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North America, R&D

The team found that the hydrogel soil was able to retain water better than sandy soils found in dry areas

In a recent study done by the University of Texas at Austin, a new type of soil can pull water from the air and distribute it to plants, potentially expanding the map of farmable land around the globe to previously inhospitable places and reducing water use in agriculture at a time of growing droughts.

As published in ACS Materials Letters, the team’s atmospheric water irrigation system uses super-moisture-absorbent gels to capture water from the air. When the soil is heated to a certain temperature, the gels release the water, making it available to plants.

Each gram of soil can extract approximately 3-4 grams of water. Depending on the crops, approximately 0.1 to 1 kilogram of the soil can provide enough water to irrigate about a square meter of farmland.

The team ran experiments on the roof of the Cockrell School’s Engineering Teaching Center building at UT Austin to test the soil. They found that the hydrogel soil was able to retain water better than sandy soils found in dry areas, and it needed far less water to grow plants.

During a four-week experiment, the team found that its soil retained approximately 40% of the water quantity it started with. In contrast, the sandy soil had only 20% of its water left after just one week.

In another experiment, the team planted radishes in both types of soil. The radishes in the hydrogel soil all survived a 14-day period without any irrigation beyond an initial round to make sure the plants took hold. Radishes in the sandy soil were irrigated several times during the first four days of the experiment. None of the radishes in the sandy soil survived more than two days after the initial irrigation period.

The researchers envision several other applications of the technology. It could potentially be used for cooling solar panels and data centers. It could expand access to drinking water, either through individual systems for households or larger systems for big groups such as workers or soldiers.

The team found that the hydrogel soil

Agrotech

The annual survey identifies companies with the best reputations as employers, based on 21 characteristics, informed by more than 7,650 completed surveys from readers 

 

 Syngenta Group has been recognized as one of the world’s top five leading biotech employers – and the top agriculture employer – in the 2020 Science Careers Top Employers Survey. The company ranked fourth on the annual ranking of top employers in biotechnology, biopharmaceutical, pharmaceutical and related industries, marking its highest ranking ever and the 11th time in 12 years of recognition by the prestigious global survey.

The annual survey identifies companies with the best reputations as employers, based on 21 characteristics, informed by more than 7,650 completed surveys from readers of Science and other survey invitees from representative industries. An independent research firm conducts the survey and uses a mathematical process to determine the driving characteristics of a top employer and to assign a unique score to rate each company’s employer reputation. Survey participants specifically cited being an innovation leader and socially responsible among Syngenta Group’s strengths.

 

The recognition by Science magazine offers yet another proof point of Syngenta Group’s commitment to be the industry leader in technology and innovation. The Group’s mission is to deploy scientific innovations, technologies, and services to help farmers sustainably provide the world with better food, feed, fiber and fuel, while conserving resources and protecting the environment. The company continues to invest in R&D to further support growers, strengthened by a recently announced R&D innovation center in Illinois, USA, and acquisitions of Sensako and a leading Biologicals company, Valagro.

 

“Our global Seeds business is focused on delivering exceptional value to growers today and the next big innovation advancements that will shape agriculture in the future. This will involve bringing together existing and new biotechnology and native traits, combined with digital and data science, enabling us to better understand genetic diversity and redesign crops to maximize yield and product utility,” said Jeff Rowe, President Syngenta Seeds. “By combining science disciplines, we’re able to bring more genetic and trait choice to growers around the world. Our great scientists are providing farmers with the best products and technology to help them thrive in challenging environments.”

 

 

The annual survey identifies companies with the

Agro chems – Pesticides, Finance, Seeds

Business was down in North America in particular, while sales increased in the Asia/Pacific region. 

 

 In the agricultural business (Crop Science), sales declined by 11.6 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.) to 3.028 billion euros. Business was down in North America in particular, while sales increased in the Asia/Pacific region. Global sales at Corn Seed & Traits fell by 39.9 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.), with substantial declines in North America in particular due to higher product returns and lower license revenues arising from lower than anticipated planted acreages for corn this year. At Herbicides, sales declined by 12.7 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.) against the strong prior-year quarter. Business was primarily down in the North America region, where sales in the prior year had shifted into the third quarter due to extreme weather conditions in the first half of the year.

