power of their innovation and bringing a unique, sustainable biological solution to growers across northwest Europe.”
John Haywood, director at Unium, added: “At a time when nitrogen use and sustainability are front of mind for growers, we are proud to give growers more choice and more flexibility in their nitrogen management.
“Building upon Syngenta’s strong track record of partnership and investment in biologicals, this collaboration will offer a more efficient and sustainable way to grow healthy and productive crops.”
Syngenta will be offering Nuello iN in the coming months across the UK, with commercial distribution across Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to follow in 2024.
