German chemical and biotech giant BASF has set out its 10-year outlook for seed and crop protection.
With a focus on improving agricultural outcomes in major crops such as canola, corn, soyabean and wheat, BASF said it would be launching major projects across its seeds and crop protection pipeline, with an estimated peak sales potential of more than €7.5bn (US$7.9bn) across all business areas over the next decade.
“We need to find the right balance for better yield – yield produced in ways that meet the demands of future generations, has minimal impact on the environment and helps farmers make a living,” BASF Agricultural Solutions president Dr Livio Tedeschi said on 20 April.
In the soyabean sector, BASF said it was developing a range of seed and crop protection solutions for Latin American farmers including several new Revysol- and Xemium-based mixtures designed to control soyabean diseases, including Asian Soyabean Rust, and help manage resistance. A novel trait was also in development for tolerance to nematodes, pests that can cause yield losses of around 30%.
The company said it was also improving its InVigor canola products while developing yellow-seeded canola hybrids for use in historically less fertile farmland in Canada and the USA where conditions are drier and hotter.
BASF said it was planning to make yellow-seeded canola hybrids, featuring herbicide tolerance, available to the market mid-decade.
The company has also developed a new seed treatment Vercoras to provide protection against seed- and soil-borne diseases like blackleg and flea beetle insect damage.
