SUMI AGRO France enters exclusive distribution agreement with FYTEKO for NURSPRAY^® biostimulant

Agricultural biotech company FYTEKO has announced an exclusive distribution agreement with Sumi Agro France SAS to sell its novel NURSPRAY^® crop biostimulant product in France.

Containing hydroxycinnamic acids, a group of biomolecules found within the cell walls of plants, NURSPRAY^® promises farmers and growers greater resilience against stress caused by external environmental factors. Such abiotic stresses – drought or extremes of temperature – will become more common as climate change intensifies, posing a significant threat to agricultural productivity worldwide.

Hydroxycinnamic acid’s role as a crucial ‘signal’ molecule was first identified by the company’s two co-founders, who established Fyteko in 2014 to further develop and commercialise the discovery. Application of NURSPRAY^® to common agricultural crops ‘trains’ the plant’s natural defence mechanism to prepare for stress events, but even in the absence of major stress the biostimulant can increase yield protecting of daily stresses. Application of the product in vineyard and orchards showed additional benefits for the growers such as better mobilisation of available water and better recovery after stress episode.

A European subsidiary of the Japanese group SUMITOMO CORPORATION, Sumi Agro France is one of the country’s largest developers and distributors of plant protection products and BioSolutions. It is recognised as a pioneer in the introduction of biocontrol to the French agricultural market; biostimulants are the latest part of that strategy.

Left: Guillaume Wegria, CEO of Fyteko
Right: Thierry Castel, President Sumi Agro France SAS

Thierry Castel, President of Sumi Agro France, said: “NURSPRAY^® is a valuable addition to our biostimulant portfolio available to French farmers. The threat posed by climate change is already becoming more and more visible, especially in the south of France. The agreement with Fyteko to distribute NURSPRAY^® represents another important step towards making agriculture more sustainable and helping our farmers find ways to adapt to climate change, efficiently and productively.”

Guillaume Wegria, CEO of Fyteko, said: “Fyteko has based its biomolecule research and technology on emulating solutions that already exist in nature, in order to produce a new generation of crop biostimulants that can increase and optimize crop yields.”

“It is very satisfying to conclude this agreement with Sumi Agro France, a company aligned with Fyteko’s mission and committed to respecting the environment. We look forward to the opportunities that may exist with affiliated SUMITOMO CORPORATION companies for our further products in development.”

About Fyteko

Fyteko believes in a more sustainable agriculture. Inspired with original research, they’re making it happen.

Founded in 2014, the Brussels-based agtech company is focusing on the creation of a bio-based input economy for agriculture. Its advanced crop biostimulants emulate solutions that already exist in nature. The company believes this offers the best approach to the common problems and threats facing global crop production, as well as consciously aligning itself with the growing consensus that agricultural is in transition to a lower-input, sustainable model that delivers productivity without compromising environmental performance.

As its development pipeline speeds up, Fyteko aims to build a standout portfolio, entirely biological, of relevance to the world’s major crop-producing regions: Europe, the USA, LatAm and Ukraine.

About Sumi Agro France

Sumi Agro France is convinced that biosolutions, integrated in complete programs can support agriculture to face its challenges.

Sumi Agro France is a Sumitomo Corporation subsidiary specialised in the development and distribution of differentiated solutions for agriculture: biocontrol, biostimulants, plant protection products and fertilizers. Pioneer in the development of biocontrol solutions, Sumi Agro France was the first company to register a pheromone dispenser to control codling moth on apple orchards through mating disruption. Sumi Agro France is also a major actor in the biostimulant market, with 17 solutions registered, offering differentiated solutions for all crops and targeting different problematics.