science matters
Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D
Soil This special issue recognizes the importance of soil and its critical role in agriculture, the environment and the sustenance of life on earth Protecting soil and why soil really matters Taking root in top quality soil Soil and climate change Making the deserts bloom and reducing runoff From India to the UK – an external perspective on soil
Autumn 10
Contents Science Matters is a magazine supported by the Syngenta Fellows – a leading community of Syngenta scientists – whose aims include recognizing and promoting Syngenta’s excellence in science. Here is an overview of the articles in this issue: 03 Protecting the soil we grow on – Sandro Aruffo Sandro Aruffo, Syngenta Head of Research & Development, explains how protecting our soil today will help secure long-term farm productivity for future generations and how we are contributing to better farming practices that can halt, and even reverse, the process of soil degradation. 04 Soil science matters – Tom Wiepke Tom discusses the need to understand the complex system which supports plant life on land and on which we ultimately depend for our food supply. 06 Soil really matters for Syngenta products – Robin Oliver Understanding the behavior and fate of Syngenta’s products in soil is essential if the company is to demonstrate that these do not pose an unacceptable risk to the environment. Robin and his colleagues in Product Safety discuss how we do this. 08 Taking root in top quality soil – Claude Flückiger & Jamie Gibson Claude and Jamie discuss how Fafard®, part of Syngenta Lawn and Garden, is bringing innovations to new growing media and how the science involved ranges from conserving water to determining that it ‘smells right’.
10 Soil and climate change science – muddy footprints – Mike Bushell Climate change is an important issue for agriculture as it will impact on what crops farmers can grow. However the role played by soil in climate change might not be so obvious. Mike explains how soil impacts on greenhouse gasses and discusses strategies to minimize the impact of agriculture on climate change. 12 Making the soil of the desert bloom – Zvi Wener Growing vegetables in the desert is a challenge that Zvi Wener from Zeraim Gedera in Israel is rising to, ensuring that the correct nutrients reach the plant. Zvi discusses the role various nutrients play and how to help plants reach their full potential in this difficult environment. 14 Sensors in the soil – Derek Scuffell It may soon be possible for farmers to check root development using a sensor devised by researchers at the Syngenta Sensors University Innovation Center (SSUIC) at Manchester University. Derek explains. 16 The MARGINS Project – working with soil to reduce agricultural runoff – Jeremy Dyson Soil is an important resource for conservation agriculture. It is important in determining run-off from the land and maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Jeremy discusses the MARGINS project where Syngenta is working to provide solutions that preserve soils and minimize run-off.
18 The kingdom down-under – soil dwelling pests, pathogens and nematodes – Brigitte Slaats & Eric Chen Farmers often don’t recognize they have a soil pest problem until the crop is damaged. Brigitte and Eric discuss how they are working to provide solutions to help farmers improve yields by tackling soil pests. 20 Keeping soil in the best of health Healthy soil has to be actively maintained and protected to ensure sustainable crop yields and prevent soil loss and Syngenta and the Syngenta Foundation are working on a range of solutions. 22 External perspective: Soil is universally important – customer perspectives from the UK and India Two customers from widely different parts of the world discuss how soil is a vital resource for them, giving an external perspective on the real world issues they face in farming today. 26 Fellows’ interviews: John Windass & Michael Schade Stuart Dunbar interviews two fellows at different times in their careers. Michael Schade is one of our newest Fellows and John Windass has recently retired after a long and varied career in the company. 28 Snippets – Carolyn Riches Our ‘out and about’ reporter has stories on soil from across the company. 30 Editorial reflections – Stuart John Dunbar Stuart reflects on the articles in the magazine and how soil science is essential to our success as a company.
Protecting the soil we grow on This issue of Science Matters is dedicated to ‘soil’, a crucially important topic for us at Syngenta, for our customers and for everyone on this planet. Our lives depend on the top 20 cm of soil that covers the earth. Protecting our soil today will help secure long-term farm productivity for future generations. Beyond food, healthy soil provides raw materials for clothing, construction and energy; it is critical for absorbing and storing water; it is also home to vital biodiversity including micro-organisms, insects and worms. But this valuable resource is shrinking – around 12 million hectares of fertile land are lost to soil erosion every year. This equates to an average loss of an area of over 50 football (soccer) pitches every minute of every day. Syngenta realizes that poor agricultural practices leave soil vulnerable to be swept away by wind and rain. Our business contributes to better farming practices that can halt and even reverse the process of soil degradation. Protecting soil globally will need an integrated approach using a range of technologies. Syngenta is working with farmers around the world to find solutions tailored to local conditions and crops so they can produce enough food to feed the world while being responsible stewards of the land. Sustainable farming solutions include not tilling the land, crop rotations, bringing vegetation back to degraded land and planting vegetation around fields to prevent erosion. Syngenta helps farmers preserve soil through minimum tillage – herbicides control weeds without tilling. By leaving the roots intact, soil structure is preserved helping to prevent erosion and runoff. Through partnerships with governments and other stakeholders we have found that minimum tillage can help farmers around the world reduce soil erosion by up to 50%. This in turn helps protect water since decreased erosion means that nutrients, agricultural chemicals and soil from fields do not reach rivers and streams. In addition, understanding the behavior and fate of Syngenta’s products in soil is essential if the company is to demonstrate that these do not pose an unacceptable risk to the environment. Syngenta is also exploring innovations in growing plants with stronger, longer roots which are key to binding soil together. Growth regulators help roots grow and seed protection protects roots and young plants from pests. Therefore Syngenta Seed Care is aiming at providing growing plants with the micro-nutrients they need at their most vulnerable early growth stage, helping preserve the nutrient balance in the soil. Farmers will also need to work on keeping soil fertile and preventing desertification. An added benefit to protecting our soil: resourceful land use contributes to mitigating climate change. Globally 2 to 3 billion metric tons of carbon can be stored per year in soil. As a reference, fossil fuel emissions of carbon to the atmosphere average 6 billion tons a year. No-till agriculture also allows the farmer to save on the carbon emissions from tractors having to plough the land. All our natural resources are interconnected – protecting soil in turn saves water and biodiversity. It is the basis of rural incomes and key to food security. Syngenta researchers are working together to find innovative solutions that will protect our planet. Our “soil” Science Matters touches on many of these themes. I hope you will enjoy it.
Sandro Aruffo Head of Research & Development
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
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The thin layer of soil covering our planet is vital to our survival
Soil science matters‌ ‌because we need to understand the complex system which supports plant life on land and on which we ultimately depend for our food supply. Syngenta Senior Environmental Scientist Tom Wiepke explains the various components which make up this remarkable material.
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Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
Humans have been slow to learn just how important the soil beneath their feet is, and many still do not realize that it not only has a role in supporting plant life, but it is also important on a global scale as a carbon store. Charles E. Kellog, who was a pioneering soil scientist, summed up the importance of soil in 1938 when he wrote: “Essentially, all life depends upon the soil. There can be no life without soil and no soil without life; they have evolved together.” Its crucial role was explained in Firman Bear’s ground-breaking book: Earth, The Stuff of Life, written in 19621 and its continuing importance can be seen in the long-established reference work by Nyle Brady and Ray R. Weil: The Nature and Properties of Soils, now in its 12th edition. So what is this ‘stuff of life’ made of, and why is it so critical for our survival? A typical soil, which is ideal for plant growth, is composed of four main components: a mineral constituent of around 45%, an organic matter fraction of around 5%, and roughly equal proportions of air and water which occupy the pore space within the soil and account for 50% of the soil’s volume. The mineral component is the result of the weathering of the rocks of the Earth’s crust. This has been going on for billions of years and continues today. The organic fraction results from the decomposition of plants, animals and micro-organisms.
“Although few people realize it, soil really is the most important compartment of the world’s biosphere.” Soil serves a number of key roles in the physical, chemical and biological processes occurring on the Earth’s surface. It is the medium that supports and anchors the roots of higher plants and supplies the essential inorganic mineral nutrients which they need and which they extract in the form of dissolved ions in the soil water.
above ground terrestrial and aquatic biomass. Soil is a major ecosystem and it contains much of the Earth’s genetic diversity. Soil functions as a recycling system for nutrients and organic wastes and this is done by the macro- and micro-biotic components. Micro-biotic components are organisms like soil fungi, algae, bacteria etc, whilst the macro-biotic ones are larger organisms like worms. If this recycling of nutrients did not happen, plants and animals would have exhausted all available sources of nutrition long ago. Without this critical biotic recycling, the Earth would eventually be covered with a deep layer of plant, animal and human waste and debris. Soils have the ability to convert organic waste into a beneficial, fairly stable, form of organic matter called humus and convert the mineral components of these wastes into forms that can be taken up plants and animals. The microbial respiration involved in this conversion returns carbon in the form of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere where it will once again become part of the carbon cycle and re-enter living organisms via photosynthesis. A network of pores is critical for allowing the soil to ‘breathe.’ In other words, it allows fresh oxygen to reach the root zone and it vents the carbon dioxide given off from respiring plant roots. However, water is the most important ingredient which plant roots need from the soil. The soil pores are critical for absorbing water and holding it; without this water-holding capacity plants would not survive. Soil also plays a key role in the supply of freshwater which humans need. Essentially every drop of surface water and groundwater has either passed through the soil or over its surface. As water percolates through the upper layers of soil it is purified by processes that remove many impurities and destroy potential disease organisms.
References 1
Soil: the great terrestrial carbon storage medium Not all of the organic matter in soils is recycled and, in fact, soils are the largest terrestrial reservoir of carbon on our planet. Soils have the ability to store significant amounts of carbon and potential changes to that storage capacity is an area of intensive research. How might it change as global temperature changes? Part of this intensive research has been the evaluation of no-till crop production as a potentially significant carbon sequestration practice. This type of farming is becoming increasingly prevalent and it would appear to preserve the existing carbon content of the soil. In some cases this is indeed the case. However, recent research suggests that, although carbon storage can be greater in no-till soil, there are instances where it is greater in conventional ploughed fields. You can read more about these important issues in Mike Bushell’s article later in the magazine.
