Moa Technology and Corteva have entered into a multi-year research and development collaboration to accelerate the discovery of next-generation herbicides with novel modes of action, as the agricultural sector intensifies efforts to address the global rise of herbicide-resistant weeds.
The partnership combines Moa Technology's proprietary herbicide discovery platforms with Corteva's crop protection research and development capabilities to identify innovative weed management solutions for growers facing declining efficacy of existing herbicide chemistries. The collaboration comes at a time when herbicide resistance is becoming one of the most significant challenges for global crop production. The widespread use of existing herbicide modes of action has contributed to the emergence of resistant weed populations, increasing demand for entirely new chemistries capable of delivering effective and sustainable weed control.
Founded as a spinout from the University of Oxford in 2017, Moa Technology has focused on discovering both synthetic and biological herbicides with novel modes of action. Over the past three years, the company's proprietary discovery platforms have screened more than 850,000 compounds, identifying more than 80 potential new modes of action. Its lead herbicide candidates are currently undergoing their fifth season of international field trials, demonstrating consistent activity against several major weed species. The partnership is expected to combine Moa's early-stage discovery expertise with Corteva's global research, development and commercialisation capabilities, helping accelerate the advancement of promising herbicide candidates from laboratory discovery to field application.
The agreement marks Moa Technology's fourth major commercial collaboration in the past two years, following partnerships with Certis Belchim, Gowan Company and Nufarm. Together, these collaborations reflect growing industry investment in expanding the pipeline of herbicides with new modes of action to address increasingly complex weed resistance challenges. As resistance to existing herbicides continues to spread across key agricultural markets, collaborations between technology innovators and global crop protection companies are expected to play a critical role in delivering the next generation of weed management solutions for farmers.
