As the global population rises and agricultural resources tighten, the pressure is on to grow more with less… and do it more responsibly. While innovation is essential, it can’t come at the cost of performance. That’s why more producers are looking to biopesticides: a new generation of crop protection tools that balance environmental stewardship with agronomic efficiency.
At Syensqo, we’re helping customers meet today’s growing food demands while supporting their transition toward smarter, more resilient farming practices.
Types of biopesticides
Biopesticides are pest management solutions derived from natural sources like microbes, plants, and biochemical compounds. Unlike broad-spectrum synthetics, they work with precision, offering targeted protection, often with less environmental burden.
They fall into three main categories:
Benefits for farmers and consumers
Biopesticides offer a differentiated value proposition, especially as food production needs grow and regulatory expectations evolve. For businesses operating in agriculture, they represent both a performance solution and a path to more resilient operations.
For farmers and producers:
Lower worker exposure thanks to favorable toxicity profiles
Support for organic certification and compliance with residue limits
Enhanced biodiversity and soil health, reinforcing long-term farm viability
For consumers and supply chains:
Reduced residue risk, aligning with growing demand for safer, cleaner food
More responsible growing practices, improving overall industry perception
Biopesticides also help future-proof agricultural production by supporting resistance management, offering new modes of action that reduce dependence on synthetic actives.
Integrating biopesticides into pest management
Biopesticides thrive as part of a system, not in isolation. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) offers a framework for deploying biopesticides alongside conventional treatments, monitoring tools, and cultural practices to optimize effectiveness and sustainability.
An effective IPM approach includes:
Timely monitoring and forecasting
Cultural practices like crop rotation and sanitation
Use of beneficial insects for natural pest control
When used strategically, biopesticides enhance IPM programs by improving resistance management and enabling more targeted, efficient applications.
At Syensqo, we support this holistic approach by helping manufacturers develop formulations that perform reliably, whether they’re applied alone or in combination with other tools.
Challenges in biopesticide innovation and application
Despite their promise, biopesticides face real-world hurdles, particularly when it comes to formulation and use at scale.
Some challenges include:
Shorter shelf life, especially for microbial products that are living organisms
Environmental sensitivity, with performance potentially reduced by heat, UV, or moisture
Precision targeting, which requires accurate pest identification and application timing
To overcome these challenges, Syensqo draws on over 40 years of formulation expertise. Our AgRHEA™ platform is specifically designed to improve the reliability and ease of use of biopesticides.
AgRHEA™ OD-EASY enhances stability by using oil dispersion to prevent premature germination in fungal spores, extending shelf life, and simplifying formulation
AgRHEA™ Sticguard improves rainfastness with a film-forming natural polymer that enhances both persistence and biological performance after application
AgRHEA® LifeXtend Plus is the latest addition to our platform. It’s a structured liquid carrier that significantly extends the shelf life of microbial-based formulations, offering improved stability and consistent field efficacy.
By improving shelf life, ease of use, and overall efficacy, Syensqo’s solutions help bridge the gap between sustainability goals and performance.
Our products were developed with the biologicals formulators' needs in mind and our team of experts is already working to help the industry overcome other technical challenges.
Driving adoption through formulation
At Syensqo, we understand that performance drives adoption. That’s why we’re focused on enabling biologicals to work as effectively and reliably as synthetics.
“Our goal is to showcase that formulation can lift some of the remaining barriers to widespread adoption by bringing consistent performance and ease of use" explains Anaïs.
As the agriculture industry transitions toward smarter, more responsible farming, formulation will be the link between innovation and impact.
At Syensqo, we’re proud to stand at that intersection- delivering the formulation expertise that helps biologicals work better, last longer, and scale faster.
