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Agrotech, North America, Seeds

California university trials of Pima cottonseed shows yield increase up to 15 per cent 

PhytoGen® cottonseed, the U.S. cottonseed brand of Corteva Agriscience, announced an addition to its Pima varieties for 2021. PhytoGen brand PHY 807 RF was selected after consistently showing exponential yield increases in university trials.

“The newest addition to our Pima varieties delivers the same quality lint and fiber characteristics growers have come to expect from us,” said Joel Faircloth, U.S. Cotton Portfolio Manager for PhytoGen cottonseed. “The difference is PHY 807 RF has even greater yield potential and a more robust tolerance to FOV4 to help protect that yield.”

PhytoGen is the most popular brand of Pima cottonseed, planted on the majority of Pima acres in 2020. The new variety is an excellent companion to PhytoGen brand PHY 881 RF, known as the “Pima standard” in the industry.

“We advanced PhytoGen brand PHY 807 RF after seeing its strong performance in California university trials from Los Banos to Buttonwillow,” said Jennifer Crawford, PhytoGen Cotton Development Specialist. “Across all five trials, PHY 807 RF yielded 102 per cent to 115 per cent of the leading commercial Pima varieties.”

Crawford explained the variety also performed well with key cotton producers throughout the Central Valley of California as well as the Pima-growing regions in Arizona.

“We’re excited about this addition. And it’s just the beginning of the next wave. On the heels of this release are two to three more Pimas in the advanced stages of testing,” Crawford said.

 “These higher-yielding additions to our already remarkable Pima portfolio is on plan for our pipeline. Our commitment to cotton doesn’t waiver, and our No. 1 goal continues to be to help growers thrive. PHY 807 RF is the cusp of things to come,” Faircloth said.

California university trials of Pima cottonseed shows

Agro chems – Fertilizers

The key objective of the roundtable was to highlight the importance of micronutrient fertilisers including zinc

To discuss the pressing issues of the sector such as micronutrient deficiency and its impact on agriculture and human health, the International Zinc Association in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Rio Tinto, organized a virtual roundtable recently on ’Micronutrient Fertilizers for Food and Nutrition Security’.

Based on the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations’ theme of ’International Year of Fruits and Vegetables 2021’, the key objective of the roundtable was to highlight the importance of micronutrient fertilizers including zinc, wherein innovative and new generation fertilizers, like fortified, specialty and water-soluble fertilizers were discussed.

With the objective to promote and advance a healthy lifestyle and build immunity, FAO announced 2021 as the ’International year of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and Vegetables are considered a rich source of nutrients in human health. However, most soils globally are witnessing multi-micronutrient deficiencies, dominated by zinc (Zn) and boron (B).

Dr Ashok Dalwai – CEO, NRAA & Chairman, Task Force, Doubling Farmers Income (PMO), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, GoI, said, “Absence of micronutrient like Zinc and Boron has been shown to have a direct impact on the crop output. The way forward is to strengthen the backward linkages such as the infrastructure upgradation of soil testing, creation of awareness amongst relevant stakeholders, policy redesign and most importantly the research & development that gets deployed into creation of micronutrient fertilizers. We are committed to achieving these targets in the years to come.”

Speaking at the roundtable, Dr Andrew Green – Executive Director, IZA (USA) said, “For the agricultural sector to grow, not only does the farm production and productivity need improvement but the quality of output needs to be looked at simultaneously. Adding micronutrients such as zinc have not only proven to enhance crop yield and water uptake but also results in healthier, stronger crops.”

Addressing the audience, Meetu Kapur, Executive Director, CII Food and Agriculture Center of Excellence said, “The program gains relevance given that amongst the multitude of challenges that agriculture faces globally deterioration of soil health is a key concern.  The importance of micronutrients needs to be viewed from a food systems approach and a holistic approach is needed for developing sustainable micronutrient supply systems through interactions/ discussions amongst the stakeholders.”