Tom Wiepke Senior Environmental Scientist Product Safety Greensboro USA
Tom received his PhD in Agronomy and Weed
Second edition with co-authors Wayne Pritchard
Science from North Carolina State University in 1989, and joined one of Syngenta’s legacy
and Wallace Akin, 1986.
companies, Ciba-Geigy, in the same year. He has worked in the area of field environmental fate
Soil is a crucial habitat for a myriad of micro- and macro-organisms which are necessary for the health and productivity of the soil. It houses communities of organisms that are just as complex and valuable as their counterparts in the
studies for the last 21 years and is a Senior
Further resources
Environmental Scientist in Product Safety NAFTA, located in Greensboro, North Carolina.
For more information visit: www.extension.org/pages/No-Till_Works,_But_ Not_Always_Applicable_for_Storing_Carbon
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Contact: tom.wiepke@syngenta.com
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
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Soil really matters for Syngenta products – and for those organisms living in the soil Understanding the behavior and fate of Syngenta’s products in soil is essential if the company is to demonstrate that these do not pose an unacceptable risk to the environment. Robin Oliver and his colleagues in Product Safety have the difficult task of providing this information.
Worms play a vital role in maintaining soil structure
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Shedding light on the problem: three projects investigating how soil influences the degradation of plant protection products It had been observed that a new fungicide was degraded more quickly when the soil was incubated under light. To investigate this further, a collaboration was set-up with Dr Garry Bending and Dr Hendrik Schäfer of Warwick University’s Horticultural Research Institute. The project involves Lawrence Davies, a CASE (Collaborative Award in Science and Engineering) student based at Warwick, and a number of Syngenta employees working together to investigate the contribution that soil algae and other phototrophic organisms make to the degradation of plant protection products (PPPs). Previously, little consideration had been given to these organisms, but early results indicate that they can be important degraders of some PPPs.
As this issue of Science Matters shows, soil is a hugely complex medium both in terms of its physical structure and its role as a habitat for a vast and highly diverse population of microbes such as fungi, bacteria, archaea and actinomycetes (filamentous bacteria) and larger organisms including earthworms. It is into this world that Syngenta’s agrochemical products are transported, so it is essential to understand what happens to them when they enter it. The physical structure of soil influences the extent to which the various Syngenta products adhere to its particles. The microbial population influences how these products will degrade to metabolites and to what extent they will be ultimately be converted to CO2. There is a dynamic interaction between adsorption and degradation (and other processes) and this influences the extent to which products and metabolites migrate to surface water or ground water – and ultimately to drinking water – and determines the extent to which they persist in the environment. These outcomes are the key to whether Syngenta seeks a licence to sell a product, and the extent of any restrictions placed upon that licence when granted. Robin: “Investigations into these processes have been part of the
As a result, changes in working practices are already being implemented.
understood the rapid degradation seen in the field could be explained.
Soil can also have a significant influence on non-biological (abiotic) degradation processes
What sticks to the soil?
This is well illustrated by a recent investigation into the photo-degradation of bicyclopyrone. Initial laboratory and photolysis data did not explain the more rapid degradation of the compound observed in field studies. A Product Safety team involving staff from both the UK and US, supported by Chris Harbourt from Waterborne Environmental investigated further. Months of painstaking research into the factors influencing photo-degradation showed that in the case of bicyclopyrone it was mediated by complex interactions between the intensity of sunlight, the moisture content of the soil, and the sorption of the compound to soil particles. Once these interactions were
regulatory landscape for over 30 years and it might seem that the fate and behavior of agrochemicals in soil are well understood. However, increasing regulatory demands, combined with dramatic advances in soil science, have driven innovative research by Product Safety, and this shows that we have a lot to learn about the fate and behavior of our products in soil. One key challenge is to ensure that laboratory and field tests truly reflect what actually happens in the farm environment.” For many years product degradation rates were measured and key metabolites were identified, but there was no way of knowing if these tests really did represent agricultural use conditions. It is now known that sieving laboratory soils, then incubating in the dark and conducting field tests on recently cultivated bare soil plots, can have unintended consequences and a number of approaches are now being developed and applied by Product Safety to address this issue – see box for more information.
As well as understanding the degradation processes that take place insoil, it is just as important to understand how PPPs adhere to the soil, how this increases with time, and whether it is reversible. This is being investigated in an external collaboration with Professor Colin Brown of the EcoChemistry Research Group. This is a joint initiative of the UK Government’s Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) involving Sabine Beulke, and the University of York’s Department of Biology. Together they supervise Laura Suddaby, another Syngenta CASE student, and the outcome of her research might well improve our understanding of both degradation and soil transport processes.
“Through excellent internal team work and collaborations with external researchers, exciting advances are being made toward our aspiration of creating real world conditions in the lab.”
Robin Oliver Technical Manager Product Safety Jealott’s Hill
Robin
with
Chemistry
a from
BSc the
and
PhD
in
University
of
Glasgow. He has spent the subsequent 19 years in
These collaborations will place Syngenta in an industry-leading position when it comes to knowing how its compounds behave in soil and in the environment. This is essential if we are to ensure that our products are efficacious and safe, both for humans and for those beneficial communities which live in the soil.”
graduated
Agricultural industry
studying
the
metabolism
and
environmental fate of plant protection products. Robin joined Syngenta in 2001 and is currently a Technical Manager in Product Safety with responsibility for the design of environmental fate studies.
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Contact: robin.oliver@syngenta.com
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
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Taking root in top quality soil Giving plants the best start in life requires them to germinate in the best growing media. Fafard® Inc., part of Syngenta Lawn & Garden, has developed speciality products that ensure plants grow to their full potential. Jamie Gibson heads up Fafard® R&D and his aim is to address key drivers in nursery production. Claude Flückiger’s role is to build links to other parts of Syngenta R&D such as Crop Protection and Seeds. Together they nurture a company that promises to be well rooted and fruitful.
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Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
This year, Fafard® introduced three new soil media formulations for professional growers: Osmocote® Start1, which features an exclusive controlled-release fertilizer, TT Mixes, which is a ‘fighting brand’ made from a proprietary wood substrate, and Young Plant Mix, which is a germinating mix that is compatible with small-cell trays. These mixes are packaged as compressed bales. These latest innovations are designed to keep Fafard® ahead of its rivals with consistent, high quality growing media Jamie: “Every batch of Fafard® mix undergoes 22 individual tests, and we grow plants in every one before it reaches the customer. These tests include porosity, water retention and electric conductivity (EC). EC is a measure of the concentration of ions in the soil and is measured twice. pH is measured five times and we test 13 essential nutrients for plant growth: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, manganese, boron, copper, zinc, molybdenum and chloride. This way we ensure the quality and consistency that customers rely on us to provide. Fafard® has a dedicated technical expert at each facility to oversee production, they also have the capability to develop products quickly.” Meanwhile Claude hopes to see Fafard® extended into other territories, and develop beyond the growing media market. Claude is working to achieve this with the help of Martin Bolsinger (Head of Professional Products Research) and his colleagues at Stein in Switzerland. Claude: “I’m hoping that Fafard’s Lawn & Garden products will become the industry leader as we successfully implement some game-changing approaches in the market place, not only selling growing media, but using it as a carrier for many other innovations. Customer surveys and internal discussions with colleagues have identified some great opportunities for us to work on. One example is that customers want the media to ‘smell right’, so we are working on adding fragrances.” What’s the science behind Fafard’s growing media mixes? Fafard® research is all about understanding the third of a plant that are its roots. These can be observed and measured in various ways: in the
form of germinating plants on filter paper, growing them in aeroponic systems that do not involve soil, or by direct observation of the rhizotrone2 as the roots grow in soil. The movement of active ingredients and pathogens, in-vitro and in-vivo, can then be observed. So what are the features that superior growing media need to maintain? Clearly the plugs have to have good water holding capacity, yet be porous and retain their structure under all conditions. A stable pH is also important.
Growing media also needs growth promoters, plant nutrients and ingredients that aid fertility, act as antitranspirants, produce oxygen, regulate the key plant hormone ethylene, and which smell right. Getting all these right is what Fafard® is good at!
1
Osmocote®
Start
is
a
trademark
of
The
Scotts Company. 2
A rhizotrone is an enclosure with at least one
transparent side that allows non-invasive viewing of the roots as they grow.
“Fafard® R&D, working in collaboration with Syngenta Flowers in Gilroy, California, have developed some novel products such as SmartMedia, designed to grow plants using less water.”
James ‘Jamie’ Gibson R&D Director Fafard®
Jamie has a BSc in plant and soil sciences from West Virginia University, and an MSc and PhD
Fafard®
from North Carolina State University. He then worked as an assistant professor at the University
Fafard® was founded in 1917 and is based in Agawam, Massachusetts. It is a leading North American producer of packaged growing media for professional ornamental growers and retail outlets. It owns and operates eight production facilities in the United States and Canada as well as carefully managed peat bogs in Minnesota and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Manitoba. The company was acquired by Syngenta in 2006. It still operates under the name Fafard®. In 2008 the company launched the Fafard® Research Leader Program. This unique series of growing media trials brings academic and practical research into large-scale commercial greenhouses. It evaluates how different raw materials, soil amendments and additives perform in different greenhouse settings. In 2010, the program involves 12 projects, 28 greenhouse locations across the US, 170 trials and 54 plant genera.
of Florida where he was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2007. That same year he joined Fafard as Corporate Manager of Quality Control and he is now the company’s R&D Director.
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Contact: james.gibson@syngenta.com
Claude Flückiger Global Technical R&D Leader Lawn & Garden
Claude gained a PhD in Entomology from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and then went to Harvard Business School. He’s had 25 years experience of Marketing and R&D with Syngenta and his previous positions included Global Head of Product Management, Insecticides, in Basel and then Marketing Director in the USA. Now he’s Global Technical R&D Leader for Lawn & Garden.
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Contact: claude.flueckiger@syngenta.com
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
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Soil and climate change science – muddy footprints Climate change is a big issue for agriculture, yet it isn’t immediately obvious to everyone why soil has anything to do with what is happening in the atmosphere. In fact, soil management practices offer some of the largest and most cost-efficient opportunities to mitigate man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Syngenta Principal Scientist Mike Bushell explains why.
