A wheat field sprayed with a sugar-inspired molecule could yield up to 22% more grain under good conditions, according to field trials from a University of Oxford and Rothamsted Research spin-out. Most existing biostimulants—extracts from algae, plants, or organic waste—deliver only 2–5% yield gains. SugaROx’s single-molecule formulation mimics trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), a sugar that controls how plants use and allocate carbon. This matters because global wheat production must rise without expanding farmland, and current yield-boosting options are modest. If the product reaches commercial scale, farmers could see substantially higher harvests even under water stress—where trials showed 4–14% gains—and stronger yields in normal seasons. The grant funds scaling up synthesis of the active ingredient to pilot stage, expands field trials to include UK farmers for the first time, and brings in agri-food supply chain partners to speed adoption. Success would mean a new class of biostimulant that works through a plant’s own carbon-management system, offering a practical tool for food security without genetic modification or heavy chemical inputs.
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SugaROx is a spin-out from Oxford University and Rothamsted Research launched in Feb 2021 to develop biostimulants to improve the productivity, resilience, and sustainability of crop production. The venture develops single-molecule formulations based on Active Ingredients (AI) inspired by natural plant molecules. The AI in its first product, a biostimulant to boost wheat yields, is inspired by trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), a sugar critical for carbon use and allocation in plants. The bulk of biostimulants available today, extracts from plants and algae and acid-based formulations produced from organic wastes, deliver 2-5% yield gains for farmers. SugaROx's approach is game changing with field trials completed in the UK, US, CA and DE showing potential to boost wheat yields by up to 4-14% under water deficit stress and 5-22% under good growing conditions. This Large R&D Partnership enables SugaROx to employ additional staff and access complementary knowledge, skills, facilities, and equipment required to upscale synthesis of its T6P AI to pilot stage, enabling a more ambitious programme of field trials to be launched accelerating product development and commercialisation. It also enables, for the first time, UK farmer participation in field trials, and consultation with companies in the agri-food supply chain to promote biostimulant adoption. To find out more about opportunities to get involved in the project, contact SugaROx Business Development Director, Bianca Forte, at bianca.forte@sugarox.co.uk.
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