Syngenta Crop Protection launches M2i’s pheromone-based technology, EXPLOYO™ Vit, to support wine growers in France

Syngenta Crop Protection, a leader in biological innovation, and M2i, a leading technology provider of pheromone-based crop protection solutions, expand their collaboration and launch EXPLOYO™ Vit, a new pheromone-based solution to help wine growers in France effectively manage detrimental pests in vines that impact the quality and yield of grapes. The technology targets one of the most damaging pests for wine growers, the vine moth Lobesia botrana, which feeds on grapes and infects crops with botrytis, a potentially deadly fungus that causes vines to rot.

Authorized and certified for organic farming, EXPLOYO™ Vit is biosourced and natural. It can be sprayed directly onto the vines and provides wine growers greater flexibility to better manage their crop. Pheromones are natural signaling compounds that effectively control pests by interfering with their mating behaviors and preventing their reproduction. Since pheromones are non-toxic and species-specific, they help preserve the diversity and abundance of insects and pollinators.

Wine growers across France will be the first to benefit from the new and sustainable solution. Wine serves as one of France’s most valuable agricultural products, accounting for around 15 percent of agricultural revenue. France produces 16 percent of all wine produced worldwide, and more than 300,000 jobs in the country are linked to the production and sale of wine.

After the market launch in France, EXPLOYO™ Vit will be rolled out in several wine-producing countries in Europe including Spain, Portugal and Greece over the next 12 months, pending regulatory approval. The technology will be marketed in Latin America under the name brand LOBESIA Pro Spray^®.

Corey Huck, Head of Global Biologicals at Syngenta Crop Protection, said, “Our collaboration with M2i is a strong example of our commitment to be the partner of choice for leading technology providers in the biologicals space. We are committed to driving sustainable agriculture practices and are excited to provide wine growers across different markets with a product that helps enhance the quality of grapes and fights against key vine pests.”

“M2i has developed this innovation with the grower in mind – leveraging our expertise to provide a fundamentally more user friendly and flexible product,” Philippe Guerret, Co-Founder and CEO of M2i, said. “We are delighted to see our collaboration with Syngenta enter a new phase through the launch of EXPLOYO™ Vit. At the same time, we continue to jointly assess and explore new product opportunities where we believe we can deliver more value to growers.”