Farmers have the challenging task of growing food and fiber to feed the growing world population. Without pest control, farmers would lose 30-80% of their crops. Despite the use of synthetic pesticides, farmers are still losing $300 billion in crops annually to pests and diseases. Furthermore, agriculture releases 17 gigatons of CO2 equivalent, 31% of the total emissions annually. Ninety-nine percent of synthetic pesticides are derived from fossil fuels, so traditional pesticides alone are not the solution. To make matters worse, 50% of the topsoil is degraded. Farmers need effective solutions that nurture the topsoil with less carbon footprint to grow more food and fiber.
Pheronym’s products are replacing traditional synthetic chemical pesticides. We use a new kind of pheromone from microscopic roundworms called nematodes to address farmers’ needs. Our first product makes biocontrol organisms, beneficial nematodes, more effective at killing insect pests in the soil. Our second and third product controls plant parasitic nematodes with a seed treatment application. Besides being eco-friendly and having less impact on nature, our bio-manufacturing methods with plant-based feedstocks reduce carbon emissions for climate-smart crop protection. We use bio-manufacturing with plant-based feedstocks to make our pheromones. Furthermore, our pheromones are effective at extremely low concentrations. Our application rates are measured in micrograms per hectare. Additionally, our product nurtures the topsoil by improving soil biodiversity.