Heatwaves and drought are becoming two of the defining challenges facing global agriculture, creating growing demand for technologies that help crops perform under water stress, according to Jean-François Déchant, co-founder and CEO of Elicit Plant.
Speaking to AgNavigator at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London, Déchant said climate-related pressures are increasingly pushing growers to seek solutions that can maintain yields while reducing water consumption.
“Heat waves and drought events are clearly having a significant impact on growers in many countries,” he said. “In these conditions, we’ve been able to demonstrate strong results with our products.”
Founded in France, Elicit Plant has developed a proprietary technology based on phytosterols, naturally occurring plant compounds that help crops better manage water stress. Applied as a preventative spray treatment, the company’s products are used in broadacre crops including corn, soybeans, sunflower and wheat.
Water savings and yield gains
According to Déchant, the appeal for farmers is straightforward: improve water-use efficiency while protecting yields.
“For farmers, it’s really a case of addressing two challenges at once,” he said. “First, better use of water resources. Second, higher yields, which translate directly into economic benefits.”
The company says extensive field data supports those benefits. Déchant said Elicit Plant has conducted more than 1,000 field trials over the past five years.
In trials carried out this season across France and Central Europe, the company recorded yield gains of more than one tonne per hectare, alongside improvements in water-use efficiency ranging from 17% to 30%.
“In practical terms, that can mean a farmer reducing irrigation from around 300mm to approximately 220mm while still maintaining crop performance,” he said.
Expansion gathers pace
The growing commercial opportunity has helped fuel Elicit Plant’s expansion. In November 2024, the company raised €45 million ($48 million) to accelerate its international growth strategy and the development of crop-resilience biosolutions.
In August, it was named Climate Adaptation Solution of the Year at the 2026 AgTech Breakthrough Awards, and yesterday was selected as one of the 10 winners of the Blue Earth Summit’s 2026 BE100 cohort.
Today, Elicit Plant operates in 16 countries across Europe, Brazil and North America and is continuing to expand through partnerships with major agricultural players.
Recent agreements include collaborations with Certis Belchim to develop products for potatoes and Mosaic in North America to develop solutions for canola growers. The company also maintains a partnership with Bayer covering corn production in several European markets.
Déchant believes changing weather patterns will further increase demand for resilience technologies, including in the UK.
“We’re moving toward greater weather instability,” he said. “Wet periods may become longer and more intense, while periods of heat and drought may also become longer and more severe.”
“As temperatures rise, weather patterns can remain in place for weeks or even months at a time. That’s why we’re seeing longer periods of persistent rainfall followed by extended dry spells.”
World Agri-Tech London Webinar: Event Intel Unwrapped
This interview was conducted at the recent World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London. To watch interviews with other industry experts, tune in to AgNavigator’s World Agri-Tech Unwrapped webinar on 4 November. The webinar will also be available on demand. Register for free here
