Speaker Spotlight #4: Data-Driven Discovery
Can AI help us find tomorrow's crop protection solutions faster?
As pest management challenges grow more complex and the toolbox of available active ingredients continues to shrink, the pressure to develop effective new solutions is increasing. But innovation isn't just about what we discover - it's also about how efficiently we get there.
At the 2026 Ontario Pest Management Conference, Dr Ravi Ramachandran with Syngenta Canada will explore how artificial intelligence (A), advanced data analytics and digital technologies are changing the way crop protection chemistry and biologicals are discovered and developed.
In his plenary presentation, Novel Digital Approaches to Accelerate the Discovery and Development of Crop Protection Innovations, Dr. Ramachandran will examine how integrating digital tools throughout the R&D process can help scientists identify opportunities, optimize experiments, make better-informed decisions and move promising innovations toward practical application.
These technologies aren't about replacing scientific expertise. They're about complementing it - using data-driven insights to make research more efficient and help translate promising discoveries into effective, sustainable crop protection solutions that address growers' needs.
As the industry looks for ways to fill gaps in the IPM toolbox, digital innovation could play an important role in how quickly and effectively new solutions are developed.
Meet Dr. Ravi Ramachandran
Dr. Ravi Ramachandran is Head of Research & Development for Crop Protection at Syngenta Canada, where he leads a team of scientists across Canada working to improve how crops are grown and protected.
During nearly 20 years with Syngenta, Dr. Ramachandran has held a range of technical and commercial leadership roles in Canada and the United States, drawing on his background in chemistry to develop innovative seed treatements and crop protection technologies.
Dr. Ramachandran holds a BSc in Physical Sciences and an MSc in Chemistry from Bangalore University in India, as well as a doctorate in Organometallic Chemistry from Western University in London ON.
The next breakthrough in crop protection may depend not only on what science discovers, but on how we use data to get there.
Join Dr. Ramachandran and our other plenary speakers at the 2026 Ontario Pest Management Conference on November 3 in Guelph ON, as we explore The Next IPM Toolbox: Finding Tomorrow's Solutions.
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