Crop protection companies ADAMA and BASF said Sunday they have signed a strategic agreement to jointly develop and commercialize new fungicides based on ADAMA’s proprietary active ingredient Gilboa, as European farmers face growing pressure from disease resistance and tighter regulation.
Under the deal, BASF will develop and market new formulations using ADAMA’s Gilboa molecule, also known as flumetylsuforim, alongside ADAMA’s own Gilboa-based products. The companies said the collaboration is designed to speed delivery of next-generation disease management tools, while each firm will independently determine its pricing, sales and go-to-market strategies.
The partnership combines ADAMA’s expertise in innovation, mixtures and formulation with BASF’s development capabilities and broad market access across Europe. Company officials said the goal is to give farmers faster access to new fungicides as older active ingredients are phased out under stricter European Union rules.
Gilboa offers a novel mode of action for cereal crops and was earlier this year classified by the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee as part of FRAC Group 32, which targets nucleic acid metabolism. ADAMA and BASF said the molecule provides a platform for broad-spectrum, long-lasting disease control, helping growers protect yields and crop quality.
“Farmers have been clear about their need for reliable, resilient protection against a broad range of diseases,” said Florian Wagner, ADAMA’s executive vice president for portfolio and innovation. "With Gilboa, cereal growers in Europe gain a powerful new tool to better protect their crops. We chose to collaborate with BASF because they share our commitment to innovation, quality, and sustainability. This alignment makes them the ideal partner to ensure we can rapidly deliver this important innovation to growers across Europe"
Marko Grozdanovic, senior vice president for global strategic marketing at BASF Agricultural Solutions, said the two companies have collaborated successfully for more than a decade. “Now, we are combining BASF’s broad portfolio of fungicides and market expertise alongside ADAMA’s innovative active ingredient and product expertise. This collaboration brings together the unique strengths of both companies, ensuring that farmers benefit from faster access to cutting-edge solutions,” he said.
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Florian Wagner, ADAMA’s executive vice president for portfolio and innovation; Marko Grozdanovic, senior vice president for global strategic marketing at BASF Agricultural Solutions;
(Photo: BASF)
Subject to regulatory approvals, the companies plan to launch Gilboa-based fungicide formulations for wheat in Great Britain in 2027, followed by wider European rollouts beginning in 2029.
ADAMA, headquartered in Israel, is a global crop protection company supplying herbicides, insecticides and fungicides to farmers in dozens of countries, with a direct presence in all of the world’s top 20 agricultural markets. BASF Agricultural Solutions, part of Germany-based BASF, reported sales of 9.8 billion euros ($10.6 billion) in 2024 and invests heavily in research and development aimed at sustainable farming systems.