Ag biological supplier PI AgSciences received EPA approval for its PHC68949 to treat parasitic nematodes, which is expected to launch in time for the 2026 season in the U.S., following state approval, Wes Hays, North America commercial lead for PI AgSciences, told AgTechNavigator.
Initially launched in Brazil and Mexico, PHC68949 is a biochemical designed to protect crops — including corn, cotton, soybeans, potatoes, tree fruits and nuts, and vines — from parasitic nematodes, the company shared. The biological does not actually kill a nematode, but instead, triggers the plant “to turn on all of its defense mechanisms and immune response” to protect against nematodes, Hays explained.
The product can be applied as a seed treatment or sprayed directly to leaves, giving farmers flexibility on how to use the crop input, Hays said. Unlike other biologicals, this product does not require a controlled or special storage facility and can be mixed with standard equipment and with herbicides and fungicides, the company shared.
“Most biological products are living. They are either a bacteria, a fungi, or some type of living organism that you have to keep alive to [apply it] and actually get a response from the plant. Whereas our products are these peptides, [which] are short chains of amino acids, so they are not alive,” he said.
He added, PHC68949 is “a little more consistent than traditional biological products — a lot closer to a synthetic chemistry. So, it is very interesting that you have the best of both worlds. You get the activity of a synthetic chemistry and something that is designed to do a specific task, but you get the all-natural, no-residue benefits of a biological product.”
Nematodes cost farmers billions a year
Nematodes are microscopic worms that can be beneficial or harmful to plants, depending on the type, with the harmful ones causing billions of dollars of crop damage, Hays explained. Nematodes can cause Sudden Death Syndrome, a disease that causes root rot and leaf scorch, which can impact yields, according to the Soybean Research and Information Network.
“You do not always get Sudden Death Syndrome when you have nematodes. But if you have Sudden Death Syndrome, you almost always have nematodes that are opening up the roots for that infection, and it is a devastating disease from a yield standpoint,” Hays said.
Farmers can perform soil tests to determine if they have nematodes, or they can inspect plant roots for signs of infection, Hays noted. A whitish yellow bump on the roots of a plant would indicate that a plant is infected with nematode eggs, he added.
While facing the prospect of rising input costs, U.S. farmers need innovative solutions in their fight against nematodes and other pests, ensuring their crops are protected and that they can continue to grow food, Hays noted.
“While times are tough for farmers, it is still a business where they have to generate revenue, and every bushel counts. And so, they are looking for new tools and technology to help them do that,” he elaborated.
The tech underlying PI AgSciences
In 2024, PI Industries acquired Plant Health Care and its subsidiaries to form PI AgSciences, with the goal of developing biologicals and next-gen crop protections. Through the acquisition, PI acquired Plant Health Care’s technology, called plant response elicitor technology (PREtec), which serves as the backbone for PHC68949 and other products, Hays said.
PI AgSciences launched three active ingredients in the U.S., and the company plans to release a fungal protection product and another to address abiotic stress, Hays added.
“We are focused on innovation and science and wanting to bring new technology to the world. And there are very few players that are making those kinds of investments,” he said.
