Syngenta acquires antitoxin crop protection technology

Syngenta has acquired Circle One Global Inc., a provider of antitoxin crop protection technology that includes the product Afla-Guard.

The Afla-Guard technology originally was developed by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the USDA and may be used to help control aflatoxin, a toxin that may develop in crops such as corn and peanuts.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Syngenta said it plans to apply for an extension of the registration line on Afla-Guard to other crops besides corn and peanuts. Syngenta also plans to seek registration in other countries.

Afla-Guard is the first registered microbial antifungal crop protection product for use on corn and peanuts that was effective in reducing aflatoxin levels, contamination of which costs US corn and peanut farmers more than US$200 million per year, according to Syngenta.

The acquisition of the technology will further complement Syngenta's modern crop protection portfolio, said Valdemar Fischer, president of Syngenta Crop Protection, North America.

Fischer said the technology can dramatically increase usable yield, protect growers' investments in crop production, and may allow for the re-introduction of corn to parts of the southern US where aflatoxin has prevented its cultivation for many years.