Plant Impact Plc (LON:PIM), the company behind the development of ecologically friendly crop nutrition and protection products, has kicked off field trials with Syngenta Brazil (NYSE:SYT). The trials will focus on the use of Plant Impact's CaT and PiNT technologies with soybean, corn, cotton and coffee. Shares in the group responded to the news with a 9.7% rise to 17p.

The field trials will be a significant programme, including resource commitments from Syngenta, a large number of farmers and support from Plant Impact, and these will initially focus on 4,000 hectares of soybean using Brazil's key soy producers. If the trials are successful, Plant Impact is predicting that, through Syngenta, the initial target market for its products would include Brazilian farmers with an aggregate total area of 3m hectares of soybean, 1m hectares of corn, 300 thousand hectares of cotton and 300 thousand hectares of coffee per year.

Brazilian farmers together grew approximately 21m hectares of soybean, 14m hectares of corn, 2m hectares of coffee bean and 1m hectares of cotton in 2008. Therefore, Plant Impact considers the Brazilian agricultural market to represent a major opportunity. It is now engaged with EMBRAPA, to provide official support for Plant Impact/Syngenta work in Brazil. EMBRAPA has shown interest in Plant Impact's technologies as a potential way of finding ecologically effective inputs for Brazilian agriculture. EMBRAPA will conduct official independent trials into important Brazilian crops and provide further support for the registration of Plant Impact's technologies.

With the company expanding into the broad acre and arable crop markets, the board believes that working with influential partners is key. During 2010, its field trial programme includes oil seed rape (canola), potatoes, soybeans, corn, cotton and wheat. Click here to read a Stockopedia interview with Plant Impact’s chief executive, Peter Blezard.

Commenting today, Mr Blezard, said: “This is an excellent development for the company. Brazil is a very important agricultural country and for Plant Impact to have key partners in such a significant agricultural market is tremendous news. Plant Impact started developing commercial relationships with the Brazilian market last year and the field trials with Syngenta is evidence of the progress made to date.”

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