 

Sales at Soybean Seed & Traits were level with the prior-year period (Fx & portfolio adj. plus 0.2 percent), with growth in Latin America offsetting lower volumes in North America. Sales at Fungicides advanced by 12.0 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.), with growth across all regions. In Latin America, Bayer primarily benefited from the market switching to the Fox Xpro™ product in Brazil.

 

EBITDA before special items at Crop Science decreased to minus 34 million euros (Q3 2019: plus 500 million euros). The decline was mainly due to the decrease in sales in North America, which was primarily attributable to the developments relating to product returns. There was also a negative currency effect of 123 million euros.

 

In October there was some encouraging news from the United States, with the country’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcing a new five-year registration for the dicamba-based XtendiMax™ herbicide with VaporGrip™ Technology, an important weed-control tool for many U.S. growers. The news puts an end to the uncertainty following a U.S. court decision in June that prohibited the use of dicamba.

Summarizing the company’s business performance, Chief Financial Officer Wolfgang Nickl said: “We saw a challenging quarter in our agricultural business, a recovery in our pharmaceuticals business and strong growth at Consumer Health.” Employee safety during the pandemic remains a top priority for Bayer. The company has implemented a wide range of protective measures to ensure that it can continue to provide patients, farmers and consumers with a reliable supply of products, especially life-saving medicines.

Business was down in North America in

Oilseeds, R&D

Farmers to soon have access to online marketplace via app and portal

A collaboration between Pure Scan AI and ICRISAT to create a portable aflatoxin detector has won the Inspire Challenge by the CGIAR Big Data Platform at the recent Big Data Convention, earning a $100,000 grant to build and scale up the device. Utilizing the blacklight fluorescence feature of aflatoxin, this device captures the fluorescence by cameras with filters.

Images are processed and the fluorescence degree and pattern are fed into a learning model that predicts the quantity of aflatoxin present in the sample to an accuracy of 1 part per billion error margin.

Aflatoxin – a carcinogenic mycotoxin found in groundnut (and other produce e.g. maize, chillies, rice, tree nuts etc.) produced by a fungus Aspergillus flavus – can cause liver damage, malnutrition, immune suppression and cancer. Aflatoxin contamination is also responsible for millions of dollars in trade loss for farmers, processors and exporters. At present, there is a dearth of affordable and accessible tests to detect aflatoxin in agricultural produce. 

While more work needs to be done to bring this innovation to the farmer, including the creation of an android app and a web platform, the innovators are hopeful that the device will soon enable farmers to access online marketplaces for a fair price on their high-quality produce free of aflatoxin. 

 

Farmers to soon have access to online

Agro Universities, R&D, Webinar

The webinar discussed the role of tubers in mitigating climate change consequences

The ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, recently organized an online International Webinar on ’Harnessing the Potential of Tropical Tuber Crops under Changing Climate (HPTTC) – 2020’ on November 2020. Attended by a total of 958 participants and 300 delegates, the webinar was aimed at having an insight into the Tropical Tuber Crops’ role as food security crops under the variable climates.

Emphasizing on the Tropical Tuber Crops’ role in mitigating the climate change consequences. the Chief Guest, Dr Anand Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticultural Science), ICAR stressed on conserving the natural resources and sustainability in view of the climate change.

Dr Jan W Low, World Food Prize Laureate & Principal Scientist, International Potato Centre, CIP, Nairobi Centre, Kenya stressed on caliber of climate-resilient orange-fleshed sweet potato in combating the hidden hunger and malnutrition, thereby, uplifting the socio-economic status of the people of Sub-Saharan African regions. The special guest, Dr Vikramaditya Pandey, Assistant Director General (Horticultural Science), ICAR highlighted the Tropical Tuber Crops’ significance.