 

The key objective of the roundtable was

Trade

The Government has allocated mill-wise export quota of 60 lakh MT for export during the current sugar season

The sugar production in the country during the current sugar season 2020-21 is estimated to be at 310 lakh MT as against the estimated domestic consumption of 260 lakh MT. As on 28.02.2021, 222 lakh MT of sugar has been produced by the domestic sugar mills.

In order to evacuate the surplus stock of sugar, the Government has allocated mill-wise export quota of 60 lakh MT for export during current sugar season. Besides, the Government is encouraging sugar mills to produce ethanol from sugarcane juice, sugar, sugar syrup and B-Hy molasses to divert excess sugar.

Government has also fixed remunerative price of ethanol from various feedstock to encourage sugar mills to divert excess sugar.  

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Danve Raosaheb Dadarao in Lok Sabha on March 9, 2021.

The Government has allocated mill-wise export quota

AgroPolicy, Organic

Ministry of AYUSH is supporting the cultivation of medicinal plants on farmer’s land throughout the country

Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India is implementing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National AYUSH Mission (NAM). Under the ‘Medicinal Plants’ component of the NAM scheme supporting market-driven cultivation of prioritised medicinal plants in identified cluster/zones within selected districts of States and implemented in a mission mode.

As per the scheme guidelines, the support is provided for:

  • Cultivation of prioritised medicinal plants on farmer’s land.
  • Establishment of nurseries with backward linkages for raising and supply of quality planting material.
  • Post-harvest management with forwarding linkages.
  • Primary processing, marketing infrastructure etc.

Under this scheme, subsidy at 30 per cent, 50 per cent, and 75 per cent of cultivation cost of specific plant species is provided for the cultivation of 140 medicinal plants.   

National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India is also implementing Central Sector Scheme on ’Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants’ wherein following activities are supported:

  • In-situconservation / Ex-situ conservation
  • Livelihood linkages with Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) / Panchayats / Van Panchayats / Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) / Self Help Groups (SHGs).
  • IEC activities like Training / workshops / Seminars/ Conferences etc.
  • Research & Development.
  • Promotion, marketing, and trade of medicinal plants produce.

The scheme will be implemented throughout the country.

 

Ministry of AYUSH is supporting the cultivation

Agrotech, Inputs

Women smallholder farmers will receive access to agri-inputs, crop advisory and market linkages to help them earn better agricultural incomes from their family farms

 Recognizing the need to rebuild rural livelihoods and improve women’s health awareness in under-developed areas of Maharashtra, Bayer is partnering with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, a global service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, and Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAVIM), a semi-government corporation focused on women’s development.

Over a year-long EUR 1 million (INR 8.7 crores) Covid-response program; Bayer, GIZ and MAVIM will support rural women smallholders in Maharashtra focusing on the districts of Vidarbha, Marathwada and Amaravati. Bayer, GIZ and MAVIM are working together in a development partnership of the develoPPP.de programme, which the GIZ implements on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

“This project holds special significance for Bayer as we are contributing towards better nutrition and health for rural women, with interventions from both our Crop Science and Pharmaceuticals businesses. Bayer will support women smallholders to improve their livelihoods through agriculture and create awareness on women’s health topics,” said D. Narain, Senior Bayer Representative, South Asia.

 “GIZ, on behalf of BMZ, is already supporting 6,000 women smallholder farmers with agri-input kits for cultivation of vegetables, pulses and corn. Bayer will complement this with advisory services and training across 9 districts to indirectly impact 20,000 farmers. This will be conducted through Model Farms with plans to set up 80 such farms in Maharashtra in 2021. In addition, GIZ will develop 30 market access points at existing agri-input shops owned by Women Farmer Federations at block levels to facilitate the sale of agri produce seamlessly, said Rajeev Ahal, Director NRM & Agroecology, GIZ India.

 “MAVIM will sustain its efforts around training and empowerment of women smallholder farmers in Maharashtra even beyond the year-long Covid-Response project. This will be driven through Bayer’s Better Life Farming initiative, where women smallholder farmers and Women Farmer Federations will be empowered to practice commercial farming that will help them earn sustainable incomes, rather than relying on subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods,” concluded  Jyoti Thakare, Chairperson MAVIM.

