18 September 2026, Philadelphia: AgroSpheres and FMC Corporation have advanced two RNA-based biomolecule candidates into global field trial development, moving the technologies from laboratory and greenhouse evaluation into testing across commercial growing environments in the United States, Brazil and Asia.
The candidates were developed under a multi-year collaboration between the two companies, first announced in 2024, and are being evaluated for their potential against major lepidopteran pests, including fall armyworm and diamondback moth.
According to the companies, these and other major moth and caterpillar species collectively account for nearly $14 billion in annual global crop losses and pest-control costs.
“Moving these candidates into the field is an important moment for this partnership,” said Payam Pourtaheri, Co-Founder and CEO of AgroSpheres. He said field testing would evaluate the technologies under different climates and crop systems following laboratory validation against industry-standard insecticides.
The transition to global field trials follows testing conducted in laboratories, greenhouses and small-scale field plots. AgroSpheres said the candidates were benchmarked against industry-standard chemistries during this development process and met or exceeded the performance benchmark before progressing to the next stage.
“Innovation in crop protection is about finding new ways to help growers manage pests safely, effectively and sustainably,” said Dr. Seva Rostovtsev, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at FMC Corporation. He added that field trials would assess the candidates across different crops, climates and pest pressures.
RNA-Based Approach to Pest Control
The candidates are based on AgroSpheres’ biomodality platform, which is designed to develop biomolecules that target specific biological pathways in pests.
The company says its approach is intended to provide greater biological specificity than conventional insecticide modes of action, with potential implications for pest resistance management and effects on non-target organisms.
The biomolecules are produced through fermentation and delivered using AgroSpheres’ AgriCell platform. The company says the encapsulation technology is designed to protect biological actives from environmental factors such as ultraviolet radiation, heat and moisture that can affect their performance under field conditions.
AgriCell is also designed to provide controlled release of the active biomolecule following application. AgroSpheres says this combination of protection and controlled delivery is intended to improve the stability and field performance of biological crop-protection products.
The company is also evaluating how its biological actives could be used alongside established crop-protection chemistries. Such combinations could support resistance-management programmes by integrating new biological modes of action with existing insecticides.
The upcoming field trials in the U.S., Brazil and Asia will provide further data on the performance of the two candidates under diverse agricultural conditions and pest pressures as the companies continue their development programme.
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