The webinar discussed the role of tubers

E-commerce, IT, Machinery - Pre-harvesting

It aims to provide technology driven services which are progressive, affordable and accessible to farmers. 

  Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.’s Farm Equipment Sector (FES) has launched six Krish-e centres in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.  These e- centres are opened in Mahbubnagar, Miryalaguda and Kamareddy towns in Telangana and Tadepalligudem, Nandyal and Tenali in Andhra Pradesh.

These centres are a part of Mahindra’s new ’farming as a service’ business. Krish-e is a business vertical that provides technology driven services which are progressive, affordable and accessible to farmers.

“We are happy that Krish-e is rolling out its centres in the 75th year of the Mahindra Group. Krish-e is an innovative new business vertical conceived with the idea of ushering in a new digital age of farming in India,” said Hemant Sikka, president, FES, Mahindra & Mahindra.

Sikka also added that  it aims to transform the lives of farmers, by helping them adopt better more effective farming techniques powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and digital solutions that are affordable and accessible paving the way for increased productivity and profitability. Through Krish-e, we at Mahindra are engaging with our farmers more deeply and creating stronger relationships.

 

It aims to provide technology driven services

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Pesticides, IT, R&D, World

App seamlessly works in offline and online mode

Developing late-blight resistant potatoes has long been a priority for breeders, and hundreds of resistant varieties have been released in the past century. However, because of the pathogen’s ability to evolve ways to overcome the resistance of widely cultivated varieties, farmers still need to apply fungicides, and it is hard for them to know when and how much to apply. Willmer Perez, plant pathologist at International Potato Center (CIP), Lima, Peru, and his team have developed an easy-to-use decision support tool to help farmers optimize their fungicide use, in order to ensure good harvests while reducing production costs and health and environmental risks.

Perez and colleagues have designed a decision support tool that consists of sets of cardboard discs in concentric circles, which farmers align based on the variety they are growing, recent weather conditions and the last time they applied fungicides to determine when they should apply that agrochemical again. After testing this low-tech tool with farmers in Ecuador and Peru, to validate its effectiveness, the team designed a mobile phone app based on it. The original phone app can be used in areas without cellphone coverage, but a new version accesses weather forecast data on the internet to inform its recommendations. Nevetheless, both versions can work offline, so farmers can use them regardless of whether they have cellphone access.

App seamlessly works in offline and online

Agro chems – Pesticides, Agro Universities, R&D

Partnership aims to trigger the indigenous formulation technologies

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research (ICAR-DMAPR), Anand, Gujarat, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Pesticide Formulation Technology (IPFT), Gurugram, Haryana on October 28, 2020. The MoU aims at facilitating the field the testing of new formulation of insecticides / adjuvant / synergist / botanicals / entomopathogens by the ICAR-DMAPR and formulation technology of formulation by the IPFT and subsequently, product development and its commercialization for farmers and stakeholders.


Dr Satyajit Roy, Director, ICAR-DMAPR, Anand, Gujarat emphasized that the partnership program would trigger the indigenous formulation technologies based on medicinal and aromatic plants. Dr Jitendra Kumar, Director, IPFT, Gurugram, Haryana said that the association will go a long way in the area of research and development and other outreach programmes.

Partnership aims to trigger the indigenous

Agrotech, E-commerce, Water

The piping solution for above and below-ground drip irrigation systems makes farming simplified. 

 

 Netafim India, a leading smart irrigation solution provider, has launched FlexNet™ – a revolutionary mainline and sub-mainline piping for above and below-ground drip irrigation systems for Indian farmers to make farming simplified. This multifaceted piping solution could be adapted for any type of rabi, Kharif, vegetables, cucurbits, or other crops verities that uses drip irrigation in the row beds. The product has been unveiled by Randhir Chauhan Managing Director – Netafim India on the social media platforms and witnessed by 25 lac farmers across the country.