 

 

 

Women smallholder farmers will receive access to

China, R&D, Seeds

Origin’s Biotechnology Centre of Beijing Origin Seed, Ltd is currently evaluating the commercial value of these new traits in corn seed production.

Headquartered in Zhong-Guan-Cun (ZGC) Life Science Park in Beijing , China, Origin Agritech Ltd., an agriculture technology company, has announced that it has successfully utilised gene editing technology to create new corn traits. Gene editing refers to editing DNA strands by introducing cuts into the DNA strands, enabling the removal of existing DNA and the insertion of replacement DNA.

The Biotechnology Centre of Beijing Origin Seed, Ltd. (Origin Agritech’s subsidiary) established its gene editing technology platform several years ago. Through collaborations with leading universities and research institutions, the research centre has developed new corn traits, including reducing the plant height, increasing growth period and chloroplast content. The centre is currently evaluating the commercial value of these new traits in corn seed production.

Dr. Gengchen Han, Origin’s Chairman, said, “We are very excited by the possibilities the gene editing technology may bring us. The ability to create new crop traits ideally positions us to capitalize on the broader industry trend of GMO acceptance in China.”

In crop seed biotechnologies, Origin Agritech’s phytase corn was the first transgenic corn to receive the Bio-Safety Certificate from China’s Ministry of Agriculture. Over the years, Origin has established a robust biotechnology seed pipeline including products with glyphosate tolerance and pest resistance (Bt) traits.

Origin’s Biotechnology Centre of Beijing Origin Seed,

Trade

Over 400 large Indian exporters of F&B products will conduct business with more than 700 global pre- invited & pre-screened hosted buyers representing over 50 countries during this edition of ‘IndusFood’.

Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI), with the support of the Department of Commerce (DoC), Government of India, will be organising the Fourth Edition of ‘IndusFood’, India’s largest globally recognized F&B export promotion trade fair for agri and food products on March 20-21, 2021 at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida.

Over 400 large Indian exporters of F&B products will conduct business with more than 700 global pre- invited and pre-screened hosted buyers representing over 50 countries during this edition of ‘IndusFood’. 

Speaking on the 4th Edition of Indusfood 2021, Mohit Singla, Founder Chairman TPCI, said, “This is a defining moment when Indian exports will get a platform in first physical format F&B show post-Covid wave to trade with the world and get market connectivity sitting in India. This is going to be a game-changer for boosting the sentiments of the Indian exports still reeling under the bad weather.”

This Edition will showcase thematic participation organized by Industry & MSME Departments of states such as, J&K (UT), Odisha, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu. Besides participation from important government institutions of India for food & beverage products, namely- FSSAI, APEDA, NAFED, Spice Board, Coffee Board and Tea Board in the trade fair with their respective member exporters.

Large Business delegations from African countries, EU, Gulf countries, Bangladesh, Belarus, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, UAE, Uzbekistan, UK and USA; besides prominent supermarket chains such as Nesto (GCC), Grand Hypermarket (GCC), LuLu (GCC), Savings (GCC), West Zone (UAE), Al-Safeer Hypermarket (GCC), Carrefour (GCC & France), X-5 Retail (Russia), Rewe (Germany). Lidl (Germany), Swapno (Bangladesh), BIM Supermarket (Turkey & Morocco), Finest Superstore (Afghanistan), and many others from different regions across the world will be participating in ‘IndusFood’ 2021.  

The Indian exhibitors will be showcasing their products under 14 categories for this show, such as; Spices, Rice, Tea & Coffee, Indian Ethnic, Sweets and savories, Organic foods, Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, Bakery and confectionery and Ready-to-eat, etc.

