Syngenta has unveiled a new biological technology that it claims represents the first novel mode of action in the sector for more than two decades, using naturally occurring plant microRNAs to improve crop yields and quality at extremely low application rates.
Called EXORT, short for EXOgenous RNA Targeting technology, the platform is designed to identify, extract and deliver plant-derived microRNAs that regulate biological processes including grain growth, fruit set and development.
Unlike some RNA-based agricultural technologies designed to control pests or diseases, Syngenta says EXORT works directly with a plant’s existing biological signalling mechanisms to fine-tune its development and performance.
The company believes the ability to turn a fundamental mechanism of plant biology into a scalable field treatment represents a significant scientific breakthrough.
“What makes EXORT technology so exciting is that it translates a fundamental biological mechanism into a practical agricultural solution,” Camilla Corsi, Syngenta’s head of crop protection research & development, said.
“Advances in genomics, bioinformatics and plant science now allow us to identify and apply beneficial natural microRNAs with unprecedented precision.”
From fundamental biology to field-scale tool
MicroRNAs are tiny, naturally occurring RNA molecules involved in regulating how the genetic information contained within a plant’s DNA is ultimately expressed.
Speaking to AgNavigator, Jerome Cassayre, Syngenta’s head of biologicals research, described their function as akin to biological “dimmer switches”, fine-tuning instructions from a crop’s DNA before those instructions reach its protein-building machinery.
That distinction is important, he stressed. Although RNA technology is sometimes associated with gene silencing, Cassayre said externally applied natural microRNAs do not necessarily switch genes off.
Instead, EXORT seeks to exploit microRNAs as signalling molecules capable of modulating specific plant processes.
“EXORT technology introduces a new class of active substances and is the first novel mode of action in biologicals in more than 20 years,” Cassayre claimed.
“For the first time, we are able to select, extract and deliver, at scale, naturally occurring plant microRNAs that act as biological signals already found in nature.”
The active ingredients are not synthetically produced. According to Cassayre, Syngenta extracts the microRNAs from plant-based raw materials.
Finding the right ones, however, requires considerably more sophisticated technology.
Syngenta combines genomics, bioinformatics and plant science to identify naturally occurring microRNAs associated with potentially beneficial plant traits. Candidates are ranked according to predicted biological relevance, specificity and consistency before high-throughput phenotyping is used to examine characteristics including plant growth, vigour and stress responses.
Extracts producing repeatable phenotypic effects then progress to field testing.
This combination of modern computational and biological tools with a naturally occurring signalling mechanism is central to Syngenta’s contention that EXORT represents more than another conventional biostimulant.
Syngenta reports 5-10% yield gains
Syngenta told AgNavigator it tested the technology in 240 trials across more than 15 countries and six crops between 2022 and 2025. According to the company, yield improvements compared with untreated crops ranged from 5% to 10%.
The programme included rice, soybean, corn, cotton, fruits and vegetables.
Cassayre said rice yields in trials had increased by as much as 740kg per hectare, although results vary according to crop and growing conditions.
The technology works best when applied to actively growing leaves and under favourable water-uptake conditions, Syngenta’s trials have found.
The company has also identified more specific environmental effects. Corn has shown stronger results under higher rainfall and relative humidity, while tomatoes have responded more strongly under moderate-to-low fertility or non-severe nutritional stress.
‘Bigger grains and better fruit’
For its first product, Syngenta says the mechanism can influence natural controls limiting grain growth inside the seed as well as processes governing flower-to-fruit transition and subsequent fruit development.
Another characteristic could be commercially significant: dose.
Because the initial microRNA signal can be amplified through the plant’s own biological processes, only very small quantities of active ingredient are required, according to Syngenta.
Approximately 50mg of active compound per hectare is delivered in around 100g/ha of formulated product, which can be incorporated into an existing tank mix.
‘Tiny doses’ could have logistical benefits
Syngenta argues the extremely low dose gives EXORT a sustainability advantage beyond any potential improvement in crop productivity.
Compared with what the company describes as a standard liquid biostimulant, it estimates that a pallet of EXORT-based product could treat around 15 times as many hectares, while requiring around 99% less plastic packaging and 90% less storage and warehouse volume on a per-hectare basis.
That could reduce transport, handling and packaging requirements for both distributors and growers.
Crucially for adoption, Syngenta is not positioning the new technology as a replacement for existing crop inputs.
“Modern agriculture relies on an integrated toolbox of solutions, including crop protection products, biologicals, seeds, and digital technologies,” Cassayre said.
“EXORT adds a new mode of action by helping plants optimize their own natural processes.”
Products are intended to be applied in existing crop-management programmes, including through established tank mixes, meaning growers would not have to fundamentally alter their normal field routines.
First launch planned for Latin America in 2027
Emilhano Lima, global head of seedcare and biologicals at Syngenta, told AgNavigator that the first EXORT-based product is on track for launch in Latin America in 2027, targeting field crops as well as fruits and vegetables.
The products will be offered both as standalone treatments and alongside Syngenta’s existing crop-protection and biological programmes.
Where a biostimulant regulatory framework exists, EXORT-based products will be registered as biostimulants, Lima said. Elsewhere, their regulatory pathway will depend upon individual countries’ requirements.
“As a first-of-its-kind, natural microRNA-based biological technology, EXORT technology also has the potential to deliver tangible value to farmers across a wide range of crops, geographies and production systems,” Lima said.
pic Syngenta expects EXORT to move from field trials to the commercial market relatively rapidly.