 

Netafim’s FlexNet™ differs from the traditional PVC as well as lay flat tubing systems majorly in terms of portability and convenience. One of the most salient aspects of the product is that due to its lightweight and sturdiness, installation and usability becomes much expedient for farmers. Due to low product weight, customized outlets spacing, and specially designed dripline connectors, farmers could easily layout and retrieve these portable pipes. These features reduce the installation time and manpower-cost up to 30% for farmers when compared to a typical PVC and layflat installation. Product longevity is achieved through patented material and weaving technology that provides both strength and flexibility of folding for easy transportation. The integral welded connectors ensure a secure, leak-proof connection between distribution pipes and laterals to increase the irrigation efficiency, thereby permitting uniform water distribution for better crop yield.

Expressing his thoughts on the launch, Randhir Chauhan, Managing Director – Netafim India, commented, “Netafim India is committed to offer unmatched modern farming solution to the Indian farmers. Even with India’s agricultural sector being predominated by small landholdings, we cannot let the opportunity to assimilate latest technological innovations escape any Indian farmer. The introduction of FlexNet™ is centred on this very objective to make #FarmingSimplified. Rooted in technological excellence, the piping solution aims to lend farmers greater support and autonomy over their fields.”

Netafim India, through the launch of FlexNet™ aims to cover 1 lac hectare of land under irrigation and reach 50,000 farmers across India in the upcoming year.

The piping solution for above and below-ground

Agro Universities, North America, R&D, Start ups

The new company is using a patent-pending method, developed in collaboration with the ARS

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist Tara McHugh, director of the Western Regional Research Center in Albany, CA, revealed that they have helped numerous small businesses, such as Pop Oats, turn their ideas into products for the consumer.

McHugh and her team in the Healthy Processed Foods Research Unit are experts at solving food-manufacturing problems by using cutting-edge processing technologies. Gone are the days when oats were viewed only as a breakfast staple. At least, that’s what Pop Oats co-founders Rodger Morris and Marc Pfeiffer are hoping. The new company is using a patent-pending method, developed in collaboration with the ARS, to perfect a snack made of whole oat groats—the hulled kernels of the grain that are primarily used for oatmeal. Not only is the snack healthful, but it also delivers a savory taste of flavors such as barbecue, white cheddar, sea salt, caramel, and chili lime.

“We could not have done this amount of work in our kitchen,” Morris said. “Effectively, they [McHugh and her team] gave us kind of a petri dish to figure out whether we could make this work or not, and we were fortunate enough to be able to do it.”

 

The new company is using a patent-pending

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains

About 17.23 Lac farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement operations

In the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, the Government of India has continued to procure Kharif 2020-21 crops at its MSP from farmers as per its existing MSP Schemes, as was done in previous seasons.

Paddy procurement for Kharif 2020-21 has now crossed 2 Crore MT mark with bumper procurement of 204.59 LMT paddy in the procuring States & UTs of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Jammu& Kashmir, Kerala and Gujarat up-to 31.10.2020 against the last year corresponding purchase of 168.87 LMT showing an increase of 21.16% over last year. Out of the total purchase of 204.59 LMT, Punjab alone has contributed 142.81 LMT which is 69.80 % of total procurements. with MSP     

About 17.23 Lac farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement operations with an MSP value of Rs 38627.46 crore.

Further, based on the proposal from the States, approval was accorded for procurement of 45.10 LMT of pulse and oilseeds of KMS 2020 for the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh under Price Support Scheme (PSS). Furthermore, sanction for procurement of 1.23 LMT of Copra (the perennial crop) for the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala was also given. 

In respect of Copra and Urad, rates are ruling above MSP in most of the major producing States. The respective State/UTs Governments are making necessary arrangements for the commencement of procurement from the date as decided by the respective States based on the arrivals in respect of Kharif Pulses and Oilseeds.

