CTNBio approves new sugarcane biotechnology from CTC.

The Sugarcane Technology Center (CTC) received approval from the National Technical Biosafety Commission (CTNBio) for the first event of VerdPRO2, a new generation of genetically modified sugarcane developed by the company. “This approval marks a new advancement in biotechnology within the Brazilian sugar-energy sector and expands the portfolio of solutions aimed at increasing productivity and sustainability in sugarcane fields,” says César Barros, CEO of CTC. The VerdPRO2 technology was developed to address two of the main agronomic challenges of the crop: the sugarcane borer and weed management. Present in practically all sugarcane fields in the country, the borer causes estimated losses of around R$ 8 billion per year, affecting productivity, cane weight, and sugar content. Weed control demands more than R$ 6 billion annually in herbicides and agricultural operations. The result of a broad cycle of research, technical validation, and regulatory analysis, the VerdPRO2 technology inaugurates a more integrated approach, combining genetic protection against pests and greater operational efficiency in the field. In practice, the solution expands pest control, simplifies the management of invasive plants such as Bermuda grass, Guinea grass, crabgrass, and signalgrass, reduces the risk of phytotoxicity, offers greater stability throughout the crop cycle, and will include more than 14 products. After the completion of legal procedures, the expected market launch is in the 2026/27 harvest. The introduction of the technology will be carried out in close proximity to customers, with the aim of demonstrating its benefits and value in the sugarcane field. This stage combines experimentation with close technical monitoring, capturing the management needs of customers and generating data under real cultivation conditions on the benefits of the technology. The arrival of VerdPRO2 reinforces CTC's pioneering role in the development of biotechnologies and the evolution in relation to the first generation launched by the company in 2017, in addition to boosting CTC's strategy of developing solutions capable of doubling sugarcane productivity by 2040, combining genetics, biotechnology, new planting and management methods.

This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.