New biopesticide offers promising solution to protect rice crops and improve food security
Food & Drink International
2025.04.14
As global rice production faces growing threats from bacterial leaf blight (BLB), a new biopesticide, Phytalix, developed by Ascribe Bioscience, could provide a safer and more sustainable solution for farmers. BLB, a disease causing significant crop losses, particularly in tropical regions, is currently managed with chemical pesticides, which pose environmental risks and are increasingly ineffective as pathogens develop resistance.
Ascribe Bioscience, a New York-based agricultural tech company, aims to address these challenges with its biopesticide. Phytalix is derived from natural molecules in the soil microbiome, which boosts rice plants’ immune systems and protects against major fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases.
The disease has caused yield losses as high as 74% in affected regions, particularly in India, where the disease has led to up to 80% crop losses. Phytalix has shown promising results in trials, reducing BLB severity by 83% and outperforming traditional chemical treatments by 20%. In regions severely impacted by BLB, rice yields increased by 30%, with an overall yield boost of 13% across various test areas.
As global rice production faces growing threats from bacterial leaf blight (BLB), a new biopesticide, Phytalix, developed by Ascribe Bioscience, could provide a safer and more sustainable solution for farmers. BLB, a disease causing significant crop losses, particularly in tropical regions, is currently managed with chemical pesticides, which pose environmental risks and are increasingly ineffective as pathogens develop resistance.
Ascribe Bioscience, a New York-based agricultural tech company, aims to address these challenges with its biopesticide. Phytalix is derived from natural molecules in the soil microbiome, which boosts rice plants’ immune systems and protects against major fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases.
The disease has caused yield losses as high as 74% in affected regions, particularly in India, where the disease has led to up to 80% crop losses. Phytalix has shown promising results in trials, reducing BLB severity by 83% and outperforming traditional chemical treatments by 20%. In regions severely impacted by BLB, rice yields increased by 30%, with an overall yield boost of 13% across various test areas.
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