Australia
July 22, 2025
Naturally occurring algae called Anabena have been found to help with nitrogen fixation, which in turn can support nutrient use efficiency.
Increasingly, biologicals are being discussed in the media relating to sustainability, but what does this mean for local farmers? Biologicals are innovative agricultural technologies that harness the power of nature to protect and improve crops.
They are products either derived from or inspired by nature itself and may include organisms, natural molecules, plant extracts, and other bio-based materials.
Julian Memoli, Syngenta Australia-New Zealand Product Lead for Plant Health said biological products offer to diversify the farmer’s toolbox, to manage and benefit food production, protecting and improving plants’ resilience.
“One of the main goals with biologicals is to address some important challenges in food and fibre production, which traditional crop protection and fertilisers either haven’t yet, or perhaps aren’t able to at this time,” he said.
“A holistic approach is the key. As an added benefit, biological options offer farmers valuable options when targeting certain markets.”
For Australian and New Zealand farmers, who work closely with agronomists, Syngenta is inspired by the appetite for innovative new solutions in a field of almost limitless potential. As a world leader in agriculture research and development, our local team is a part of this evolving field of research. Biologicals is an umbrella term for a range of technologies, biocontrols, biostimulants and nutrient use efficiency products.
What are biologicals?
Biocontrols
Biocontrols shield crops against insect pests, fungal and bacterial diseases, nematodes and weeds. Pheromones are just one example, nature’s chemical signals used by pests to communicate. A biocontrol using pheromones can effectively be used to disrupt pests’ mating process. This reduces the chances of pests becoming dominant, protecting harvests and growers’ incomes, as well as creating a more diverse biosphere.
Biostimulants
Think of biostimulants as ‘agricultural vitamins’ that bolster plant strength, helping them withstand drought, heat, cold, and other stresses, and enhance crop quality. Biostimulants can be applied to plants as foliar treatments, seed treatments to seeds or directly into to the root environment. Biostimulants include products that can strengthen roots and promote cell growth, as well as improve soil health by enriching the micro-biodiversity underground. Heat and water use efficiency, have been one area of our global work. Heat-relieving nutrients and amino acids have been found to give stressed plants a boost to continue photosynthesis, generating energy and sending proteins to the crop. In turn, the plant remains greener for longer, giving it a better chance to reach its full nutritional potential.
Nutrient use efficiency products (NUE)
Nutrient use efficiency products, including biofertilisers, also contribute to plant growth, development and yield. Certain NUE boost plants’ nutrient absorption by improving root structures and promoting plant growth and soil health. Syngenta’s research into NUE products strives to improve nutrient availability in the soil by enhancing natural processes like nitrogen fixation and phosphorus solubilisation.
How can biologicals support agriculture?
Farmers are increasingly adopting regenerative cultural practices to nurture and restore soil health, protect the climate, water resources and biodiversity, and increase productivity and profitability. Australian broadacre growers have led the world in the adoption of direct drill crop establishment, helping preserve moisture, minimise erosion, and build soil structure. Biologicals can play a part, supporting farmers to use natural resources, like water, and farm resources, like fertiliser inputs, more efficiently. “Soil biology and plant physiology, although very old fields of study, have been the missing piece in crop production when trying to address many real-life challenges in agriculture,” Julian said. “That is the role of biologicals in an ever-evolving environment, stabilising overall long-term production in a more holistic approach.”
Driving timely adoption of biological products
Confidence plays a part in the adoption of new technologies, something Syngenta has strived to support among farming communities in traditional crop protection, and will continue to focus on in biologicals, through trials, product development and aftersales service. This approach is even more important with biologicals, helping agronomists and farmers develop knowledge of the potential, and understand how these new crop solutions fundamentally work. To get biological products into farmers’ hands without delay, regulatory review, trade rules and market access need to be efficient. “Knowledge transfer is the key pillar to build confidence when introducing any new technology,” Julian said. “The main goal is for growers to own it, and that means being involved in the process from the beginning. Where possible, we welcome opportunities to collaborate with farmers and their agronomists in these trials.”
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