Syngenta Opens New $72 Million Advanced Crop Lab

By Jim.Robinson|May 24, 2013

Syngenta recently unveiled its new $72 million Advanced Crop Lab research facility at the company’s RTP Innovation Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

The 136,000-square-foot facility includes 30 climate-controlled growth environments in all-glass greenhouses, which allow Syngenta researchers to simulate any agricultural climate and precisely measure plant inputs. This flexibility allows them to focus on developing agricultural traits that optimize crop yields, use resources efficiently and resist various stresses that farmers face every day across the globe.

“Our new Advanced Crop Lab allows us to bring together components of all research where we can create environments for multiple crops from multiple regions simultaneously,” said Michiel van Lookeren Campagne, head of biotechnology for Syngenta. “Individual controls of temperature, light and carbon dioxide levels, as well as humidity control in many growth chambers, provide tailored environments that allow our researchers to work on specific grower challenges.”

Design elements of the new facility – which is Green Globes Certified – include insulated glass walls that provide a virtually-shadowless indoor environment, a liquid fertigation system to feed and water plants and an automated roof-washing system.

“Syngenta invests more than $1.25 billion annually to directly focus on solving challenges for farmers,” commented Vern Hawkins, Syngenta North America region director. “As we consider global food security, the research conducted in our new crop lab will be essential to meet that demand.”