Agriculture produces about 14% of greenhouse gases (GHG). In addition, land use change, e.g. deforestation to create new arable land, causes a further 17% GHG emissions1. This is because soil is the major terrestrial sink where carbon is stored. Mature grassland and forest can contain many hundreds of tonnes of carbon above and below ground. Removing vegetation and ploughing to create arable areas, releases on average more than 100 tonnes CO2e/ha*. The principal GHGs from agricultural activities are not only carbon dioxide (CO2), but also methane and nitrous oxide. The latter two have much larger global warming potentials than CO2 (CH4 23 fold and N2O 296 fold). CO2 is generated on farms through the use of energy (e.g. farm machinery), and is indirectly embedded in farm inputs such as fertilizers, which have already consumed energy during their production. Most CH4 emissions relate to animal husbandry and manure management, but flooded rice systems also produce a significant amount of CH4 through anaerobic processes in the soil. N2O is produced by microbial processes in soils, and typically a small percentage of nitrogen added to soils as fertilizer or fixed by leguminous crops is lost as N2O. Emissions relating to the nitrogen added to soil make up over two thirds of the carbon footprint of a typical crop [see graph below].
A typical carbon footprint for conventional corn in Iowa, USA, rain-fed, 175 bu/ac.
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The uncertain science of climate change The science of climate change is controversial and involves sophisticated modelling dependent on multiple assumptions and estimates averaged across many landscape features. There are additional uncertainties when considering gas emissions from natural soil processes. The level of variability between individual farms is large. Still, man-made N2O emissions are estimated to be a high percentage of the total emissions, and clearly a top target for reduction. Mike: “In the face of these uncertainties, there is no single solution and good practices need to be developed and validated locally. But it is still possible to recommend practices that provide practical approaches to reduce agriculture’s carbon footprint and I would like to highlight three opportunities”. 1. “Grow more from less” This is the area where Syngenta can contribute most. Increasing demand for agricultural production is needed to feed nine billion people by 2050. As our Chairman Martin Taylor said: “The world must decide between hunger, deforestation or technology.” Meeting the demand from existing agricultural land through raising productivity will help us protect biodiversity and enable the existing carbon stored above and below ground in forest and wilderness areas to remain there. 2. Minimize the nitrogen contribution to a crop carbon footprint Manufacturers can contribute by optimizing the energy efficiency of urea and ammonium based fertilizer manufacture or by adding nitrification inhibitors to fertilizers. Farmers could reduce the need for added synthetic nitrogen, e.g. by using manure in mixed arable/animal systems, rotating crops with legumes that raise soil fertility, using cover crops as green manures, adding microbial agents that boost soil nitrogen levels and developing alternative fertilizers from green waste. They could also improve the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of the system so that more of the added nitrogen is captured by the crop by optimizing timing of inputs, or targeting the plant through “fertigation” via irrigation systems. In addition, NUE can be a target for genetic improvement since it can depend on root mass and architecture. Crop enhancement chemicals can also affect NUE, e.g. Amistar® 2.
3. Encourage carbon storage in agricultural soils Estimates of the potential for carbon storage in agricultural soils are huge – in some cases even exceeding the annual emissions for all human activities. Carbon in soil exists in various forms with vastly different half lives. Promoting systems that increase the amount of carbon stored – so that it doesn’t escape into the environment – is a good idea. Organic soils typically contain higher levels of organic matter, often added in the form of compost. The Soil Association have produced a report recommending the widespread adoption of organic management practices3. However there is a question about the composting process, in which about 20% of the carbon is lost. Much of this goes off as CO2, but significant amounts of methane and N2O are also produced, which probably abolishes the benefits of the carbon sequestered4. Reduced tillage systems, particularly no-till, are widely adopted practical solutions for agriculture with evidence to support benefits in increased carbon storage, saving energy and preventing soil erosion. However there are watch outs; not all soil types are suitable for no-till. In particular efforts must be made to avoid compaction and water logging, which lead to conditions where more N2O and CH4 may be released. Best practice may be no-till combined with cover crops and controlled wheel practices that reduce compaction risks5.
References Ref to lifecycle analysis and GWP factors for main gases: http://lca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ Carbon_footprint.pdf Refs to different methodologies: www.berr.gov. uk/files/file48881.pdf The link to IPCC and the figures for agriculture and forestry (which includes the land use change numbers) are on the IPCC website and in figure 2.1 from the 4th synthesis report www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/syr/ en/main.html www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/syr/ en/figure-2-1.html
1
The Reading paper on Az and NUE M. J. GOODING, P. J. GREGORY, K. E. FORD and S. PEPLER (2005). Fungicide and cultivar affect post-anthesis patterns of nitrogen uptake, remobilization and utilization efficiency in wheat. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 143, pp 503-518
2
Soil Association report on soil www.soilassociation.org/LinkClick.aspx?filetick et=SSnOCMoqrXs%3d&tabid=574
3
Steve Savage http://blog.sustainablog.org/organic-farmingwould-be-better-in-terms-of-climate-changeimpact-right/
4
Steve Savage refs http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2010/01/08/a-virtualtour-of-tomorrows-super-sustainable-farmpart-1/
5
http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2010/01/08/a-virtualtour-of-tomorrows-super-sustainable-farmpart-2/ * tonnes CO2e (for equivalent) is one of the widely used units for reporting GHG emissions; the warming potential of all the GHG is added up and converted to an equivalent of CO2. Mike Bushell Principal Scientific Advisor Global R&D
Outlook Mike: “The link between soil and climate change is a complex picture, where the science is still developing. Mike graduated with a BSc in Organic Chemistry
It is clear that using Syngenta technology to improve productivity offers immediate opportunities to make the most of the existing agricultural land and therefore reduce GHG emissions from land-use change.
from Liverpool and a PhD from Liverpool/University of
Reduced tillage systems, using herbicides for weed control, certainly offer opportunities to sequester more carbon as organic matter in soil. Finding ways to improve nitrogen use efficiency will have a large benefit on carbon footprints of everything made from agricultural feedstocks.”
Head of Jealott’s Hill International Research Centre.
California at Davis. He came to Jealott’s Hill in 1980 as a Team Leader in Insecticide Research, following post-doctoral work in Cambridge. Since 1990, Mike has held various management positions in Chemistry, Bioscience and also within Zeneca Specialties in Manchester. He returned to Jealott’s Hill in 1999 as Sector Leader for Insect and Fungal Control. Within Syngenta he has previously held the roles of Head of R&T Projects, Head of Discovery, Head of Strategy and Technology, Head of External Partnerships, and Mike is based at Jealott’s Hill and has recently taken up a new role in Global R&D as Principal Scientific Advisor and is also secretary to the Syngenta Science and Technology Advisory Board.
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Contact: mike.bushell@syngenta.com
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
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Making the soil of the desert bloom Producing high grade fruits and vegetables on desert soil is what Zvi Wener does. He’s the chief agronomist of Zeraim Gedera (part of Syngenta since 2007) which is one of the world’s leading seed companies devoted to developing vegetables for such soils.
“Try to think and feel like a plant” is Zvi Wener’s advice when it comes to turning infertile and hostile desert land, like that of the western Negev in Israel, into farm land where tomatoes and peppers grow in abundance. It comes as a surprise to many people that desert sand can be so fertile, but it can, given the right amount of water and fertilizer, and a commitment to producing high grade fruits and vegetables. The plants Zvi is responsible for grow in nethouses, which are flat topped structures rather like greenhouses. They are covered with 50 mesh insect-proof netting which is made from high strength monofilaments that are UVA & UVB resistant. These shield crops by filtering sunlight as well as protecting them from insects. Zvi grows his crops in soil which is classed as desert and which typically consists of sand (ca. 85%), limestone (ca. 10%), and clay (ca. 5%). This kind of soil is very alkaline (the soil on Zvi’s farm has a pH of 8.0–8.4), and this makes it difficult for vegetable crops to absorb essential micro-nutrients, especially iron and manganese. The sandy soil has excellent drainage, nevertheless it is always best to irrigate early in the morning so the crops have available water during the heat of the day. Zvi also
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has to ensure that the mix of nutrients is right. That’s where the science comes in.
the soil will support only a few types of rough grasses such as wild rye.
Assessing the nutrients in desert soil Zvi relies on two pieces of equipment for soil analysis: tensiometers, which measure the moisture content of the soil, and soil solution extractors, which determine which plant nutrients are available. The extractors make it possible to check the soil solution on a regular basis and then to alter the fertilizers to suit any changes in conditions.
Even when the EC is just right, there is the need to monitor the macroand micro-plant element nutrients. Regarding the former, soil pH is a key factor which determines their uptake by plant roots. The macro-elements needed by the plant are readily available over a wide pH range; nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur are all readily available at the high pH range of the Negev desert soil. The essential nitrogen and potassium levels in the soil solution are constantly monitored using special ion meters on-site, instead of sending samples back to the laboratory.
The best way of doing this is to measure the electric conductivity (EC) which reveals the concentration of ions in the solution extracted from the soil. The ions are mainly the salts applied as fertilizers. Soil water solution can sometimes have a higher than normal EC and then the element levels in the irrigation water itself have to be taken into consideration when calculating the amounts of fertilizer to be applied. There is an optimum EC range in the soil solution for each crop but, generally speaking, an EC range for vegetable crops such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers is 2.0– 3.5 dS/m. Soil EC can be as low as 0, when only certain trees like larch will grow, and as high as 20 dS/m when
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
Micro-nutrients, mainly iron, manganese, copper and zinc are more difficult for the plants to absorb because of the high pH which tends to form insoluble hydroxides with these elements. The traditional compounds which were used in the past, such as the sulfates of these metals, are rarely used now. The alternative way of getting these micronutrients to plant roots requires a more sophisticated problem and that’s what Zvi knows all about – see box for further information.
