b'PARTNER CONTENTNew Thinking Below Ground Is Reshaping Modern AgricultureA look inside the innovation poised to shake up crop protection.T heres a silent thief lurking in nearly every agricultural field. It doesnt buzz, bite, or leave a visible trail of destruction. Farmers wont see it on their crops leaves or catch it on a scouting walk. By the time it has done its damage, however, its presence can be measured in the most painful of ways: weakened plants, reduced yield, and lost income.This threat is microscopic. Its underground. And its been massively underestimated for decades.Were talking, of course, about plant-parasitic nematodes.According to the FAO, nematodes are responsible for an esti-mated 12% annual crop loss globally, totalling about $157 billionmore than losses caused by insect pests. Yet, few farmers can spot their impact before its too late. Even when farmers have at- Plant-parasitic nematode under electronic microscopy.SOURCE: SYNGENTA.tempted to control nematodes by utilizing crop protection meth-ods, traditional tools have often come with trade-offs: limited specificity, environmental concerns, and inconsistent results. Now, following over a decade of scientific development, a new class of technology is turning the tide. And its not just targeting the nematode problemits redefining how the industry protects crops from the ground up.This is one of those rare moments when technology shifts the entire way we think about farming, Jader Caricati, Global Prod-uct Management Lead at Syngenta, says. For the first time, we have a way to provide long-lasting protection to multiple threats from below ground to above ground, from seeding right through to harvest in some crops, and in a way thats sustainable, simple,Treated soybean seeds.SOURCE: SYNGENTA.and incredibly effective.and fungicidemakes it uniquely suited to manage complex soil Enter TYMIRIUM Rechnology challenges that compromise root systems.In 2024, Syngenta completed registration on and unveiled itsThis molecule wasnt just designed to tackle nematodes, new TYMIRIUM technology seed treatment to the Chinese farmCaricati says. It was designed to do it with extraordinary preci-market. In 2025, it will be rolling TYMIRIUM technology out tosion. It binds only to the specific molecular receptors in bad guys farmers and ag retailers in other key row crop regions of the world meaning plant-parasitic nematodes and pathogensleaving including North America (targeting the U.S.), South America (tar- soils many beneficial organismsthe good guys such as earth-geting Brazil) and Australia.worms, mycorrhizal fungi, soil mites and moreunharmed.TYMIRIUM technology is set to redefine how farmers man- Independent microbiome studies confirm that TYMIRIUM age both visible and invisible threats. It not only specificallytechnology maintains biodiversity in treated soils. By preserving targets nematodes, it also offers broad-spectrum control of soil- what Caricati describe as the "good guys," the product not only borne diseases and foliar pathogens. Its power lies not just in itsprotects yield but supports a healthy, living soil, which is a core potency, but in four breakthrough differentiatorseach a solu- tenet of regenerative agriculture.tion to a long-standing limitation in crop protection.2. Long-Lasting Above-Ground Protection1. Unmatched Below-Ground Performance While TYMIRIUM technology is applied to the seed or soil, TYMIRIUM technology represents Syngentas most potent ne- its protective reach doesnt stop underground. The compound maticidal development to date, offering protection not just fromprovides systemic protection against early foliar diseases, with ef-nematodes but also a wide range of soil-borne fungal pathogensficacy that can extend all the way to harvest, particularly in crops like Fusarium. Its dual actionfunctioning both as a nematicidelike corn.46/ SEEDWORLD.COMINTERNATIONAL EDITION 2025'