SOLASTA Bio Submits First US Biopesticide Registration
01 November 2026, Atlanta, US: SOLASTA Bio, a Scotland-based developer of peptide-based crop protection products, announced on October 28, 2026, that it has submitted its first product for registration in the United States, with regulatory packages for its lead active ingredient and the related end-use product now under concurrent review by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR).
The submission covers a nature-identical peptide that the company describes as its lead active ingredient, paired with a first end-use product aimed at aphids and whiteflies. The initial registration will focus on aphid control in leafy greens and other vegetable crops. The EPA has classified the lead peptide as biochemical rather than a conventional synthetic chemical, a distinction the company says opens a faster and less costly review pathway than the one used for conventional insecticides. SOLASTA Bio is also seeking recognition from the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) for the technology as an entirely new mode of action, which, if granted, would give growers and resistance managers a fresh tool to rotate against aphids and whiteflies that have developed resistance to existing chemistries.
The filing follows a second field demonstration the company ran in Georgia in early October 2026 for investors and commercial partners. The trial tested the aphid-targeted product against aphids and whiteflies, and separately screened other peptides in the company’s pipeline against Lepidoptera pests on different crops. According to the company, the demonstration coincided with a local whitefly outbreak that growers and extension contacts described as the heaviest seen in more than ten years, giving the trial an unusually tough real-world test. SOLASTA Bio said treated plots showed visibly less leaf-feeding damage and better plant vigor and appearance than untreated plots, though it released no yield or efficacy percentages alongside those observations, and independent trial data has not yet been published. Readers should treat the performance and safety claims in this item as the company’s own characterization of its results, since neither EPA nor CDPR has completed review of the submission.
SOLASTA Bio says its peptide platform is built around what it calls Insect Control Agents, a nature-inspired alternative to pesticides drawn from conventional synthetic chemistry libraries. The company states the peptide has shown a favorable ecotoxicology profile in its own testing, including no bioaccumulation and no observed harm to beneficial insects or treated plants, though these claims likewise await independent regulatory confirmation. SOLASTA Bio was founded in 2020 and is led by Shireen Davies as chief executive and co-founder. The company holds a growing portfolio of patents across the United States, Europe and other markets. It raised an oversubscribed 14 million dollar Series A round in 2024, a figure confirmed in separate, earlier reporting on the raise, with investors including Forbion BioEconomy Fund, Corteva Catalyst and FMC Ventures, two of which are the venture or innovation arms of major crop protection companies.
Also Read: New Case IH Puma 185 Tractor to Make Irish Debut at FTMTA 2026
Global Agriculture is an independent international media platform covering agri-business, policy, technology, and sustainability. For editorial collaborations, thought leadership, and strategic communications, write to pr@global-agriculture.com
