FMC Corporation and Micropep Technologies announced a strategic collaboration to develop biological solutions to control destructive herbicide-resistant weeds that reduce crop yields. The collaboration will accelerate the ongoing development of natural weed control products based on short protein molecules naturally produced by plant cells. Under an exclusive multi-year agreement, the partnership will focus on developing new solutions for controlling key herbicide-resistant weeds in corn and soybeans.

The companies will combine their respective R&D capabilities leveraging Micropep's technology to expedite and improve the success rate in identifying innovative biological herbicides. The global herbicide market was over $26 billion in 2021, composed primarily of synthetic herbicides. There are significant market opportunities for bioherbicides that provide effective weed control while also minimizing the impact on the environment.

This collaboration advances the development of Micropep's micropeptide pipeline, which has demonstrated efficacy on resistant weeds and pathogens threatening major crops throughout the world. To address agriculture's most pressing challenges, FMC is investing in the discovery and development of new modes of action and continues to build an extensive ecosystem of partners to accelerate the speed of crop protection innovation.