Enko、农作物健康公司、农化公司 纽发姆 宣布建立合作伙伴关系，在澳大利亚、美国和欧洲开发新型化学物质并扩大关键新除草剂解决方案的供应链。
因气候变化而恶化的生态状况正威胁着受欢迎的农作物，例如 咖啡, 橘子， 和 香蕉.极端高温、干旱、有弹性的超级杂草和毁灭性疾病正在为农民和整个粮食系统创造一个越来越脆弱的现实。对于谷物和大豆等商品作物，这些风险给依赖它们的许多供应链带来了不确定性。
为了保护与这些新出现的危险作斗争的作物，种植者依赖于过去几十年没有太大变化的除草剂。超过 80% 的农药市场由非专利产品组成，并且 22 种活性成分 in crop protection products are going off patent by 2030, underscoring the need for fresh innovation. This partnership will directly address that need with new chemistries and more access. Enko and Nufarm will be trialing the effectiveness of combining Enko’s leading herbicide candidate with Nufarm’s products to create unique, safe chemical formulations.
“Nowadays, most agrochemical companies are largely selling the same molecules. Both farmers and suppliers need new herbicide options to meet urgent challenges—issues that affect not just our favorite breakfast food items, but also crops that are essential to food security and economic prosperity across the world,” said Enko CEO, Jacqueline Heard. “Enko partnered with Nufarm because we share a vision for sustainable agriculture and each has unique strengths. Through Nufarm’s strong market access and customer knowledge, we can bring our target-based crop health products to more growers worldwide. ”
Enko’s discovery process for new crop health molecules delivers chemical starting points in months compared to the years it takes for legacy R&D approaches. With machine learning, Enko screens its chemical library of more than 140 billion molecules — a chemical space 15,000 times larger than what other companies can access — to find novel and unexpected product candidates at a scale that would otherwise be impossible. The pharmaceutical industry’s drug discovery technique has relied upon these DNA-encoded libraries for years. Enko is the first to create a library specifically designed for agriculture. Leveraging this technology alongside Nufarm will create herbicides with multiple modes of action that combat resistant weeds, broaden use cases and remain effective for farmers longer.
“As global challenges continue to evolve and intensify, the value of agriculture becomes undeniably clear. The ongoing impacts of issues such as climate change and population growth require new solutions that deliver sustainable feedstocks, without placing additional pressure on the natural environment and our finite resources,” said Greg Hunt, Managing Director and CEO of Nufarm. “Nufarm has a long history of innovation and an unwavering commitment to delivering solutions tailored to the specific needs of farmers, having recently developed a global oilseed, Omega-3 and advanced biofuel technology platform. As we grow, we’re thrilled to have a like-minded partner in Enko and the investment we have made in Enko will help advance new technologies and innovation within the agricultural supply chain.”
The partnership will utilize Enko’s discovery and development capabilities to advance weed control solutions for the most problematic global superweeds. While working in parallel the teams will expedite the development process of lead herbicide candidates.