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Chintamppalli plant has reduced its specific energy by 12% over three years through various energy efficiency measures.

 

 
The Godrej Agrovet Oil Palm Plantation (OPP) plant in Chintampalli has been honoured as “Excellent Energy Efficient Unit” at the 21st National Award for Excellence in Energy Management 2020 based on its performance and achievement in energy efficiency. Their plant in Seethanagram was also honoured with the “CII Environmental Best Practices Award 2020” and recognised as an “Innovative Environmental Project” for their efforts in Waste Management earlier last month.

Over 99% of the plant’s energy comes from renewable sources and the plant sends no waste to landfill. All organic waste from the palm fruit bunches are either processed and reused in the plant boiler fuel (renewable energy) or sold off. Chintamppalli plant has also reduced its specific energy by 12% over three years through various energy efficiency measures.

Delighted by the recognition,  Nasim Ali, CEO, Godrej Agrovet, Oil Palm Plantations, said, “We ensure sustainability is at the core of any new technology investment. Driven by the desire to create a more inclusive and greener India, at Godrej, our initiatives are broadly classified under GOOD – Community CSR initiatives and GREEN – Environmental Sustainability Initiatives. We are honoured that our efforts have been recognised and hope that other companies in the sector replicate the process and help achieve a low-carbon economy.”

The Oil Palm Plantation business has been consistently honoured for Sustainable Environment Initiatives sectors for improving energy efficiency, thereby supporting India’s journey towards climate change mitigation and sustainable development.  

 
                                                              source- Equity bulls
 
 

Chintamppalli plant has reduced its specific energy

Fertilizer quality control labs also to be upgraded

Altaf Aijaz Andrabi, Director of Agriculture, Kashmir, stated that the Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare ministry has approved Rs four crore for up-gradation of soil testing labs across the Kashmir valley. 

Andrabi was chairing a review meeting to take stock of various activities undertaken by the department at the grass roots level.

He added that for the upgradation of quality control laboratory, Rs 40 lakh have been earmarked during the current year, which will help in strengthening the fertilizer quality control lab.

Chief Agriculture Officers of all districts gave a detailed review of all the activities being carried out by the department at the ground level during the meeting.

 

Fertilizer quality control labs also to be

IIHR’s hybrid helps farmers get premium price and higher returns

The ‘Arka Kiran’ Guava F1 Hybrid was developed by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru and yields medium sized round fruits with deep red, firm pulp and with high lycopene content (7.14 mg / 100 g). The hybrid was chosen as a cash crop by G Kranthi Kumar to help become a successful guava grower in his native village in Andhra Pradesh.

Kumar, trained at the research institute for cultivating the hybrid plants, planted 2,000 plants per acre. He planted the plants in 5 acres area in September, 2018 and in another 5 acres in February, 2019 at 2×1 meter distance to create his guava orchard.

The training helped him prepare bio-stimulants such as botanicals, Panchakavya, Dasha kavya, Cow dung slurry, Jeevamurtha and Agnistra for improved growth of the plants and to control pests and diseases.

His yield was a whopping 7 tonnes in the first year and he is expecting 20 tonnes in the second year. The Arka Kiran’s performance in terms of better fruit color, fruit flavor, yield, and is amenable for a high density meadow orchard system. The premium price that it fetches and the higher net returns could be a draw for many growers wanting to diversify their crop pool.

IIHR’s hybrid helps farmers get premium price

727 agriculture graduates & 800 Saksham Yuva had already been deployed

In order to ensure timely verification of bajra crop data, the Haryana agriculture department has recently deputed over 1,500 officials in all districts. About 7 lakh farmers have so far registered 38.88 lakh acres on the ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ (MFMB) portal. Additional chief secretary, agriculture, Sanjeev Kaushal, commented that 727 agriculture graduates and 800 Saksham Yuva had already been deployed to ensure complete verification of bajra crop sown.

He further said that farmers who want to seek redressal for issues related to land records should contact the district revenue officer through the MFMB portal. However, for any other grievance, they should contact the deputy director, agriculture. The DDAs will ensure the resolution of their issues within seven days.

He added, “This will ensure that farmers were able to get their harvest procured at minimum support price, besides being able to avail incentives and subsidies being offered by the department. It also helps put a curb on malpractices such as sale of stored harvest or crop brought in from other states, which puts extra burden on their resources.”

727 agriculture graduates & 800 Saksham Yuva

Researchers have discovered how a protein in plant roots controls the uptake of minerals and water

In recent research published in Current Biology, shows that members of the blue copper proteins family, the Uclacyanins are vital in the formation of Casparian strips.

