Syngenta’s southwestern Ontario research farm will be seeing some changes and a new mandate on locally useful biologicals.
On Sept. 16, exactly 10 years after the Canadian Seedcare Institute was first launched at the Honeywood Research Facility in Plattsville, Ont., Sygenta hosted a special event to unveil a new name and direction for the facility.
The relaunched Canadian Seedcare and Biologicals Institute will now include research into biological innovations alongside its established seed treatment development work.
WHY IT MATTERS: Biologicals have garnered a lot of attention in the crop input space, but they don’t have the same body of research behind them as more established solutions, and local conditions will be key to weigh in.
“By expanding the institute’s mandate to include biologicals, we are further investing in Canadian agricultural research to support our customers and contribute to a more productive, competitive and resilient sector,” said Syngenta Canada president Shaun Vey.
The Canadian Seedcare and Biologicals Institute is one part of Syngenta’s global network. The company says that web features more than 120 specialists in 22 research facilities across various continents.
Biological questions in Canadian agriculture
Scott Ewart, head of seed care and biologicals for Syngenta in Canada, said there are three different categories they address when talking about biologicals.
The first is biostimulants, which are products which control stress in the plant. The second category is nutrient use efficiency, products which help a plant pick up nutrients, whether it be nitrogen, phosphorous or other nutrients and minerals.
The third is biocontrols, which veer into crop protection and disease control.
All of the products from those categories are designed to compliment traditional crop inputs farmers are already using, Syngenta said.
Ewart said although Syngenta has research facilities all around the globe, not every product developed in those facilities is ideal for other regions worldwide. That’s why the facility in southwestern Ontario is important for the Canadian market, he noted.
“Canadian testing in Canada for Canadian farmers is really important for us,” he said.
“We want to be a leader in this market … We’ve done the work, and we are putting our full efforts behind these products.”
He added that market research has shown that the biologicals sector is expected to grow by about 10 per cent each year globally going forward.
Research on site
The facility’s updated mandate comes along with the addition of a new biologicals lab.
Research there is already underway on biological projects tailored for the Canadian agriculture industry, according to Syngenta.
“Canadian growers deserve the best possible experience with our products under Canadian conditions,” said Michelle Wall, head of the renamed institute and the company’s seed care technical lead for Eastern Canada.
“Our role is to put solutions through the right testing and bring practical expertise to every product under Canadian conditions so growers and our value-chain partners can make decisions with confidence.”
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