Moa Technology has announced a strategic collaboration with Certis Belchim, marking its third major industry partnership in 18 months. The agreement underscores accelerating interest in Moa’s herbicide discovery platforms and its Moa Amplifier™ technology.
The partnership will focus on co-developing a novel Moa Amplifier molecule for a specific active ingredient, aiming to help farmers protect crops more safely, sustainably, and effectively.
Novel modes of action
First disclosed in August 2025, Moa Amplifiers represent a new class of molecules that are non-herbicidal on their own but can significantly reduce the amount or concentration of herbicides required. This innovation supports both productivity and environmental stewardship – critical goals as regulatory pressures and resistance challenges mount globally.
Leveraging its proprietary Moa Gamma™ platform, Moa has identified hundreds of potential Amplifier compounds, with several already showing strong performance in glasshouse trials. Two candidates have undergone promising proof-of-concept field trials in Australia and the UK.
Mark Waltham, CEO of Certis Belchim, said: “The current discovery and regulatory challenges faced by our industry are a real threat to the toolbox of herbicides available to farmers now and in the future. Moa Amplifier technology can help offset that risk and potentially expand the number of herbicides available globally.”
Dr Virginia Corless, CEO of Moa Technology, added: “This agreement is further evidence of the industry demand for our world-leading herbicide discovery platforms.”
Next steps for Amplifier development
Moa is now working with partners, including Certis Belchim and Gowan, to match leading Amplifier candidates with specific active ingredients in existing commercial herbicides. While details remain confidential, the company says this flexibility opens opportunities to target different crops, regions, and weed species.
“Because Amplifiers don’t all target the same pathway within a plant, we have a lot of flexibility in terms of what herbicidal ingredients they can be partnered with, and which weeds can be targeted,” explained Moa’s head of corporate affairs to AgTechNavigator.
As Amplifiers are not herbicidal themselves, regulatory pathways will need to be clarified. Moa expects these discussions to shape timelines for commercialisation in the coming years.