These strips are essential structures that control mineral nutrient and water use efficiencies by forming tight seals between cells in plants, blocking nutrients, and water leaking between.

This is the first evidence showing the implications of this family in the biosynthesis of lignin, one of the most abundant organic polymers on earth.

This study reveals that the molecular machinery required for Casparian strip lignin deposition is highly ordered by forming nano-domains which can have a huge impact on plant nutrition, a finding that could help in the development of crops that are efficient in taking in the nutrients they need.

Food security represents a pressing global issue. Crop production must double by 2050 to keep pace with global population growth. This target is even more challenging given the impact of climate change on water availability and the drive to reduce fertilizer inputs to make agriculture become more environmentally sustainable. In both cases, developing crops with improved water and nutrient uptake efficiency would provide a solution and this.

Researchers have discovered how a protein in

Data comparison provides 96% correlation

A journal on the mapping of dry land crops in India, including wheat, chickpea, mustard, and lentils for supporting the crop insurance program has been published by Murali Krishna Gumma, Head of Geographic Information System/ Remote Sensing (GIS/RS) Lab at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), along with his colleagues.

The team used the Sentinel-2 Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) 15-day time-series data at 10 meter resolution with the Spectral Matching Technique (SMT). They achieved overall correlation of 96 percent when the district-wise national crop statistics and the remote sensing-based estimates were compared.

Accurate monitoring of croplands helps in making decisions (for insurance claims, crop management and contingency plans) at the macro-level, especially in dry lands where variability in crop output is higher because of varying weather conditions.

Reliable information on areas cultivated with such crops forms part of the national accounting of food production and supply in many Asian countries that are employing remote sensing tools to improve the accuracy of assessments of cultivated areas.

The journal assesses the capabilities and limitations of mapping cultivated areas in the rabi (winter) season and corresponding cropping patterns in three districts characterized by small-plot agriculture. The use of SMT is based on the relationship between temporal NDVI signatures and crop phenology.

Data comparison provides 96% correlationA journal on

The current capital raise is led by Japanese venture capital firms Rebright Partners and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital  

 
Agri-tech startup Aibono has raised USD 2 million (about Rs 15 crore) from investors to fund expansion plan and growth of the business,said Vivek Rajkumar founder of Aibono.

The Bengaluru based firm is an end-to-end aggregator platform that connects premium perishable vegetables from farm to fork.

“We have raised a further round of USD 2 million from Japanese and Swiss investors in the midst of COVID-19 economic crisis,” he told PTI.

The current capital raise is led by Japanese venture capital firms Rebright Partners and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital based out of Tokyo and Singapore respectively; and Swiss Impact Investor Lesing Artha, a subsidiary of Rianta Capital (UK).

The company had raised a total of USD 4.5 million since inception in 2015, he added.

With the help of its AI powered full-stack farm services and demand-supply syncing technology, Aibono helps farmers from the Nilgiris and surrounding villages in Tamil Nadu to grow premium perishable and herbs with better yields. It not only supplies inputs but also gives buy-back guarantee to these farmers.

After procuring farm produce from farmers, the company sells it to retailers in Bengaluru city.

“We have on boarded 1,000 farmers on our platform. We are supplying to about 800 retailers,” Rajkumar said.

The company is targeting to double the number of farmers on its platform to 2,000, he added.

“With this round of funding, we will now invest to scale capacity and increase supply to our existing Kirana businesses, expanding to institutional retail as well as making possible direct-to-home supply of super perishables via modern delivery platforms in the next phase of our growth,” Rajkumar said.

Aibono leverages data science driven demand-supply synchronisation, farm analytics and “just in time engines to prevent food wastage, improve agricultural efficiency as well as stabilise livelihoods of farmers specialising in perishable vegetables.

Takeshi Ebihara, Founding General Partner of Rebright Partners said: With India’s retail demand for fresh farm produce going through the roof, very few players are concentrating on solving Pain-points at the ground level, for seamless movement of perishables across the value chain.”

Masataka Nakamura, Partner of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital said, COVID pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to business continuity that has made the investor community seek caution and be conservative in approach to funding.

In Aibono, we see a balance of scale and profitability, with equal emphasis on farmer and retailer growth alongside a sustainable business model. ” 

Audrey Selian, director of Lesing Artha associated with Rianta Capital said: With this infusion of funds, agri-tech enablers like Aibono with experience in JIT harvest and demand-supply synchronisation will make a significant social impact for farmers possible.  
 