The science behind fertilizing plants in desert soil As Fig.1 shows, there is a direct correlation between pH and nutrient availability. Zvi: “Micro-elements are now applied as chelates and it is these compounds which help carry the micro-elements into the plant more easily at high soil pH levels.” As their chelate name implies, these molecules bind strongly to metals and elements in the soil and so make them more soluble and more available to plant roots. Zvi: “A well-balanced chelate mix of the micro-nutrients is applied together with the macro-elements. The best all around mix comes in the
Fig 1
EDTA form which allows for good absorption of all the micro-elements except for iron. The extra iron that is needed is applied in the EDDHA form because this works best at pH levels of 8.0–8.4.” Iron is especially important for tomatoes and it is usually applied separately and more regularly in what is called a technical irrigation. In vegetable crops, however, it is continuously necessary to apply micro-nutrients throughout the crop cycle in order to avoid deficiencies. Fig.2 shows the relationship between pH and the absorption of micronutrients as their chelates.
Zeraim Gedera is one of the world’s leading companies in vegetable varietal development. Since its establishment in 1952, the company is known for its expertise in developing innovative, added value varieties, enabling farmers to plant the seeds of fresh produce sought by consumers around the world. Zeraim Gedera became part of Syngenta in 2007. A breed apart in cutting-edge flavor development Zeraim Gedera is dedicated to developing cutting-edge varieties promising high yields of diseaseresistant produce with the appearance, superior taste, nutritional values and long shelf life that growers, retailers and consumers need and want. Their focus is on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash and melons.
Further resources More information on Zeraim Gedera is available at www.zeraim.com
Zvi Wener Chief Agronomist Fig 2
Zeraim Gedera
Zvi did his MSc degree in mycology at the University of Toronto and then did his MSM degree at Boston University/Ben Gurion University. He is now the chief agronomist for Zeraim Gedera and has been a grower and advisor for more than 35 years, successfully combining research and hands-on farming in the western Negev Desert. Also, he was a local government extension agent. Zvi’s advice to growers is always K.I.S. meaning ‘Keep it Simple’. And it works!
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Contact: zvi_howard.wener@zeraim.com
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
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The science behind the new sensors The sensor system devised by the researchers at the Syngenta Innovation Centre is based on a single genetic strain of maize. It measures resistivity across the soil matrix which is used to produce a subsoil 3D image, allowing analysis of water movement over time. The sub-soil sensors are based on established low-cost body-scanner technologies which exploit the bending of an electrical field within the target. This provides a picture of the size and shape of the root structure in a non-destructive and quantified analysis, revealing the way this is functioning in real time. Ultimately the team plans to miniaturize the sensors, so that they can be applied in automated processes for trait evaluation, and to ensure that the cost is low enough to make them viable as a screening option.
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Sensors in the soil
It may soon be possible for farmers to check root development using a sensor devised by researchers at the Syngenta Sensors University Innovation Center (SSUIC) at Manchester University. Derek Scuffell explains.
Bruce Grieve, the Director of Syngenta Sensors University Innovation Center (SSUIC), is in charge of a research team who promises to revolutionize the way that farmers monitor their crops, in order to maximize yields. The projects they are working on are devoted to developing cheap sensors of various types. These include a sensor that uses radio
frequency ID tags to track the stresses suffered by perishable foods on their journey from farm to supermarket, another that detects fungal attacks in crops, and one that checks the plant roots as they are growing in the soil. The sub-soil sensors will signal key information back to the farmer so that inputs can be maximized.
Traditional ways of measuring the factors that affect roots and plants require complex marker or labeling systems. While this information can be obtained, it is only at the expense of the loss of the plants being investigated. Moreover, these data only show a snapshot of nutrient and water translocation at the time and location of the measurement. Being able to measure water and nutrient uptake continually will be essential if we are to develop new varieties of drought tolerant crops. The current approach to plant monitoring relies on above-soil features, or phenotypes, which are monitored in industrial greenhouses and field trials during seed breeding programs. This provides an indication of which plants have the most likely preferential genetics to thrive in the future global environments. These indicators of ‘plant vigor’ are often based on loosely-related features which may be straightforward to examine, such as an additional ear of corn on a maize plant, but are labor intensive and lacking in direct linkage to features of the required crop. That is about to change.
Ultimately the team plans to miniaturize the sensors for use in the field
really will be low-cost real-time monitoring systems. The sensors will also be invaluable for research into the development of uptake models for the crop rhizosphere and drought tolerant crops. Monitoring systems for agriculture could represent a significant cost reduction to farmers in areas where water costs are particularly high, such as South America.”
Derek Scuffell Information Specialist & Member of Syngenta Sensors Steering Group Jealott’s Hill
Derek graduated from the University of York with a
degree
in
Biological
Sciences
(Agricultural
Physiology and Crop Protection) and followed
“The new sensors being developed at SSUIC will allow farmers to know what’s going on under the soil and check how efficiently crop roots are using water and nutrients.” This new line of research was launched in 2009 following a visit by the UK Chief Government Scientist, Professor John Beddington, who was clearly impressed by what he learnt from academics at the University’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Chris Woodyatt, Paul Newill, Rob Hayes, Trevor York and Frank Podd are the scientists who work on the project with Bruce at SSUIC. Their enthusiasm is driven by the knowledge that their work will have far-reaching effects and could ensure a more secure and sustainable food supply. Bruce: “The new sensors will provide farmers with a tool that will provide 24/7 analysis for each and every plant in a screening or growing program, indicating just how well roots are drawing upon the water and nutrients in the soil. In addition, we aim to make these sensors affordable so that they
Syngenta University Innovation Centers
this with an M.Sc. in Biological Computation and Maths. He joined Syngenta at Jealotts Hill, via ICI, and worked in R&D IS as part of the bioinformatics
The Syngenta University Innovation Centers are strategic long term alliances with universities around the world. There are currently five centers with subjects ranging from natural product discovery (Wuhan, China) to Systems Biology (Imperial College, London, UK). The Syngenta Sensors University Innovation Center at Manchester University is researching Sensing Systems and Information Communications Technologies (ICT) for agriculture. It has a central focus on sensors and knowledge-based approaches to support farming of the future. Within this remit, the Centre is working in several areas, including: new sensing technologies; RFID; wireless sensor networks; energy harvesting; and information and knowledge management. The Center has a strategic interest in defining and researching the ICT infrastructure and platforms for agriculture. The Center is also interested in the farm-to-fork supply chain and how the technologies of interest can help to improve food quality and reduce environmental burdens.
team. Recently he moved to a role in Information Connection, with a particular focus on external information and collaboration. Derek is also a member of the Syngenta Sensors steering group and is program manager for the Plastic Electronic Tagging sensors project.
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Contact: derek.scuffell@syngenta.com Bruce Grieve Director of Syngenta Sensors University Innovation Center Manchester UK
Bruce is a chartered engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology. He has spent 20 years of his career in the field of on-line analysis, measurement and informatics R&D within pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Prior to taking on directorship of SSUIC in 2007, he was based in Syngenta’s New Business Development unit working in collaboration with the company’s commercial managers to determine how sensors and diagnostics systems may be deployed within new agribusinesses.
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Contact: Bruce.Grieve@manchester.ac.uk
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
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The MARGINS project – working with soil to reduce agricultural runoff
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Soil erosion and sediment deposition, increased flooding and water contamination – these are the effects of rising runoff levels from agricultural land into streams, rivers and lakes. We cannot stop runoff. It is driven by precipitation and irrigation patterns. However, we can reduce it by ‘putting the brakes on’ water movement with improved land use practices for water protection. Jeremy Dyson explains how.
but surrounded by steep hills of very productive loam soils that are prone to runoff. Jeremy says that runoff occurs because: “whenever precipitation or irrigation cannot percolate straight down into soil due its low permeability, then this water must move down laterally over the land as runoff towards surface water.” In Hungary, as elsewhere, poor land use practices reduce soil permeability.
The Syngenta Stewardship Team is convinced that, in order to reduce runoff, we have to work better with the principles of water movement. They started designing and implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce runoff for different types of land and land use based on these principles. And they launched project MARGINS – Managing Agricultural Runoff into Surface Water – to demonstrate that it is possible to grow crops sustainably whilst protecting water, biodiversity and soil.
Why is this? First of all, soil is exposed to the full impact of raindrops, breaking soil aggregates down into individual soil particles. Bare soil is bad soil. These soil particles then fill in drainage pores and can even turn into ‘caps’ of very low permeability material – bottlenecks to the percolation of water into soil. This is exacerbated by conventional tillage, which breaks up the soil and damages earthworm populations that help create fastdraining pores. The situation is worsened if crop residues and animal manure are not returned to the soil, to help re-bind and feed the soil, strengthening it and adding resilience duringa symbol arableofcropping. The orang-utan has become So, in Hungary the ofteam focused on conservation in the forests Indonesia
“Soil is a hidden, or even forgotten, resource. But we shouldn’t forget that crop production and water protection depend on keeping this finite resource in good condition!” Lake Balaton The project was initiated as a pilot in 2009 near Lake Balaton in Hungary – the largest lake in Central Europe. It is renowned for its beauty and wildlife,
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
Some definitions Conventional tillage: Any tillage system based around burying crop residues and weeds with mouldboard ploughs (15-40 cm deep) that invert the soil. Conservation tillage: Any tillage system that reduces the loss of soil and water compared to conventional tillage, by minimizing soil disturbance, particularly by not using mouldboard ploughing. Vegetative buffers: sections of higher permeability land to infiltrate runoff and capture eroded soil. Permanent vegetative soil cover is the best way to increase soil permeability, as well as by using special tillage practices to loosen compacted layers of surface soil, and avoiding further compaction (it’s not a tractor turning area!)
establishing two main types of BMP on four large field plots under maize cultivation: Conservation Tillage to minimize the disruption of the soil; and Vegetative Buffers at the bottom of two plots to capture and so reduce field runoff. Vegetative buffers are particularly important, because most BMP principles can be put into practice there, providing permanent vegetative cover and increasing the organic inputs to the soil without tillage disruption. Moreover, with careful planning, the vegetative buffers can also help meet Europe’s biodiversity goals. In Hungary, we have designed the buffers so that they provide pollen and nectar for bees and other beneficial insects, by using seed mixes advocated by Operation Pollinator. Last, but by no means least, the farmer also needs the right crop protection tools to achieve high crop yields; our maize herbicides are excellent products for these needs. What are the results to date? It is a bit early to say for the vegetative buffers; they were bare at the time of herbicide spraying in spring. But now the buffer strips are well established with a thick sward of clover and other flowering plants. We should have the analytical results for the 2010 cropping season shortly, so we can see the effects of established buffer strips.