Over 400 large Indian exporters of F&B

Agrotech, Water

Talete acts directly on plant physiology, helping crops increase crop water productivity 

Valagro, a leading company in the development, production and marketing of biostimulants and specialty nutrients for crops, has announced the launch of Talete in five additional countries at a global digital event attended by experts, customers, farmers and opinion leaders from more than 12 countries across 5 continents. The additional countries are Australia, China, Colombia, France and Greece. This event is an important follow-up to the initial global market launch of Talete for the first time in 2020.

The event hosts international experts, customers and farmers from all over the world and marks the launch of Talete in five new countries. Talete is a biostimulant for sustainably managing water in conditions of adequate availability and permanent or temporary shortages.

With Talete, Valagro offers a highly tangible and effective solution for farmers all over the world:  a new biostimulant, originating from the exclusive GeaPower® technology platform, to increase Crop Water Productivity; to increase production or economic yield for each unit of water used in crop production.

Talete aims to promote sustainable production in conditions of adequate water availability and in conditions of permanent or temporary shortages. Composed of biomolecules of plant origin, developed as per our proprietary GeaPower® technology, Talete acts directly on plant physiology, helping crops increase Crop Water Productivity, both when water is available in adequate quantities and when there is a water scarcity, be it permanent or temporary.

Speakers on the virtual stage of the launch event include senior leaders from the Valagro Group and Syngenta Crop Protection, as well as international experts in the global challenges connected to sustainable management of water, a precious resource for agriculture today and tomorrow. Valagro is now part of Syngenta Crop Protection, one of the world’s leading agriculture companies.

Giuseppe Natale, CEO of Valagro said,“ Talete arose from this need: to provide a valid solution to farmers all over the world, so they can get the most out of their crops by optimising their use of water, an increasingly precious resource for agriculture today and in the future. By increasing return-on-investment for farmers, Talete makes agriculture increasingly more productive and the production processes by which food gets to our tables more sustainable.”

 

 

Talete acts directly on plant physiology, helping

IT, Start ups

BigHaat have built a collection page especially for women farmer customers with high-quality agri-inputs, and are broadcasting customer stories and reviews of women farmers. 

 

BigHaat, India’s largest Agri-inputs digital marketplace platform has launched a nationwide campaign #MainBhiKisaan. Under this campaign, they aim to shed light on the contribution of women farmers in agriculture and also the need to empower them at the grassroots level.

According to a study, around 80 percent of farm work is undertaken by women in India. In spite of being involved right from preparation of land to selection of seeds to harvest, they have been an invisible force in agriculture. BigHaat with its aim of transforming the future of farmers recognizes the importance of women farmers. Under this initiative, they have built a collection page especially for women farmer customers with high-quality agri-inputs, and are broadcasting customer stories and reviews of women farmers.

One of the major issues is the lack of physical accessibility of female farmers to various public spaces such as markets which are dominated by males. There is an urgent need to make communication and information easily accessible to women. To address this they also have built a BigHaat app with features like Kisaan Vedika, crop doctor, Kisaan Sandesh, and crop and pest care. This app opens up the necessary communication and information channels that female farmers could take most advantage of.

“The female farmers buying on our platform is only 5-10% and we want to change that and our platform could play a very crucial role in empowering those women.” says Sateesh Nukala, Co-founder & CEO of BigHaat.

They also have a Farm Advisory System (FAS) team which is an all-women-driven team working towards empowering not only farmers’ communities but also women farmers. BigHaat on this International Women’s day is celebrating women farmers through their #MainBhiKisaan campaign.

 

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BigHaat have built a collection page especially

Agro chems – Fertilizers, World

The need for fertilisers is increasing globally due to the rising global population

The ’Global Fertiliser Market by Segments, Region, Company Analysis & Forecast’ report has recently recorded that the worldwide Fertiliser Market was US$ 83.5 Billion in 2020, and is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 1.69 per cent during the forecast period (2020-2027). The global Fertiliser Market is going to worth more than US$ 93.9 Billion by 2027.