                                                                     source- PTI
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

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The current capital raise is led by

India needs 35 percent increase in vegetables production 

Nearly 400 participants across India participated in a webinar, titled ’Role of Agritech’ in vegetable farming organized by East-West Seed India and The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). 

Dr C D Mayee, President, South Asia Biotechnology Centre, was the Chairman of the session and also moderated the discussion.

Experts such as Dr Conrado Balatero, Group Breeding Manager, East-West Seed, Global, Dr Sangita Ladha, VP-Marketing, and Business Development, Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd, New Delhi, Dr B S Tomar, Head, Division of Vegetable Science Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and Deepak Pareek, CEO & Founder, DigiAgri were the speakers for the webinar.

In his opening remarks, Dilip Rajan, Managing Director, East-West Seed India said, “East-West Seed India and FICCI have curated a series of six webinars to focus on the benefits of vegetable farming for smallholder farmers in India. Experts reiterated technology will disrupt Agri value chains, drive higher productivity, and create new channels to market.

Estimates indicate that India would require around a 35 percent increase in the production of vegetables over the next five years. 

V Ram Kaundinya, Director General of FSII and Head, Agriculture Committee FICCI said, “Agritech, combined with geographical location devices and remote sensing advancements, promises to change the way vegetable crops will be managed.”

India needs 35 percent increase in vegetables

Through the support of Cochin Port Trust, this move will ease pressure on movement of fertilizers by rail and road

The Fertilizers & Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT), a PSU under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers had  commenced the use of coastal shipping in July, 2020, as a new and effective mode of transport for the movement of its products. 

Following the successful delivery of the first batch of 20 containers of Ammonium Sulphate dispatched from Cochin on July 30, 2020 through Coastal shipping, to Haldia, West Bengal, the company will send another shipment of 20 containers of fertilizer (560 Mt Ammonium Sulphate) to the same destination.

Filling of bagged fertilizers in containers was completed at FACT plant at Udyogamandal on September 2, 2020 and the ship is scheduled to depart on 4th September 4, 2020.

In West Bengal this product is marketed by HIL (India) Limited, a PSU under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, which is a sole manufacturer of DDT globally.

Through the support of Cochin Port Trust, this move will ease pressure on movement of fertilizers by rail and road. However, the last mile delivery will continue through rail or road to reach the required destination.

 

 

Through the support of Cochin Port Trust,

 It will address global challenges such as climate change, food security and scarcity of resources. 

BASF and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announces the signing of a Master Research Agreement. It will facilitate easier collaboration between industry and academia on the journey to jointly address global challenges such as climate change, food security and scarcity of resources.

The interdisciplinary approach will draw on the strengths of each organization to accelerate scientific discovery. By connecting its deep scientific expertise to UNC-Chapel Hill’s fundamental research capabilities, initially focused on biomedical, health and pharma applications, BASF expects to find new innovations for its customers in agriculture, health and personal care.

“Teaming up with UNC-Chapel Hill, a leading global university located in close proximity to us in Research Triangle Park, NC, will not only improve the impact of our research activities, but also give us more access to technologies beyond our in-house expertise to solve societal challenges,” said Peter Eckes, President, Bioscience Research and Regional Research Representative North America at BASF. “We are eager to see the results of our partnership with the Master Research Agreement in place that will enable us to collaborate more quickly across areas of common interest to drive innovation.”

The Master Research Agreement containing pre-agreed terms for intellectual property, publication and confidentiality will enable open scientific discussions and speed up the process of starting collaborations. Several research projects focused on plant science are already under way.

“Our partnership with BASF is a great example of the culture of collaboration that we have fostered at Carolina,” said UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz. “Combining our scientific expertise and research capabilities through the Master Research Agreement will enable Carolina and BASF to solve the grand challenges of our time and produce results that will benefit the people of North Carolina, the nation and the world.”

 
 
 
 

 It will address global challenges such as

PacLife is playing a fundamental role in supporting the fruit and vegetable sector

PacLife, having more than 35 years of experience in the field of plastics has managed to handle the new situation, patenting a technology that incorporates additives to control pathogens and external agents to the packaging, and developing smart and active bags that preserve fruits and vegetables and extend their shelf life in refrigerated conditions.

PacLife is playing a fundamental role in supporting the fruit and vegetable sector, providing it with an essential tool for shipping to distant destinations, and facilitating the post-harvest of delicate products such as blueberries or fresh cherries.

PacLife has established itself as a sustainable and unique product, capable of withstanding thermal breakdown without the safe atmosphere inside being compromised. It allows for direct control over ethylene, offering customers the possibility of reaching markets as demanding as China with fresh, firm cherries with green pedicels.

