MONHEIM, GERMANY – Extending its global reach even further, Bayer has announced a new exclusive distribution agreement that will be used in various crops worldwide. The company stated that it has entered into this agreement with SICIT 2000 S.p.A.

"Biostimulants enhance our Crop Protection portfolio. They are a complementary tool in integrated crop management programs and help farmers worldwide increase yields and marketable quality in a sustainable manner," said Hartmut van Lengerich, Head of Cereals, Oilseed Rape, Rice, and Fungicides at Crop Science, a division of Bayer. "Crops suffer from a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses. Solutions like Bayfolan™ Cobre and Bayfolan™ Aktivator stimulate plant growth and improve the plant’s natural resistance to environmental stress."

SICIT, based in Arzignano, Italy, is one of the world’s largest producers of biostimulants based on amino acids and peptides for agriculture, according to a press release. Through this agreement, Bayer will commercialize Bayfolan Cobre and Bayfolan Aktivator for foliar uses in crops throughout the globe.

"We are proud to sell our proven high-quality amino acids and peptides to Bayer, a leading provider of innovative solutions for sustainable agriculture," said Oreste Odelli, Managing Director at SICIT. "We were the first company to introduce biostimulants based on amino acids and peptides in the 1960s and are today the worldwide biggest manufacturer, present in more than 50 countries."

Biostimulants based on amino acids and peptides can be used efficiently in a variety of applications in both agriculture and horticulture. Bayer stated that key crops are fruits and vegetables like grapes and tomatoes, in addition to coffee and rice. Used at low application rates in spray and fertigation systems, biostimulants are able to improve crop performances by stimulating root, shoot, and fruit growth and flower fertility. Bayer said that biostimulants also enhance plant tolerance to stress and crop quality traits.

Bayer stated that the long-term experience and flexibility of SICIT’s manufacturing process allows for a wide range of standard and special products meeting customers’ needs to be obtained.

In general, Bayer illuminated, products that contain highly-concentrated amino acids boast a longer shelf-life, reduce water usage, and are also authorized for use in organic farming throughout Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Bayer noted that because of their natural origin, they are exempt from MRLs in many countries.

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Bayer SICIT 2000