AgroPages-EuroChem and Aphea.Bio launch R&D collaboration-Agricultural news

EuroChem Group AG ("EuroChem" or the "Group"), a leading global fertilizer producer, and Belgium-based biotechnology company Aphea.Bio announce the signing of a research and development agreement.

The agreement will see the two companies collaborate on the development of next-generation fertilizer technologies designed to significantly boost the take-up of key nutrients by plants. The research will utilize data and samples from scientific field trials at 10 different locations all over Europe.

EuroChem, which with the recent launch of potash mining became one of just three companies in the world to produce fertilizers in all three primary nutrient categories, is developing enhanced efficiency and slow-release fertilizers that are optimized for different soil conditions. These help improve yields and enable farmers to grow more crops from the same amount of land, vital as the world’s population continues to grow. The increased nutrient uptake also minimizes losses to the environment.

“This agreement will further strengthen EuroChem’s commitment to investing in innovation,” said Dr Thomas Mannheim, head of Global Research & Development for Premium Products at the Group. “We are committed to helping farmers optimize resource use and enabling them to enhance their yields and economic benefit.”

“We are delighted to have signed EuroChem as our first commercial partner,” said Dr Isabel Vercauteren, Aphea.Bio’s Chief Executive Officer. “EuroChem has deep expertise in the mineral fertilizer sector and we look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration together.”

Commercial terms of the agreement between the two companies have not been disclosed.