In order to protect cherries from the moment they are harvested, PacLife’s Hydrotech covers are a very easy-to-use option that prevents the main problem during this critical period: dehydration. It increases the relative humidity and consequently minimizes the steam pressure deficit, slowing down the flow of water from the fruit.

Constant research and development allowed PacLife to extend this solution to the harvesting process itself, preventing the increase in temperature thanks to the additives and the planimetry of the (reflective) silver-colored product, which protects the fruit effectively from water loss.

Hydrotech covers are fully compatible with hydro cooling, and without the need for removal, as it does not increase process times. PacLife modified atmosphere containers allow efficient and safe conservation from the moment it is sealed until the marketing of the box.

PacLife is playing a fundamental role in

The ambulance will be beneficial for cattle, sheep, goats, dogs and other domestic animals

Officials of the Animal Husbandry Department will soon launch domestic animal ambulances in 15 Karnataka districts to cater to their welfare, as reported by an official recently.

 

Though phase 2 has also been approved, the funding is yet to be released because of the disruption caused by coronavirus. The state government has asked the respective district in-charge ministers to preside over the unveilings of the ambulances.

 

Hassan district in-charge minister K. Gopalaiah is expected to preside over the ceremony in the district. Jayanna commented that the move is aimed at creating ambulances for animals on the lines of such vehicles for humans under the Health and Family Welfare Department.

 

On receiving a call from people in need of medical attention for their animals, an expert vet, staff and equipment available in the ambulance will rush to the spot to treat the animal. Importantly, the ambulance is also equipped with an operation theatre for small animals.

 

However, the ambulance facility is only available for domestic animals and not wild ones which have the entire forest department to care for them. Cattle, sheep, goats, dogs and other domestic animals will benefit. The department has incurred a cost of Rs 2 crore for the 15 vehicles.

 

The ambulance will be beneficial for

High-forage pearl millet cultivars will ensure feed security of livestock

 

Farmers cultivating Pearl Millet can now grow millets that are resistant to leaf spot and blight diseases, farmers in the states of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry as per the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).  It will, now, be possible to cultivate high-forage pearl millet cultivars to ensure feed security of their livestock.

The ICRISAT pearl millet team had worked on the development of promising multi-cut forage varieties in association with Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU), Hyderabad.

This was driven by feedback from partners that lack of sufficient fodder was the major constraint to livestock production in smaller farming communities in the arid and semi-arid regions of India.

It resulted in the release and notification in 2020 of two forage pearl millet varieties – TSFB 15-4 and TSFB 15-8. The two varieties can be cultivated as rainfed crops in the rainy season and as irrigated dry crops during summer.

The varieties were developed through recurrent selection breeding methodology in association with Dr T Shashikala, Forage Breeder of  the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU).

Dr SK Gupta, Pearl Millet Breeder at ICRISAT, informed that based on three-year (2016-2018) multi-location evaluations in the south zone, TSFB 15-4 and TSFB 15-8 were released for their superior performance over national and zonal checks.

High-forage pearl millet cultivars will ensure feed

Panther MTZ delivers broad-spectrum control of more than 90 weed species 

 

 

Nufarm Americas Inc. has announced the launch of Panther MTZ herbicide. Panther MTZ is the latest in Nufarm’s portfolio of innovative Panther herbicides formulated to help growers gain weed management efficacy, resistance management and lasting residual control that improves flexibility come spring.

Panther MTZ offers two modes of action, the dual-benefit of swift burndown and lasting residual, and an optimal load of metribuzin at a lower application rate than competing premixes.

“One of Nufarm’s key goals is to expand the tools available to farmers to help them fight challenges posed by weeds,” says Chris Bowley, Nufarm Brand and Customer Marketing Manager. “Panther MTZ improves results where they’re needed most – combatting weed resistance, assisting burndown and adding residual control. In addition to pre-plant application, growers can apply this fall to ease weed pressure out of the gate this spring.”

“Possibly the strongest attribute of Panther MTZ is that it contains a more effective load of metribuzin where other premix products sometimes require the addition of extra metribuzin for certain applications,” adds Bowley.

Panther MTZ delivers broad-spectrum control of more than 90 weed species and is labeled for soybeans, sugarcane, fallow (including wheat / fallow rotations), non-crop farm areas and industrial vegetation management. It provides flexible fall or spring application timing and tank mixing – and will be available in September 2020,

 

Panther MTZ delivers broad-spectrum control of more