Hello, readers!

We have a particularly innovative edition this week.

We look at a peptide-based biofungicide discovered with the help of AI and now entering regulatory review; Synthia Bio’s tailored microbial inoculants, matched to each farm’s soil type; an antagonistic yeast showing promise in organic peach and plum orchards in Spain; and Macan, a new microbiological fungicide based on Bacillus velezensis that forms a protective biofilm on the leaf.

Koppert Brasil unveiled Macan, a new microbiological fungicide based on Bacillus velezensis CECT8237, at the 22nd Insectshow, a technical event focused on pest and disease management in sugarcane.

According to Koppert, Macan is the result of more than 15 years of research. The product is registered in Brazil as a concentrated suspension containing a minimum of 5 × 10⁹ CFU/mL of CECT8237.

Its official label includes diseases affecting soybean, corn and sugarcane. Among them are Asian soybean rust, target spot, Cercospora leaf blight, common and tropical corn rusts, red rot and orange rust in sugarcane.

The formulation is designed to help CECT8237 adhere to the leaf and spread across its surface. According to information provided by Koppert Brasil to AgroPages, the strain then forms a protective biofilm, produces metabolites including surfactin, iturin and fengycin, and activates the plant’s own defense mechanisms.

Koppert reports efficacy levels above 70% against rusts and diseases caused by Cercospora. The company also says the product can remain active on leaves for up to 14 days, including under rainy conditions, and has a shelf life of 24 months when stored at room temperature.

With Macan, Koppert adds a new registered microbiological fungicide to Brazil’s expanding biological crop-protection market.

Micropep has submitted regulatory dossiers for Promisin, its peptide-based biofungicide, in the United States and the European Union, following earlier submissions in Brazil and Paraguay. This brings Promisin one step closer to the market in all four regions.

Promisin is the first product developed through Krisalix, Micropep’s AI-based discovery platform. The platform combines computational biology, artificial intelligence and formulation science to identify micropeptide sequences for crop protection.

Unlike many conventional fungicides that act on a specific metabolic target, Promisin’s antimicrobial peptides are designed to disrupt fungal cell membranes. Micropep says this mode of action could make it more difficult for fungal pathogens to develop resistance. The company is positioning the product as a complement to existing fungicides rather than a direct replacement.

According to Micropep, Promisin has been evaluated in more than 200 field trials as part of a global program spanning more than three years across Europe, North America and South America. The company reports efficacy when the product is used independently and when it is incorporated into existing crop-protection programs. Those claims will now be examined as part of the regulatory review.

Soybean diseases including Asian soybean rust, target spot and Cercospora leaf blight are the initial focus in Brazil and Paraguay. In the United States, Micropep plans to target row crops, grapevines and potatoes; in Europe, the focus will be on grapevines and potatoes.

As the regulatory evaluations move forward, Micropep says it will work on manufacturing capacity, supply chains and distribution partnerships ahead of possible commercial launches.

Many commercial microbial inoculants are sold as standard formulations across farms with different soil conditions. Synthia Bio, a startup based in Brisbane, Australia, is betting on the opposite approach: a custom liquid inoculant matched to each individual farm.

The process begins when a grower sends soil and seed samples to the company’s laboratory in Brisbane. Synthia Bio then tests between five and ten strains from its library of approximately 500 microorganisms, using the farm’s own soil and seed across 60 to 90 pot replications. The selected strain is delivered as a custom liquid inoculant for use as a seed treatment, liquid injection or through fertigation. According to the company, the process generally takes two to three months.

The company was founded by Dr. Antony Martin, with a background in biochemistry and agricultural biotechnology, and Prof. Peer Schenk, known for his research on plant-microbe interactions and rhizosphere biology.

Synthia Bio reports that its custom seed inoculant produced a 7% yield increase in a replicated barley trial at Boolah Farms in 2024, where it was compared with six other biological products. At Reardon Farms that year, a 14-hectare chickpea plot treated with the inoculant produced an 8% increase compared with a 14-hectare control. Synthia Bio also reports a 7.5% barley increase at Boolah Farms in 2025.

The company currently offers its bespoke inoculants commercially, with pricing starting at approximately A$10 per hectare at commercial volumes.

Rather than offering the same microbial product for every farm, Synthia Bio is building its commercial model around selecting a strain for the grower’s own soil, seed and crop.

Organic peach and plum growers have fewer fungicide options, but fruit still needs protection from fungal pathogens before harvest.

Researchers tested two antagonistic yeasts, Metschnikowia pulcherrima L672 and Hanseniaspora uvarum L793, in organic orchards over two consecutive seasons. The yeasts were applied as foliar treatments and compared with untreated trees and a standard organic-management program.

The difference between the strains came down partly to persistence. M. pulcherrima L672 colonized the fruit more consistently and significantly reduced the abundance and colony size of filamentous fungi, including Alternaria, Cladosporium and Penicillium. The second yeast produced a more temporary effect.

For growers, the most relevant result appeared at harvest: treatment with L672 significantly reduced the number of discarded plums without compromising overall yield.

Based on these results, the researchers describe M. pulcherrima L672 as a promising biocontrol agent for managing fungal diseases in organic stone fruit production.