Moa Technology, a spin-out company from Oxford University, has announced promising results from multi-country field trials of innovative new herbicide classes. These herbicides boast novel modes of action, offering a much-needed solution to the increasing threat of weed resistance that endangers global food security.
Over 270 weed species have developed resistance to existing herbicides, and no new broad-spectrum herbicides have been introduced to the market in the last four decades. This leaves farmers worldwide increasingly vulnerable to crop losses. Moa’s research, presented at the American Chemical Society conference in Denver, Colorado, showcased the efficacy of these new herbicide classes across multiple field trials and climatic zones.
Trials conducted in both pre- and post-emergence phases of wheat, maize, and soya crops demonstrated significant selectivity between weeds and crops, allowing for further optimization. Moa’s compounds effectively controlled problematic weeds such as pigweed, Kochia, and foxtail, achieving control rates exceeding 85% with application rates ranging from 1000 g/ha to as low as 250 g/ha. Notably, two of the herbicide candidates exhibited superior broadleaf and grass weed control compared to existing commercial herbicides, even at lower application rates. A third chemical class, in an earlier stage of development, showed promising broadleaf weed control in field trials.
Following these positive results, Moa is actively optimizing the chemistry and formulation of these herbicides to develop affordable, effective, and sustainable low-use rate products for farmers. Further trials are scheduled for the Southern Hemisphere later this year, alongside the initial field testing of other compounds from Moa’s extensive research pipeline.
Moa’s extensive field trial program involved 45 trials, using industry-standard randomized complete block experiments. These trials encompassed multiple chemical classes, previously validated in laboratory and greenhouse settings. Independent contract research organizations in California, Tennessee, Spain, France, and the UK conducted the trials, representing three major climate zones in agricultural production.
Dr. Shuji Hachisu, Moa’s Chief Technology Officer, expressed his enthusiasm for the field trial results, stating, “We are extremely pleased with these field trial results, which are an outstanding validation of our unique approach to herbicide discovery. Our compounds have demonstrated efficacy far beyond what would normally be expected from candidates whose chemistry and formulation have not yet been fully optimized. It is great news for farmers, who are crying out for a new generation of novel, effective, safe, cost-effective, and sustainable products to combat resistant and problematic weeds.”
Founded in 2017 as a spin-out from Oxford University, Moa has developed proprietary technology to discover a new generation of synthetic and bio-herbicidal compounds based on novel modes of action. This approach aims to provide farmers with safe, cost-effective, and technologically advanced solutions to combat weeds. In the past three years, Moa’s platform has screened over 750,000 compounds and identified over 70 promising novel modes of action. In July 2024, Moa established a significant partnership with Nufarm to co-develop and commercialize one of these new chemical series.
These advancements in herbicide technology offer a ray of hope for farmers facing the persistent challenge of weed resistance, paving the way for more sustainable and secure food production worldwide.