The need for fertilization is increasing globally due to the rising global population. Fertilizers play a significant role in plants’ growth, which provides nutrients to the soil, leading to production efficiency and more optimum food production. The primary nutrients for plant growth are ammonia, phosphorus, and potassium, and these should be in the right quantity for healthy crops.

Nitrogen is essential in developing plants because it forms proteins that help to build tissues present in plants. In comparison, phosphorus helps develop the plant through photosynthesis purpose, which converts sunlight to energy. Potassium is useful for carbohydrate and starch synthesis.

European countries have come out with new fertilizers rules that fertilizers should be of high- have less use of land for agriculture, and they mainly depend upon quality standards and should be sold across Europe freely with proper safety.

 

The need for fertilisers is increasing globally

R&D, Supply Chain

NDRF to leverage WayCool’s network of 50,000 farmers for extensive field testing of naturally developed bio- fertilizer. 

One of India’s fastest growing agri-commerce companies, WayCool Foods has signed a 3-year umbrella MoU with National Design and Research Forum (NDRF).  The collaboration will help WayCool in its pursuit to re-imagine the agri-supply chain with the introduction of solutions aimed at constantly enhancing efficiency and reducing food wastage. For NDRF, WayCool’s farmer connect and distribution excellence will help expedite field trials of its unique, sustainable agricultural products such as naturally developed bio-fertilizers. Further, WayCool’s network will also be leveraged to ensure these sustainable innovations reach the fields.

The MoU was signed and exchanged between Karthik Jayaraman, CEO, WayCool Foods and Padmashri Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, Chairman, NDRF and Former program director, Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan.

Elaborating on the synergies, Sendhil Kumar, Head – Farmer engagement said “WayCool has always been on the forefront to develop and promote responsible innovations. We are proud to collaborate with NDRF. Through this partnership, we will facilitate field trials and distribution of natural bio-fertilizers developed by NDRF, and its partners. Through our robust ‘Outgrow’ platform and FPO networks, we will also enable procurement of raw materials that go into making of these products. Further, NDRF’s tech prowess will add fuel to our continuing R&D efforts towards improving efficiencies”.

In addition to the above, the partnership will enable WayCool’s innovation team to access the latest developments in robotics, sensors, AI, and ML, to strengthen its capabilities to develop next generation agritech solutions. NDRF enables cutting edge research output from India’s premier research institutes to reach commercial applications.  

Commenting on this occasion, Dr Annadurai said, “Joining hands with WAYCOOL it is envisaged that NDRF along with its consortium partners could bring in much needed Innovative and affordable end to end solutions towards sustainable agriculture with due value additions in the food chain. I fore see a unique, challenging but well rewarding partnership to all stake holders – farmers to customers”.

 

NDRF to leverage WayCool’s network of 50,000

Agrotech, North America

Cargill is expanding its soybean crush site, which will significantly increase production levels

Cargill is investing significantly in its US soy processing operations, with modernisation and expansion projects across its network of crush facilities in seven states. Once completed, the company estimates the $475 million in investments will improve operational efficiencies, while also increasing capacity—by 10 per cent in one location and doubling capacity in another, to better meet the growing demand for US soy products.

With a focus on innovation, the investments not only strengthen Cargill’s US crush footprint but also give customers quicker access to feedstocks. Improvements will include faster unloading of oilseeds and loading of products, an increased capacity that provides additional market opportunities, and better overall logistics, safety and ease of doing business.

While Cargill is investing across seven states, some of the largest projects will take place in:

  • Sidney, Ohio– Cargill is expanding its soybean crush site, which will significantly increase production levels while providing state-of-the-art receiving and loading capabilities, and ultimately more value for customers.
  • Cedar Rapids, Iowa- Cargill is increasing production capacity at its soybean processing facility and is more than halfway complete on this project.
  • Wichita, Kan.- Cargill will soon more than double soybean unload capacity per hour, and offer additional automation and safety upgrades.
  • Kansas City, Mo.- Cargill will make on-site automation enhancements that will triple per-hour truck load-out capacity, translating to more efficient time management for drivers.

All facilities will continue to operate while construction and expansion projects are underway.