With regard to tillage, the 2009 results showed that conservation tillage had lower pesticide runoff levels (average 0.6%); conventional tillage had higher pesticide runoff levels (average 1.9%). These results are consistent with the previous project, SOWAP (Soil and Water Protection), which was conducted on these field plots. This project (supported by EU Life+) demonstrated that conservation tillage consistently reduced runoff, soil erosion and soil nutrient losses. In addition, numbers of earthworms, beetles, other soil fauna and microbial biomass activity increased. This is not only great for the environment, but it also brings benefits for farmers. They could maintain the overall profitability and lower crop establishment costs by 15-20% with conservation tillage. However, crop yields were slightly lower, as often found during conversion to conservation tillage systems. Nevertheless, yields were higher in dry years, because reduced runoff increased the amount of water in the soil.
saying is subtly different to organic farming’s idealistic appeal, which feels more like going back to nature because it effectively ignores the need to feed everyone. I believe MARGINS helps to go beyond organic farming with nature, to meet the demands of 21st Century sustainable agriculture – a skillful blend of modern technology with respect for nature and our part in it.”
Jeremy Dyson Stewardship & Sustainable Use Manager Basel
Jeremy graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in soil science and from Oxford University with a DPhil. in soil physics. He joined Jealott’s Hill in 1991, eventually becoming a full-time Environmental Fate Assessor. In 2004, he transferred to Syngenta’s
Working with nature Jeremy: “This start-up pilot is encouraging. We hope to extend the project across Europe to other landscapes and land use patterns. I believe the next paradigm shift in agriculture needs to be driven by working more productively with nature, not against it. But what I’m
site at Basel, Switzerland, as a Senior Environmental Fate Assessor and in 2007 he became a Stewardship and Sustainable Agriculture Manager for Europe, with a focus on water quality and land use.
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Contact: jeremy.dyson@syngenta.com
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
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The kingdom down-under – soil dwelling pests, pathogens and nematodes Soil-borne pests (insects, fungi, nematodes and bacteria) attack roots and underground plant parts. They are often difficult to observe with the naked eye but they cause a lot of damage. Eric Chen and Brigitte Slaats explain how Syngenta is taking an integrated approach to tackling this invisible kingdom down-under with both genetic and chemical solutions.
Brigitte: “The importance of soilborne pests is underrated due to the fact that they are practically invisible to the farmer. Their symptoms are commonly confused with damage by pests above ground or improper fertilization.” Solutions can include crop rotation, the use of resistant and tolerant cultivars, cultural practices, chemicals and microbial control agents. Crop resistance can be achieved via genetic modification (GM) or conventional breeding. Eric leads a project looking into GM solutions at Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. (SBI) in the USA. “The damage caused by soil pests weakens the root system and can be very detrimental. Beetles, especially corn rootworm, and nematodes are the two most important animal pests in the soil. There is no commercially available nematode resistance trait yet, but GM approaches to corn rootworm resistance have been very successful.”
“Syngenta is taking an integrated approach to tackling the soil pest problem with both genetic and chemical solutions.”
Hot news – The latest Syngenta solutions for farmers Syngenta has two new products in the pipeline for control of soil pests. Durivo 300 SC® is a new seed care product with a mixture of diamide and neonicotinoid chemistries controlling a range of soil and foliar pests. eCry3.1Ab is a new biotech trait in late stage development. It is an engineered Cry gene that provides a new mode of action. Cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis encode a crystalline protein that is toxic to insects. Most of the Cry proteins are not toxic to corn rootworm. eCry3.1Ab is a hybrid engineered from two native Cry genes that are inactive to corn rootworm. This gene provided excellent efficacy in field trials, and will serve as Syngenta’s next generation lead against corn rootworm.
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Chemical and Trait research against soil pests Brigitte: “Syngenta Crop Protection Research addresses soil pest problems worldwide. Our approach is to tackle important, individual pests, diseases and weed problems and find solutions for their control with specifically designed screening operations. Once a potential candidate is discovered and its spectrum of activity is defined, the active ingredient is tested in large-scale field trials. As all organisms form part of an interactive complex, combined applications of different plant control agents are often necessary which is why, for instance, that seed treatment applications are frequently three-way offering nematode, insect and fungal control as an all-in-one solution. For Seed Care it is important for an active ingredient to come off the seed coat and be distributed along the root system or be up taken by it. The active ingredient requires physico-chemical properties which prevent it from binding too strongly to the soil or leaching too quickly through it. Formulation science to generate the best seed coating is critically important.” Eric: “Biotech approaches to find new insect control proteins are different. SBI holds a collection of more than 15,000 bacterial strains, extracts from these are initially screened against the target species. Proteins from active extracts are characterized and cloned for efficacy and spectrum testing. Interesting leads are usually transformed into model plants and in-planta efficacy assessed. The few genes that make it are further re-transformed into ‘elite’ lines of crops for glasshouse and field testing.” Insect pests There are three major soil insect groups for both chemical and trait research, all are beetles. The larval stages cause most damage to the roots but adults mostly feed above ground. Corn rootworm is a corn-specific insect pest and a key biotechnology target. Western corn rootworm is the major pest species. The larval stages cause damage to corn roots, while the adult beetle feeds above ground on corn and cucurbit crops. Many have developed insecticide resistance.
Control
Treated
Sugar beet roots treated with Syngenta`s seed treatment nematicide Avicta® (Active ingredient: abamectin) with hardly any cyst nematodes within the root system versus the infested control
Wireworms are click beetle larvae. They are major soil pests devouring seeds in the soil; cutting or burrowing into underground stems and roots. The seed is often hollowed out, leaving only the hull. All crops are susceptible to attack. The adults are nocturnal, and usually do not cause significant damage. Plant-parasitic root nematodes Plant-parasitic root nematodes are transparent, microscopic roundworms. All major crops are potential hosts, which makes their control essential. The biological screen of nematicides focuses on detecting contact activity against major nematode pests such as root-knot or cyst nematodes. The assessment of compounds focuses on the invasion of nematodes into the root system. If a treatment is successful, root systems are almost free of nematodes.
Soil-based fungal pathogens Excess moisture and soil pH are catalysts for soil-based fungal pathogens to thrive. For example, Phytophthora causes late blight, Rhizoctonia causes root rot, Pythium causes damping off, Verticillium and Fusarium cause wilt. Prevention is generally more successful than curative treatment, which is where seed treatment steps in. Contact fungicidal activity against soil-borne pathogens is the major criterion for the selection and promotion of new fungicidal candidates. Eric and Brigitte agree that “the kingdom down-under” is complex and difficult to see but, through their work and that of their colleagues around the world, Syngenta is taking an integrated approach to tackling the soil pest problem with both genetic and chemical solutions.
Brigitte E. Slaats
Eric Chen
Team Leader for Seed
Principal Research
Care Nematicides
Scientist
Research
Biostress Traits Group
Stein
Syngenta
Switzerland
Biotechnology Inc. USA
Brigitte obtained her PhD at the Rheinische Friedrich-
Eric studied biochemistry and molecular genetics of
Wilhelms-University of Bonn, and the Federal
insects and received his PhD from Genetics Program
Biological Research Centre for Agriculture and
at Michigan State University. He then did a post-doc
Forestry, Institute for Nematology and Vertebrate
at University of Illinois that focused on the protein
Science in Münster, Germany. During her agronomy
structure and function of cytochrome P450. In 1998,
studies at the University of Bonn, she investigated
he joined Novartis Agricultural Biotech Research,
the effects of a novel seed treatment nematicide
Inc., which is now SBI, working on insect control
(abamectin) at the University of California Riverside
trait research. He held various positions at Syngenta
with Ole Becker. In 2007 she joined Syngenta as a
focused on lead discovery, trait gene design and
post-doc for the NewSTAN project (Seed Treatment
event selection for input traits used in multiple crops.
against Nematodes) in the Professional Products
He currently leads the Biostress Traits Group at SBI.
Research Team in Stein. In 2009 Brigitte became the
Grubs, comprising many different species around the world, usually they are general feeders, causing considerable root damage due to the large size of the larvae.
Team Leader for Seed Care Nematicides Research.
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Contact: brigitte.slaats@syngenta.com
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Contact: eric.chen@syngenta.com
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
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Soil for growing crops is increasingly important as the world’s population continues to increase
Keeping soil in the best of health is essential to feed the world’s growing population Healthy soil has to be actively maintained and protected to ensure sustainable crop yields and prevent soil loss. This edition of Science Matters focuses on how Syngenta is working to maintain healthy soil but do you know what causes soil loss? Here are a few examples, collated by the editorial team, of the challenges we all face and some solutions on which Syngenta and the Syngenta Foundation are currently working. Erosion, nutrient depletion, climate change, poor water management and natural disasters are just some of the factors that cause soil degradation and consequently crop losses. Soil erosion
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and degradation can be so bad that the land is lost to agriculture altogether.
According to the United Nations Population Fund, it takes less than a second to add two people to the world population. In the same second, farmland available to feed our growing population is shrinking by an area about the size of a soccer field.
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
We must produce more food from less land to feed our growing population. However, the land we have is being degraded. Physical structures (e.g. contour ditches, mulching and windbreaks) reduce soil erosion, especially on sloping land. Measures to protect and enhance the productivity of soil include minimum tillage, crop rotations, cover-cropping, green-manuring, and maintaining soil cover with plants and/or mulches. Syngenta and the Syngenta Foundation are working with communities across the world to address some frequent causes of soil degradation, using a variety of measures including minimum tillage.
