BASF to build new manufacturing facility for biological crop protection products

The crop protection and chemicals business has announced it is to invest in a new fermentation plant for biological and biotechnology-based crop protection products at its Ludwigshafen site in Germany.

clock • 1 min read
Penicillium fungal cells in a fermentation broth.
Image:

Penicillium fungal cells in a fermentation broth.

Biological fungicides and biological seed treatments will be among the products set to be manufactured at the plant, where BASF is also planning to produce the main building block of a novel insecticide derived from a fungal strain.

Commissioning of the plant, which represents a high double-digit million euro investment, is planned for the second half of 2025. It will use microorganisms to convert renewable raw materials such as glucose into the desired products - a process known as fermentation.

See also: How soil biology can ward off pests - but should we buy it in?

"We see a growing demand for biological crop protection products," says Marko Grozdanovic, senior vice president, global strategic marketing at BASF Agricultural Solutions.

"In addition, fermentation is a very flexible technology that will allow us to bring more innovative biotechnology-derived products to the market in the future."

1989 Claas Dominator 88S Combine

1989 Claas Dominator 88S Combine

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

FLEMING AR10 3M AERATOR

FLEMING AR10 3M AERATOR

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

CASEIH AXIAL FLOW 6150 AXIAL FLOW COMBINE

CASEIH AXIAL FLOW 6150 AXIAL FLOW COMBINE

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

More on Arable

How to build crop resilience in challenging years

How to build crop resilience in challenging years

Building resilient production systems is the key to ensuring long-term success while farming in an ever-more erratic climate

clock 20 June 2025 • 6 min read
Cereals 25: What attracts wireworms to crops?

Cereals 25: What attracts wireworms to crops?

Wireworms lay dormant all winter but in spring cause damage to a range of crops, researchers are investigating how the differentiate between crops and if some are more palatable than others

clock 18 June 2025 • 1 min read
Cereals 25: How DSV are accelerating bread-making wheat breeding

Cereals 25: How DSV are accelerating bread-making wheat breeding

Plant breeding company DSV have been in works with NIAB to create a model to predict if a new wheat variety can bake good loaf of bread

clock 18 June 2025 • 2 min read