ICI Plant Protection

ICI Plant Protection was the agrochemical division of the British industrial giant Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). Operating primarily out of the Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, the company was a global leader in the development of crop protection chemicals, including herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. It is historically significant for the discovery and commercialization of major products such as the herbicide paraquat and the strobilurin class of fungicides. In 1993, the division was spun off as part of Zeneca Group PLC, which later merged with Novartis's agribusiness to form Syngenta in 2000. Today, its legacy continues within Syngenta's global agricultural operations.