Minimum tillage Soil erosion makes millions of hectares of farmland infertile every year. Syngenta works with farmers to prevent run-off of soil and chemicals from fields by promoting the use of minimum tillage and helping set up buffer zones of vegetation between fields and rivers. Non-selective Syngenta herbicides, such as Touchdown® and Gramoxone® enable farmers to control weeds without tilling the ground. By conserving soil structure, erosion is reduced, fewer nutrients are lost, the water-holding capacity of the ground is improved and less CO2 is released into the atmosphere. Minimum tillage also helps to preserve soil biodiversity, the foundation for healthy soils. Minimizing plowing maintains crop residues as ground cover. It often represents a major change in farmers’ practice. Minimum tillage has been used successfully in irrigated rice-wheat systems in South Asia and in African countries such as Ghana and Kenya to help minimize nutrient and soil loss. A study by the Vietnamese National Plant Protection Institute and the Northern Mountain Agricultural Research Center found that corn farmers can reduce soil erosion by more than 50% using minimum tillage. Syngenta sponsored the study, which showed that farmers saved an average of 80 days per hectare otherwise spent hand-weeding and reduced cultivation costs by 2.6 million Vietnamese Dong (around €117) per hectare. Minimum tillage also cuts
the time taken to grow the crop by more than 10 days, making it easier for farmers to plant another crop on the same land each year, boosting their productivity and improving livelihoods. In Colombia, potato farmers lose around 20 tonnes of soil per hectare every year in fields where deep seedbeds and continual cultivation weaken soil structure. The soil erosion reduces yields, jeopardizing the livelihoods of thousands of families dependent on potatoes in the Cundinamarcia region. Syngenta has trained more than 6,500 Colombian farmers over the last five years to use minimum tillage and innovative sowing techniques that reduce soil loss and improve yields. In 2009 alone, more than 1,600 farmers received training. African soils are low in nutrients and organic matter, making the need for fertilizer even more critical. The UN FAO highlights that three-quarters of African farmland is already severely degraded. This results in poor yields and can also damage natural ecosystems as farmers move into forests in search of more fertile soil. Other types of land degradation such as sodicity (high sodium content) and alkalinity are also widespread in developing countries. Solutions to these issues are complex, particularly as many of the farms are smaller than one hectare. The Syngenta Foundation is working with smallholders to address these issues via training in
agricultural practices, thereby improving farmer incomes.
also
Water, wind and soil loss Soil erosion by wind and water is another important form of land degradation. Poor water management leads to soil degradation in irrigated areas through waterlogging and salinization. For instance, nearly 40% of irrigated land in dry areas of Asia is thought to be affected by salinization (World Development Report, World Bank, 2008). Plants adversely affected by salinity grow more slowly, are stunted and have smaller, but sometimes thicker, leaves. This is particularly an issue in rice cultivation where salt can build up in the paddies. The Syngenta Foundation has been working with rice farmers to implement the ‘System for Rice Intensification’ which also has the benefit of reducing salinization and waterlogging, improving the soil. These examples illustrate the challenges farmers face in maintaining healthy soil. You can read more about this in the Snippets section later in the magazine. Further resources www.unfpa.org/6billion/facts.htm www.fao.org www.syngentafoundation.org
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Contact: syngenta.foundation@syngenta.com
Soil erosion by wind and water is another important form of land degradation
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
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Soil is universally important across the world – farmers’ perspectives from India and England. They may be over 4,000 miles or 7,000 kilometers apart but both farmers rely on soil to help them grow their crops.
Vailan particularly enjoys growing rice on his farm in India
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Agriculture in Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu, a large state in the southeast of India, is very important to India’s agriculture. 70% of the state’s population is involved in agriculture and its associated industries. In 2009, it was the second largest producer of rice, which is the main food crop for the area. Rice farmers can grow three crops a year but many will have a second crop like groundnuts or other pulses. Other food crops include millet, maize, onions, tomatoes, aubergines, bananas and mangoes. Cotton, sugarcane, coconut tea, palm, and coffee are also
grown as cash crops, as are a number of spices such as turmeric. In terms of production, Tamil Nadu accounts for 12% of fruit and 7% of vegetable production in India. However it is the leading producer of bananas and mangoes, producing over 85% of the total. The state is also proud to be the home of Dr M.S. Swaminathan, considered to be the father of the Green Revolution in India, and it has many agricultural colleges as a result, including the well known Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.
Farmers in India and England lead very different lives but both rely very much on the soil on their farms and how they fertilize it, as Science Matters discovered when we contacted Vailan Gopal and Julian Hasler. We start with Vailan who farms rice and groundnuts in India. An Indian perspective Fifty-year-old Vailan Gopal has been farming in his homeland of India for 30 years, as was his father before him. In fact the family has been in farming for almost 75 years. Vailan’s farm is located in the state of Tamil Nadu, near the town of Mathuranthagam and has a size of 1.6 hectares (4 acres); it is slightly larger than the typical Indian farm, which is just over 1.3 hectares (3 acres). He employs casual labor equivalent to 60 man-days per year. The farm is on loamy soil and Vailan fertilizes it partly with farmyard manure at the rate of three tonnes per acre per season and partly with the inorganic fertilizers urea, potash and phosphate, following the guidelines recommended by the state. When it comes to coping with pests and diseases, Vailan consults his local Agri-input shop and follows the dealer’s advice as what is best to use. Vailan’s crops are rice and groundnuts with one crop following the other. The water needed for irrigation comes from a well which reaches down 18 metres (60 feet). While this meets his needs in most years, there have been times when it has run dry and Vailan has lost his crop.
When that happens he has to obtain a loan, and this he can get either as a so-called ‘jewel loan’ (using family jewelry as security) or as a ‘crop loan’ from a government bank. Until last year, planting on Vailan’s farm was done by hand, but this year he started using mechanical transplanting, which is how he harvests his crops; his intention is to continue to be fully mechanized. Despite all the problems of farming, Vailan says he particularly enjoys growing rice especially when there is a bumper harvest. “That gives me complete satisfaction!” he says. What are his plans for the future? “I’d love to change to turmeric farming as the current profits are higher. But I will never stop rice farming.”
“For almost 75 years my family has farmed our land and our most important asset is the soil. If we look after the soil well it will ensure we can continue for another 75 years.”
Vailan Gopal Farmer Tamil Nadu India
Vailan
was
born
at
Mathuranthagam
Taluk,
Kanchipuram, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. He went to the village school at Eembathur, was an undergraduate at Cheyyar Polytechnic College and did post-graduate studies in Chennai. Vailan is married with one son and one daughter. In addition to working his farm, he works as a teacher. In his leisure time he likes spending his time reading farming magazines.
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
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Julian uses granular fertilizers complemented with animal manure from his rare-breed pigs to fertilize the soil on his 200 hectare farm.
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Over 7,000 kilometers away from India Julian Hasler farms arable crops and is also well known for raising rare-breed pigs. An English perspective Julian Hasler has been working his 200 hectare (500 acres) farm near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, UK, for almost 40 years, and began farming in his mid-20s. His farm is typical in size to other farms in this fertile region of South West England. On it he grows a variety of crops and raises a small herd of outdoor rare-breed pigs.
He fertilizes his soil with granular fertilizers, namely urea to provide nitrogen, TSP (triple super phosphate) to provide phosphorus, and MoP (muriate of potash, aka potassium chloride) to provide potassium. He also uses animal manures rotationally in order to maintain the level of organic matter in the soil.
He employs one man and together they produce winter wheat, winter oilseed rape, winter beans and spring barley. Julian: “We do all the work ourselves, such as the cultivating and harvesting, and we have drying and storage capacity for what we grow.”
So what gives Julian most satisfaction about farming? “It’s seeing a goodlooking crop in the fields and knowing yields will be high. But equally important are the surrounding areas. I like all the rest of the landscape to be growing well and thriving. I intend to keep farming while it still gives me pleasure.”
Gloucestershire has a population of nearly 600,000 people with only 1% of these working directly in agriculture.
Julian’s policy is to grow as many first wheats as possible because he says that second wheats never yield on the kind of soil on which his farm stands. It is a shallow soil over limestone, probably only 25-30 centimeters deep, but it is quite a heavy soil with a surprising amount of clay in it. The bits of limestone mixed in with the soil make it workable. Thanks to the underlying layers of limestone, the farm does not need any kind of under drainage. However, because the soil is so shallow it is prone to drying out if rain is in short supply in the summer, which is why he tries to drill early to allow the plants to develop a good root system over winter. Julian is very aware of what might go wrong with the soil: “It is possible to damage the soil because it has so much clay in it, either by smearing the soil or creating a plough pan.” The latter is a compacted layer of soil that has been cemented together by the clay. Julian’s farm also has quite a lot of sloping land and it is easy to get small amounts of erosion.
“Looking after the soil is one of the most important things that we do. You can only plant a crop once, so you must do that as well as you can to get the most out of that crop.”
Agriculture in Gloucestershire
Most farming is either livestock or mixed arable farming, like Julian’s farm. Only about 6% of farming is entirely arable. Gloucestershire contributes about 2% to England’s total agricultural production. Wheat is the most popular crop. Livestock farming is mostly sheep and cows (beef and dairy). There are 2.8 million chickens in the county. Pigs are less popular but, increasingly, farms like Julian’s are focusing on rarer or local breeds.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Julian is a member of the NFU, which is the largest farming organization in the UK. The NFU represents 55,000 farm businesses in England and Wales involving an estimated 155,000 farmers, managers and partners in the business. This is around threequarters of the full time commercial farmers of England and Wales.
Julian Hasler Farmer Tetbury England
Julian was born in Gloucestershire, UK. He went to the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester and
The NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its members.
was also educated at Cambridge University. He is married to Julia, they have three children and one grandchild. When he’s not working, Julian likes reading, listening to classical music, and growing and eating vegetables. Julian is very much one of
For more information www.nfuonline.com.
see
the new breed of farmers, taking an interest in science, horticultural research and the development of agriculture in general.
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In this issue we meet two Syngenta Fellows who are at different times in their careers with the company. Recently retired, John Windass joined the company in 1977 and has spent over 30 years split between Pharmaceuticals and Crop Protection whereas Michael Schade joined the company about 10 years ago and has recently become a Syngenta Fellow. Stuart John Dunbar interviewed them both to gain their individual perspectives for Science Matters readers.