About 17.23 Lac farmers have already been

E-commerce, Finance

With this new round of funding, company will continue to advance Cloud Biology® and its innovation engine CropOS™    

 Benson Hill has announced the close of a $150 million Series D funding round led by Wheatsheaf Group and GV (formerly Google Ventures). The company’s leading food innovation engine CropOS™ taps nature’s genetic diversity to develop and commercialize healthier and more sustainable food and ingredient options that benefit farmers, food companies of all kinds, and ultimately, consumers. This funding round will accelerate the food tech company’s efforts to deploy its platform technology, expand partner development across the supply chain, and scale product commercialization efforts. 

The funding round attracted diverse investors recognizing the company’s strategic business model and potential to impact the health and well-being of people and the planet through advances in the food system. New and returning investors included Argonautic Ventures, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), Emart, GS Group, Louis Dreyfus Company, iSelect Fund, Fall Line Capital, Mercury Fund, Prelude Ventures, Prolog Ventures, S2G Ventures, and additional strategic and family office investors.

 “The plant-based protein movement is global in scale,” said Hewie Kang, CEO of Emart, Shinsegae Group. “Benson Hill’s product innovations, particularly in the area of protein and nutrient density, are poised to help further accelerate the adoption of plant-based alternatives. Our investment reflects a strategic intent to help realize the vision of delivering a steady stream of more sustainable and healthy food options to a global consumer.”

 

With this new round of funding, Benson Hill will continue to advance Cloud Biology® and its innovation engine CropOS™, amplify partner development efforts, continue to recruit top talent, and propel the commercial launch of the first Ultra-High Protein soybean varieties in 2021, among other product launches. The company’s portfolio of high-quality soybean varieties delivers a full range of in-demand premium attributes, including better digestibility, heart-healthy omega fatty acids, and higher protein that serve the plant-based food, healthy oils, and animal feed and aquaculture markets.

With this new round of funding, company

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Fertilizers, E-commerce

The figures pertain to April-September, 2020

HIL (India) Ltd, a PSU under the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Ministry of  Chemicals & Fertilizers of the current financial year (FY 2020-21) has posted a 65 percent growth in the exports, mainly of Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloroethane (DDT), in the first two quarters. The growth was recorded during April-September 2020 period as compared to the corresponding period last financial year.

 

The company has achieved this significant growth due to large amounts of DDT and agrochemicals  being shipped to Southern African countries, Latin America and Iran during this period. 

Lauding the efforts of the team HIL (India) Limited, D V Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizer, congratulated the team and wished them for a successful and remarkable year ahead. 

HIL has also recorded highest ever production of 530.10 metric tonnes of Malathion Technical in the first two quarters of the current year as compared to 375.5 metric tonnesin the corresponding period last year. 

The company has also registered the highest sale for the product in the first two quarters and has supplied the entire quantity to various institutions like the Ministry of Agriculture’s Locust Control Programme and municipal corporations across the country for the vector control programme.

The figures pertain to April-September, 2020HIL (India)

India

As many as 2.5 mln boxes of Kinnaur apples are already sent to market from the Kinnaur district, Shimla

A spokesman of the Agriculture Department has recently stated that Kinnaur apples have hit north Indian fruit markets. As many as 2.5 mln boxes of Kinnaur apples are already sent to market from the Kinnaur district, Shimla.

The State Horticulture Departments has recorded production of around 28,28,182 apple boxes in the Kinnaur district last year, whereas a target of 32,83,300 boxes was laid for this year. Around 24,47000 apple cartons is expected to exceed the target.

Grown at a height of 9710 ft above sea level, Kinnaur apples are known for their natural sweetness, color and juiciness. Apples from this region are known to have a thicker skin, which helps in better shelf life of the apple. Every day, trucks carrying hundreds of apple cartons from the Chango, Ribba and Namgiya valley of Kinnaur, 250 km from Shimla, head towards Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Lucknow, giving tough competition to Kashmiri apples. The high altitude climatic conditions which range from humid- temperate to dry temperate contribute to the high food value of the Kinnaur apple.

As many as 2.5 mln boxes of