OXFORD, England — August 26, 2025 — Leads & Copy — Moa Technology has announced the discovery of chemistries for a new category of crop protection products. These products are designed to help farmers protect their harvests in a safer, more sustainable, and effective manner.
In the past three years, Moa has identified 80 new herbicidal modes of action using its technology platforms. Several of these are already showing effectiveness in controlling weeds in field trials across the US, Canada, France, Spain, the UK, Australia, and South America. Moa’s scientists have also discovered a new class of “amplifier” molecules. These molecules are non-herbicidal on their own but have the potential to reduce the amount of agricultural herbicides farmers currently use.
This discovery opens a new path for biologicals in agricultural weed control. Bioherbicides are a small sector in the biologicals space because it’s difficult to find natural products that can control weeds safely and affordably. Amplifiers offer the possibility of biological-synthetic hybrid solutions, protecting harvests with a reduced environmental impact.
Moa’s first collaboration partner will be the Gowan Company, an agricultural solutions business based in Yuma, AZ. Gowan will invest through upfront payments, milestone payments, and royalties to develop a new amplifier for a specific active ingredient. Both companies recognize the market opportunity for this new category, given the global need for sustainable farming.
A Moa amplifier is in pilot field trials in Australia to evaluate its potential in reducing herbicide use rates against annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum). According to Weedsmart, weeds cost Australian grain producers A$3.3 billion annually in yield losses and control expenses. Other amplifier pilot field trials with cereal grassweeds are taking place in the UK, where glyphosate resistance was discovered in Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum).
Moa CEO Dr. Virginia Corless stated the company is excited to discover a new category of weed control solutions. Laurent Cornette, Global Herbicide Asset Manager at Gowan, said the collaboration holds potential for scientific advancements in agriculture.
About Moa: Spun out of Oxford University in 2017, Moa has developed technology to discover synthetic and bio-herbicidal compounds based on modes of action. In the last three years, Moa’s platform has screened over 830,000 compounds and discovered over 80 modes of action areas. In July 2024, Moa signed a partnership with Nufarm to co-develop and commercialise one of these novel chemical series.
About Gowan: Gowan Group is a family-owned agriculture solutions business headquartered in Yuma, AZ. Gowan specializes in developing, marketing, and manufacturing agriculture inputs such as crop protection products, seeds, and fertilizers. Gowan began in 1962. Today, Gowan has over 45 entities in 19 countries and sales in over 70 countries.
Dr. Virginia Corless, CEO
Laurent Cornette, Global Herbicide Asset Manager at Gowan
Source: Moa Technology