From genetics to collaborations an interview with John Windass The interview with John was very nostalgic for me. I have known John for the 25 years I have been in the company and consider him a friend as well as a colleague. What would it be like to interview him on his recent retirement? I should not have worried. John was quickly into his easy going stride enthusiastically talking about science! When I asked what it meant to become a Fellow and how it made a difference to him there was a slight pause. “It was a long time ago! But principally it was the credibility and visibility it provided. This led to opportunities to get involved in a wider range of research, especially through external collaborations.” External focus This external focus was a theme of the interview. John had been involved with collaborations for a very long time, culminating in his last role in the company where he managed and coordinated the External Partnerships collaborations process. What was John most proud of during his long and successful career? “It’s the diversity of ways I found we could harness molecular genetic techniques” was his instant response. “Originally when I joined ICI I achieved the first ever genetic transformation of an industrial organism in 1979. This was followed by a wide range of other projects such as leading the development of screens for fungal resistance in support of the Azoxystrobin business.”
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“At the time we did not know anything about what was going on in other companies but we realized that resistance was the result of only one base pair mutation. This led to the concept that you could take science being developed to diagnose cancer, and apply it to the problem of identifying fungal resistance. It took some very sophisticated molecular genetics and is something I am still proud we delivered. We had to do it in complete secrecy too!” Molecular Genetics I asked John what was the biggest scientific change over his career. “The company has a defined focus now. This was a big change from being in ICI and it made a big, positive difference. Although molecular genetics is now a mature science, when I joined it was very new. Then DNA sequencing took months to sequence a few 100 base pairs. You could sequence billions of them in the same time now! This has also led to an explosion of data and the ability to search it. Information is easily available now and on your desk. Searching for genes was very difficult before these databases became available.” His biggest scientific surprise was a recent one. “When I was a biochemistry undergraduate I thought a group of proteins called ‘histones’, involved in DNA folding, to be boringly ubiquitous and uninteresting. Now we know that, through biochemical
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
modifications, their structures can be controlled very subtly leading to very precise ‘epigenetic’ control of DNA function.”
“Epigenetics will be very important to the company, being involved in processes as diverse as fruit ripening and yield. I would never have predicted this.” Retirement John has retired but he is so active now that he has lost weight without trying (a lesson to us all behind desks!). He has always been a practical person, gardening, DIY, fixing his cottage in France keep him busy. He is also working on his French and taking the time to explore places with his wife Dee who he met in Oxford in 1971. They have three children: Catriona, Alastair and Bruce. John was very proud to say he is due to become a grandfather in December 2010. He will be even busier than ever but somehow I think he will be very happy!
John Windass John did a degree in Biochemistry at Oxford University in 1973, followed by a PhD at Glasgow University. John held an ICI sponsored Post-doc position at Edinburgh before joining ICI corporate labs at Runcorn in 1977. He held several senior research posts before becoming a section manager in ICI Pharmaceuticals Biotechnology Department. John was promoted to ‘Senior Scientist’ (a fore-runner of Syngenta Fellow) in 1989 when he joined ICI/ Zeneca Agrochemicals at Jealott’s Hill. He became a Senior Syngenta Fellow in 2004. John has over 40 publications and patents to his name.
Michael Schade After 19 years in South America Michael came to Germany to study agriculture. He completed a PhD in Entomology and Plant Protection and qualified as a lecturer at the University of Bonn in 1999. Michael joined Syngenta in 2000 and spent five years working as a lab and team leader in Insect Control and Professional Products and one year as a biologist for Turf and Ornamentals R&D. Since 2005 he has been in his current role as Global Technical Manager, Seed Treatment Insecticides, Nematicides and Crop Enhancers in Basel.
Championing crop enhancement an interview with new Fellow Michael Schade Although a German citizen, did you know Michael spent the first 19 years of his life in South America? This was one of the many surprises during our discussion following his promotion to Syngenta Fellow earlier in 2010. “My career in Syngenta began by accident. I had plans to be “an old university guy” but I met Martin Bolsinger (now Head of Professional Products Research & Science Communication at Stein) at a conference in 1999 and he told me of a new job in Stein Research. It sounded exciting so I decided to go for it.” Michael joined the company in 2000 as a Team Leader in Insecticide Product Support at Stein and was immediately working on some of our most important products like Actara®, Chess®, Vertimec® and Force®. A champion of Crop Enhancement (CE) Michael soon got involved in Syngenta’s CE activities and is very enthusiastic about this new area. “This is a real challenge. Setting up new screens and field trials, ensuring everything is repeatable in the field, deciding what qualities to measure. How do you objectively determine crop quality for example?” Michael is working in the Crop Enhancement Project Team to deliver a new CE platform for the future. It’s exciting to be at the beginning of a new area for the company, but it’s not going to be easy.” Still, as he says “that’s exactly what makes it exciting!”
Intense times Michael is the major driving force within the R&D organization behind the Cruiser® “Vigor Trigger Story.” He and his team developed the use of the Syngenta seed treatment Cruiser® for increasing the resistance of plants to environmental stresses. One of Michael’s proudest achievements is being recognised as a winner in the 2007 Syngenta Awards of the Global Purpose Award for this project. Although 120 people contributed, Michael wrote the story, finishing the night before the deadline. There was no time to get input from everyone. “It was very intense atthe time but I was really happy with the result. Somtimes you have to just go for it; that’s what I did.”
“Becoming a Fellow has enabled me to gain more visibility of what is going on. It makes it easier to get new networks established and improve existing ones.”
Michael (center) and colleagues received the
On the day of the interview Michael had toothache and was going to the dentist after we talked. Even through the pain his enthusiasm for being a Fellow, his work and his family really shone through.
Purpose Award from the Chairman and CEO
So what’s changed being a Fellow? One of the most important roles of a Fellow is being an ambassador, working in networks and looking for new technological horizons.
Michael adds: “People take more time to listen and understand what you are saying as a Fellow. It has meant more work but that’s exciting”. Family and pastimes Michael’s pride and joy is his family. He is married to Anja, who also works for Syngenta at Stein, and has two daughters Melanie, 22, and Mailin who is just two years’ old. Michael stresses that the 20 year gap was planned! He loves wind-surfing, biking, horse-riding and playing the guitar. Michael told me about the challenges involved in windsurfing. “It can be frustrating. It’s windy everywhere except on the lake where you want to surf!” But of course, like at work, this is no reason for Michael to give up!
Contact: michael.schade@syngenta.com
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Out and About
Carolyn Riches has been tracking down other examples of where Syngenta people are making a difference and protecting soil. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to ideas, text and images for this edition of Out and About.
Tasty tapas
Better soil, better rice
Many of us enjoy a little ‘tapas’ on a warm summer evening, but do we ever stop to think about the soil erosion in the olive groves and vineyards as we dine? Probably not! Syngenta has been collaborating on two projects to study different soil preservation systems in perennial crops. The studies, which started in 2001, looked at vineyards in France and olive groves in Spain. At these locations soil erosion was a real problem – conventionally the soil between the vines or olive trees was cultivated a few times a year to remove weeds, leading to loss of soil organic matter, nutrients and biodiversity.
Grass cover crop in vines helps to stop soil erosion
The study tested a conservation approach, where cover crops were established between the vines and olive trees. Herbicides were used to temporarily suppress or manipulate the cover crop growth near the trees and vines during the growing season to prevent competition for water. The long term studies showed that the cover crop improved soil structure and maintained nutrients, leading to improvements in soil quality and biodiversity. It also improved water infiltration, leading to less run-off and enabled better accessibility of the land during rainy periods. “A vegetative cover is a robust alternative to conventional soil management in Mediterranean vineyards and olive groves,” concludes Peter Sutton. Peter Sutton is a Senior Technical Expert, based at Jealott’s Hill in the UK. Contact: peter.sutton@syngenta.com
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A rice grower in Kalahandi tends to his crop
During 2008/09, in the Kalahandi District of the State of Orissa (India), 530 out of 856 hectares of rice were grown following the system of rice intensification (SRI) under the supervision of the Syngenta Foundation and a non-governmental organisation in Kalahandi. The Syngenta Foundation has partnered with The Kalahandi Association for Rural Reconstruction and Total Awareness Benefit of Youth Action (KARRTABYA) to transfer technology to improve irrigated rice cultivation. SRI has lead to more productive soil and plants by supporting greater root growth and nurturing the abundance of soil micro-organisms. “Rice is not an aquatic plant. When grown under continuous flooding it wastes energy in developing tissue to enable roots to breathe under submerged conditions,” explains Partha DasGupta. In SRI, paddy fields are subjected to ‘alternate wetting and drying’. This means plants put energy into developing stronger root systems, efficiently absorbing water and nutrients from the soil. To promote the soil structure, weeds (especially those emerging after transplanting), are chopped and turned down into the soil by a mechanical weeder, serving as manure. “SRI fields have an increased organic carbon content compared to conventional rice fields. As they are not continually flooded, they produce less methane – good for environmental sustainability,” Partha continues. SRI has resulted in 20% productivity increase on average and improved gross incomes for rice farmers.
100 years of expertise The Soil Plant Interface Team (SPIT) is packed with experience, bringing more than 100 years of combined scientific expertise to herbicide research. Combining weed control, biokinetics, physical chemistry and soil science, SPIT’s aim is to understand the interaction between soil, plants and herbicides, and build networks with scientists working on soil applied crop protectants. The five highly motivated scientists work across the herbicide research project teams, coordinating their studies to provide high quality, interpreted data. “Our integrated approach improves our ability to make inputs to chemical design and field candidate selection,” explains Eric Clarke. For example, SPIT has developed an assay to look at the efficacy of chemicals under extremes of soil moisture, giving insights to the effect of delayed irrigation on bioavailability. Such studies add a robustness parameter for consideration alongside the more traditional crop tolerance, spectrum and potency criteria for field candidate selection. “We meet regularly to discuss current issues and to improve our ability to inform and influence projects,” says Eric. “The sharing of our individual skills and knowledge in this way can only add to the success of finding Syngenta products.” Eric Clarke is Senior Physical Chemistry Consultant and Physical Chemistry Project Leader, based at Jealott’s Hill, UK.
