Sumitomo Chemical invests in expanding portfolio for sustainable agricultural production

With a strong global presence, Sumitomo Chemical is a leader in research, development and production of BioRacionais. With its subsidiary Valent BioSciences, the company is on a mission to redesign the future of agriculture through the power of microbiology and fermentation. The BioRacionais family of products includes growth regulators, biofungicides, bioinsecticides, bionematicides, mycorrhizal fungi and soil conditioners that make a difference in sustainable production systems. This line of products is used throughout the world, in a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, oilseeds, cereals and bioenergy crops.

BioRacionais are of biological or natural origin and include:

• crop protection solutions, including biofungicides, bioinsecticides and bionematicides;

• growth regulators and biostimulants for the physiological management of plants;

• soil conditioning and carbon capture technologies;

• and bioinoculants for seed treatment and planting furrows.

Sumitomo Chemical is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in its production process and also in administrative activities. One of the strategies for achieving this goal is the development of new products and technologies that achieve carbon neutrality. In the coming years, the company will bring many innovations in BioRacionais to agriculture, seeking to ensure that more and more producers have access to sustainable technologies.

The Valent BioSciences production facility in Osage, Iowa, United States, opened in 2014, is recognized as state-of-the-art in production processes and quality control. The company is also investing in the recovery of native vegetation in its surroundings and the installation of solar panels.

The company will also make a large investment to expand its BioRacionais Research Center in Libertyville, Illinois, United States. The center, dedicated to supporting business growth in synthetic biology, biostimulants, fermentations and formulation, was opened just four years ago and will undergo its first expansion. Improvements include new laboratories and pilot plants, as well as new greenhouses.

The subsidiary Mycorrhizal Applications LLC will invest in the research facilities of the “Bio Research & Development Growth Park”, located at the “Donald Danforth” Botanical Sciences Center, in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, aiming at research vitro of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The laboratory located at the headquarters in Grants Pass, Oregon, will also be expanded to increase research capacity.

The demand for BioRacional technologies has never been greater: these products allow sustainable crop management without compromising on effectiveness. Sumitomo Chemical invests heavily in the development of its own technologies, remaining among the global leaders in innovation for agribusiness, and leveraging decades of experience in generating value for its customers with sustainable solutions. With a solid and innovative portfolio, the company plays a major role in facing phytosanitary challenges and maximizing agricultural production in a sustainable way, consistently delivering value to producers.

By Emily Stoutenborough, Corporate Communications Manager at Valent BioSciences LLC; It is Ronald Weber, BioRationals Head LATAM at Sumitomo Chemical