Syngenta’s Research Center in Vero Beach, FL, is marking its golden anniversary this month. The facility has been an important hub of R&D for Syngenta since it opened its doors in 1963.
“We not only believe in bringing plant potential to life, we live it,” said Jorge Cisneros, Ph.D., research and development manager at the site. “For 50 years, the Vero Beach facility has supported this goal, making us a key agricultural research center for farmers in the U.S. and around the world.”
Syngenta invests over $1.2 billion each year in research worldwide. The Vero Beach facility has earned a reputation for combining the latest technologies with practical, hands-on field testing. Florida’s 12-month growing season allows scientists at the 240-acre agricultural research center to generate multiple seasons of field data per year. Researchers study a wide range of crops, including: sugar cane, corn, soybeans, cotton, small grains, citrus, vegetables, and turf/ornamentals.
“The Vero Beach Research Center is a key location within Syngenta where researchers can conduct studies in the lab, growth chambers, greenhouses and the field at the same time to fully characterize new products and determine how they will perform in commercial applications,” added Paul Kuhn, Ph.D., senior group leader for the disease control team at Vero Beach. “Also, we conduct the extensive research required by government regulatory agencies to ensure that new products will be effective for crop producers, as well as safe for humans, wildlife and the environment.”
Through the years, Syngenta scientists at Vero Beach have played major roles in the development of many key Syngenta brands and technologies. “Almost every herbicide that has been registered through Syngenta has come through our facility,” said Cheryl Dunne, group leader for the weed control team at Vero Beach.