The SPIT team. From left to right: Dave Pearson,
Partha DasGupta is Principal Agronomy Advisor for the Syngenta Foundation, based in India.
Torquil Fraser, Claudio Screpanti, Eric Clarke,
Contact: partha.dasgupta@syngenta.com
Contact: eric.clarke@syngenta.com
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Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
Kate Sharples
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Carolyn Riches Carolyn is a Communications Officer at Jealott’s Hill in the UK. Her degree is in soil and plant science, with an emphasis on the agricultural environment. Carolyn joined Syngenta in R&D eight years ago as part of the Discovery Biology Group, before moving into Communications.
Soil searching How can Syngenta scientists design soil metabolism studies that are acceptable to regulatory authorities worldwide? “Locating four or more representative agricultural soils for environmental lab studies should be simple, but it’s not,” says Paul Moore. “Soil is a very complex and dynamic mixture of materials. The challenge is how to source the right soils for harmonized environmental fate studies to ensure acceptability to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).” In 2009 the EPA stipulated foreign soils used in lab studies should be taxonomically similar to USA soils found within the active ingredient’s intended major use areas. Globally, there are 12 USDA soil taxonomic ‘orders’ which are further subdivided and many major orders found in the USA differ from those found in Europe. In the Midwest, a large U.S. corn area, the predominant soil order is ‘Mollisols’ - uncommon in western Europe. Similarly, the ‘Ultisols’ typical of cotton areas in south east USA are very difficult to locate in Europe.
Building a soil database. From left to right: Natalia Peranginangin, JiSu Bang and Paul Moore
Paul and other team members are tackling the challenge by building a soil database, to include extensive crop-soil-hydroclimatic maps, combined with the understanding of the physicochemical and environmental fate properties of our active ingredients. “Soils should never be referred to as ‘dirt’,” says Paul. “Soils provide the active ingredients and physical foundation for plant growth and are key agricultural elements in bringing plant potential to life.” Paul Moore is a Technical Expert, based at Greensboro in the USA. Contact: paul.moore@syngenta.com
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Wiggly wonders
Beneath our feet Did you know that the soil beneath our feet is important in food security, climate change, and energy conservation? “The future success of agriculture hinges on balancing short-term use of our soil resource and preserving its long-term productivity,” explains Jeff Peters.
The ECOWORM project has confirmed that field management systems involving reduced ploughing regimes (e.g. minimum tillage) help to prevent erosion directly and promote increased worm densities in the soil. The study, sponsored by Syngenta and carried out by the Catholic University Leuven in Belgium, looked at the effect of different agricultural management systems on worm density in arable soil and the possible knock-on consequences for factors such as soil erosion and run-off. “Arable soil erosion is a huge problem, with over 200 million tonnes of soil lost from Europe’s arable farms every year,” explains Peter Sutton. When it comes to soil erosion, ECOWORM has shown that worm casts left on the soil surface are easily washed away in the farmer’s field contributing to soil erosion. Data also shows, however, that this negative effect is more than offset by the role of worms as soil engineers, generally improving water filtration and soil stability with their network of burrows. “Earthworm biomass and numbers are correlated with reductions in both sediment load and run-off according to rainfall simulations in the field,” says Peter. “Worms are definitely the farmer’s friend.”
Contact: peter.sutton@syngenta.com
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Syngenta is actively engaged in sponsoring an array of local outreach programs in the U.S. “These are aimed at improving soil quality to maximize the production of affordable, abundant and healthy food,” explains Jeff. For example, Syngenta has partnered with Delta F.A.R.M. to increase farmland conservation tillage acres in the Mississippi Delta. “We also recognize growers who are leaders in no-till farming and other sustainable techniques though the ‘No-Till Innovator Award’,” says Jeff. Syngenta also carries out research with key centers of excellence (e.g. University of Tennessee and University of Illinois) to better understand the role our technologies play in improving soil quality, from nitrogen to water management, as well as enhancing carbon sequestration potential. By helping growers improve their farm management strategies in relation to soil health, cropland will be better suited to mitigate the effects of icreased atmospheric carbon dioxide, erosion and runoff, water and nutrient availability, minimizing impacts on biodiversity; “At the same time all helping to supply the world’s growing food demand,” comments Jeff. Jeff Peters is a Sustainability Technology Manager, based at Greensboro in the USA. Additional information www.deltafarm.net/ www.directseed.org/ www.syngentacropprotection.com/news_ releases/news.aspx?id=120006 www.fieldtomarket.org/
Contact: jeff.peters@syngenta.com
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Editor’s comments Stuart John Dunbar reflects on the importance of soil to life and to Syngenta
Soil is essential to life. The soil scientist Wallace H. Fuller said “A cloak of loose, soft material, held to the earth’s hard surface by gravity, is all that lies between life and lifelessness1.” This year the 19th World Congress of Soil Science was held in Brisbane, Australia. This important congress is only held every four years and had a theme of ‘Soil solutions for a changing world’. That theme could also be applied to this edition of “Science Matters”! Keeping the soil healthy and viable for plant growth is core to what farmers and growers do. Syngenta is also concerned about soil. In the magazine you will have read articles on how Syngenta is working to minimize erosion and runoff (Jeremy Dyson) and how the reality of climate change is going to impact on the soil (Mike Bushell). This is an important issue as the soil is a major source of carbon capture, minimizing carbon release through conservation agriculture will be an important tool to mitigate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions from Agriculture. The science of the soil Understanding the science of the soil and the complex system that supports plant life is also a central theme of this edition of “Science Matters”. Tom Wiepke and Robin Oliver take a look soils and their diversity across the globe. In so doing, Robin also highlights how we use regulatory science to ensure our chemicals are safe in the soil environment. The challenges involved in growing crops vary across the world. Zvi Wener from Israel discusses the challenges in making the desert bloom in his country. Growing tomatoes and other crops is a real challenge involving the accurate supply of nutrients and water. Managing this might get easier in the future if the
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Manchester University Innovation Center on Sensors is successful. Derek Scuffell discusses how they are developing new sensors to be the farmer’s “eyes in the soil”. These new sensors will report back on water and nutrient use by each and every plant. Taking some of the guesswork out of growing and minimizing inputs into producing healthy plants. The best possible medium Syngenta also sells growing media and naturally we want to ensure that the grower gets the best possible medium for their plants to grow. Jamie Gibson and Claude Flückiger talk about how Fafard is working to do this, taking care of every detail, including ensuring the growing media ‘smell right’. Healthy plants also have to be protected from pests. Brigitte Slaats and Eric Chen discuss how soil pests are so difficult to identify that farmers often do not realize they have a problem before the crop is damaged. Even then, the diagnosis can be wrong, often farmers think the damage is due to above ground pests or a nutrient problem. Brigitte and Eric are working to provide chemical and trait solutions to help farmers control soil pests. We interviewed two farmers from the UK and India to get their perspective on what the soil means to them. Despite their vastly different situations it is clear from their interviews that their soil is their number one resource; even if the solutions to keeping it in top condition vary, they share a common goal.
Snippets has a soil theme too. Carolyn Riches has been out and about gathering soil stories from across the company. These include illustrating the impact of conservation agriculture and the role worms play in healthy soil. Finally I did two interviews with Fellows at different ends of their careers, Michael Schade who has recently been promoted to a Fellow and John Windass who retired after more than 30 years in the company. I hope you find their stories inspiring. References 1
Wallace H. Fuller, Soils of the Desert Southwest,
1975 Further resources For more details on what Syngenta is doing to preserve the land that is grown on visit www.growmorefromless.com and choose the ‘preserving the land’ link.
Stuart John Dunbar Senior Syngenta Fellow and Editor of Science Matters Jealott’s Hill
Stuart’s degree is in Zoology from Nottingham University and he did a PhD in insect neurobiology. After a couple of post-docs, Stuart joined the company 25 years ago as an insect electro-
“To be a successful farmer one must first know the nature of the soil.” Xenophon, Oeconomicus, 400 B.C
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010
physiologist. He is currently a group leader of Biochemistry which is part of Bioscience Section at Jealott’s Hill and is project leader of the University Innovation Center on Systems Biology at Imperial College London.
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Contact: stuart.dunbar@syngenta.com
Syngenta Fellows - supporting Syngenta Science Science Matters is a magazine supported by the Syngenta Fellows to recognize and communicate the excellent science throughout Syngenta. The Syngenta Fellows are a leading community of Syngenta scientists with a role to promote Syngenta’s excellence in science. The main contact for comment and future content is Stuart J. Dunbar who can be contacted at Syngenta Limited, Jealott’s Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG42 6EY, United Kingdom or by email at stuart.dunbar@syngenta.com. Editor: Stuart John Dunbar Editorial Team: Isabelle Baumann and Carolyn Riches The Editors would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions of John Emsley and the authors and other persons named in each article. The views expressed in this magazine are the views of the authors and may not necessarily always reflect the views or policies of Syngenta. Design & Production: Kre8tive Communications Limited. Print: Geerings Print Limited Unless otherwise indicated, trademarks indicated thus ® or TM are the property of a Syngenta Group Company. The Syngenta wordmark and ‘Bringing plant potential to life’ are trademarks of Syngenta International AG. © Syngenta International AG, 2010. All rights reserved. Editorial completion September 2010. Science Matters is printed using water reduction processes, including a completely chemical and water free printing plate making process. In addition, all water used in the actual printing process is re-circulated and new water is only added to replace that lost by evaporation. Science Matters is printed on 9lives80 which is produced with 80% recovered fibre comprising 10% packaging waste, 10% best white waste, 60% de-inked waste fibre and only 20% virgin totally chlorine free fiber sourced from sustainable forests.
Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements This document contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as “expect”, “would”, “will”, “potential”, “plans”, “prospects”, “estimated”, “aiming”, “on track”, and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements. We refer you to Syngenta’s publicly available filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks and uncertainties. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors. This document does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer, to purchase or subscribe for any ordinary shares in Syngenta AG, or Syngenta ADSs, nor shall it form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract therefore.
Science Matters Keeping abreast of Syngenta R&D Autumn 2010