Agricultural chemicals producer BASF has expanded its portfolio of agricultural projects setting its sights on sales of more than €6 billion.
The firm said it had more than 30 products in the pipeline, which it plans to launch globally by 2028, to enable higher yields and quality as well as even more sustainable production.
Sustainability
It includes a range of chemical and biological crop protection products, seeds and traits, as well as digital solutions aimed at supporting sustainable agriculture.
This year alone, BASF expects to spend around €900 million on research and development for agricultural solutions.
Markus Heldt, president of BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division, said: “We provide farmers with a full toolbox of innovative technologies, solutions and know-how, helping them develop their businesses successfully while addressing the demands of the food value chain.
“We are actively steering our current and future portfolio towards more sustainable solutions.
Sustainability is firmly embedded in our entire research and development decision process – from early research to product development.
“This enables us to develop highly-effective, innovative compounds that benefit farmers, society and the planet.”
Understanding real-world challenges
Feeding the world’s growing population, while facing challenges such as unpredictable weather, diseases and pests, the scarcity of natural resources and available farmland, make the need for innovation essential.
These issues are affecting food security and the overall sustainability of food and agricultural systems globally.
Areas of research include improving the yield and quality of soybeans – one of the most important crops for global food and feed supply.
The firm is also working on innovations across the entire crop cycle for canola, wheat, rice, as well as fruit and vegetables.
Other key areas the firm is working on incude:
- Digital farming software;
- Weed management solutions;
- Resistance management.
One current example from xarvio’s digital innovation pipeline is xarvio Healthy Fields.
Currently, in the concept phase, this service package for efficient crop protection will not only provide field zone specific crop protection strategies and their implementation via the xarvio Field Manager, but also guarantees the success of the crop protection application.
“Innovation is a must in our industry,” Heldt added. “We combine our passion and expertise for innovative thinking with a deep understanding of the real-world challenges that farmers and the agricultural industry are facing.
As a new and even stronger team, we are now in an exceptional position to break new ground with leading products, tools and solutions that meet the needs of our customers.
“Based on these capabilities, we will grow sustainably and build on our commitment to the future of agriculture.”