Cargill is expanding its soybean crush site,

Acquaculture, Agro Universities, R&D

The breeding technology will add a new surge to Indian mariculture with exponential increase in marine finfish production. 

 In a breakthrough in diversification of the country’s mariculture activities, the ICAR- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) has developed hatchery technology for picnic seabream (Acanthopagrus berda), a commercially important marine food fish.

Also known as black seabream and goldsilk seabream, the fish is known for its excellent meat quality and high economic value.  It has high demand in domestic market with a price of around Rs 450 to 500 per kg. Locally called as karutha yeri, the fish is an excellent species for mariculture owing to its faster growth rate, strong resistance to diseases and ability to cope up with wide variations in environmental parameters such as salinity and temperature.  The breeding technology was developed by the Karwar Research Station of ICAR-CMFRI.

Fishes collected from Karwar region were reared in the marine cage farm of the Station providing maturation diets, and regular ovarian biopsy was carried out to select matured fishes for breeding. The fishes spawned after 36 hours of inducement and the pelagic eggs hatched after 22 to 24 hours at a temperature of 28 to 30 0C. Fecundity was 0.25 million per female (450 g) and 86% of the eggs hatched after 24 hrs. Experimental larval rearing was carried out in 100 litre tanks with various live feed organisms such as Copepods, Rotifers and Artemia; stocking 100 eggs per litre. Metamorphosis of the larvae initiated in 24th day post hatch (DPH) with 9 per cent survival in a tank.

The achievement is expected to open up enormous scope for the country’s mariculture ventures in near future through species diversification. With the development of hatchery technology for picnic seabream, Indian mariculture is poised for a new surge with exponential increase in marine finfish production. 

This is the seventh marine food fish of which breeding technology has been developed by the ICAR-CMFRI. It took around three years for the CMFRI scientists to develop the seed production technology for this fish.  Earlier, the institute had succeeded in brood stock development of fishes like cobia, silver pompano, Indian pompano, orange-spotted grouper, pink ear emperor and John’s snapper.

 

The breeding technology will add a new

Finance, R&D

Investment by CDPQ and S2G supports Benson Hill’s technology and sustainability-focused approach 

Benson Hill, a food tech company unlocking the natural genetic diversity of plants with its cutting-edge food innovation engine to create healthier, great-tasting and sustainable food and ingredient options, has been chosen as the first investment of a three-year, $125 million co-investment partnership to advance climate solutions, formed by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and S2G Ventures (S2G).

 Through the co-investment partnership, CDPQ, a global investment group, and S2G, a leading multi-stage investment firm, are investing behind innovative companies developing concrete sustainability and climate-friendly solutions in the food and agriculture sector. CDPQ and S2G participated in Benson Hill’s recently announced $150 million Series D funding round, which also included other strategic and environmental, social and governance (ESG) focused investors.

Mario Therrien, Head of Investment Funds and External Management at CDPQ, said,”As a company with deep technology expertise across the food and agriculture value chain, Benson Hill is well equipped to deliver more sustainable options to consumers while helping reduce the agri-food industry’s carbon footprint. We are delighted to support its growth while delivering returns for our clients.”

“Benson Hill is an attractive investment not only because of its strong performance and continued growth trajectory, but also because of the way the company and its technology can address looming challenges and add value across the broader food and agriculture value chain, from farmers to end-consumers”, said Sanjeev Krishnan, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director at S2G Ventures and member of the Benson Hill Board of Directors.

The new investment, as part of Benson Hill’s broader Series D capital raise, will allow the company to continue advancing Cloud Biology® and CropOS™, enhance partner development efforts across the value chain and build out the supply chain for its novel food and feed ingredients to meet the growing demand for plant-based foods and premium animal feed markets.

Benson Hill plans to commercialize a line of Ultra-High Protein soybean varieties this year and also plans to cultivate the same approach on sustainability-focused food and ingredient innovation in other high-growth market segments in the years to come.

Investment by CDPQ and S2G supports Benson