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Agrotech, Company News, World

Two collaborations – with IBM Research and with US biotech Maxygen – brought their respective pioneering approaches in data-based prediction modelling

Syngenta Group, one of the world’s leading global agriculture technology companies, announced important collaborations following the launch of its innovation accelerator platform Shoots by Syngenta in 2023. These collaborations, which connect expertise across industries and sectors, are aimed at making possible novel solutions to agricultural challenges more quickly and efficiently.

Two collaborations – with IBM Research and with US biotech Maxygen – brought their respective pioneering approaches in data-based prediction modelling, and in the directed evolution of proteins more commonly leveraged in the pharmaceutical industry, together with Syngenta’s world-leading agricultural research and proprietary data sets.

“Helping growers sustainably feed a rapidly growing human population requires a strong collaboration focus, not just across agriculture but across industries,” said Gusui Wu, Global Head of Seeds Research. “Collaboration is at the heart of how our scientists approach innovation every day. It is embedded in our scientific culture, and we are continually seeking out different technologies, solutions, and partners to help us better serve farmers.”

Two collaborations – with IBM Research and

Agri Genomics, Foodgrains, R&D

The integration of the wild corn gene marks the world’s first instance of using genetics from wild corn—a type of grass—to enhance the performance of commercial corn hybrids

Origin Agritech Ltd. a leading Chinese agricultural technology company, today announced a breakthrough development in its commercial corn hybrid offerings. Origin Agritech has successfully integrated a gene from wild corn into one of its elite commercial corn hybrids for the first time in the industry. This approach represents a significant scientific milestone and sets a new benchmark for crop yield performance and efficiency.

The integration of the wild corn gene marks the world’s first instance of using genetics from wild corn—a type of grass—to enhance the performance of commercial corn hybrids. This innovative genetic modification has improved plant type and photosynthesis efficiency, enabling the hybrid to achieve higher yields by supporting increased plant density per acre.

One of Origin Agritech’s mainstay commercial hybrids, which has been a market leader for over 20 years due to its superior performance, has been the focus of this enhancement. The improved version of this hybrid can now be planted at a 10-15 per cent higher density, offering a potential yield increase of more than 10 per cent. This advancement is expected to drive the new hybrid to replace the current version within two years, further solidifying Origin Agritech’s market share and leadership in the agricultural sector.

Dr Gengchen Han, Chairman and CEO of Origin Agritech, stated, “This breakthrough is a testament to Origin Agritech’s commitment to innovation and our continuous efforts to push the boundaries of agricultural technology. By harnessing the untapped potential of wild corn genes, we have significantly improved our hybrid’s performance, setting a new standard for efficiency and yield in the industry. We anticipate the enhanced hybrid will replace its predecessor and capture more market share thanks to its superior performance and adaptability. This is a proud moment for our team and a major step forward in our mission to provide sustainable and high-performing agricultural solutions to the world.”

Origin Agritech is dedicated to leveraging cutting-edge biotechnological research to develop crops with higher yields, improved nutritional profiles, and better adaptability to environmental challenges. This latest innovation underscores the company’s role as a leader in the global agritech industry and its commitment to enhancing food security and farming efficiency worldwide.

The integration of the wild corn gene

Acquaculture, Carbon Farming, Live Stock, Nature, World

Fair Carbon aims to lower market growth barriers and bring diverse voices together worldwide to co-create solutions by leveraging their knowledge of the various barriers that prevent projects from maturing and scaling

Fair Carbon has launched the Blue Carbon Academy, aimed at protecting and restoring the world’s coastal and marine ecosystems. It is a nonprofit based in Switzerland.

The Blue Carbon Academy is a resource that aims to make blue carbon knowledge accessible to all and support global communities in accessing blue carbon finance for effective coastal and marine restoration.

According to a press release by Fair Carbon, time is running out to reverse climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation. Blue carbon, which refers to carbon captured by the ocean and marine ecosystems like mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes, promises to be a powerful ally in this fight.

Fair Carbon believes that creating a high-integrity blue carbon market can finance the protection and restoration of these critical ecosystems while also providing a means to fairly reward the stewards who manage these lands by selling certified, high-quality blue carbon credits.

Diana Denke, As co-founder and CEO explains, that Fair Carbon aims to lower market growth barriers and bring diverse voices together worldwide to co-create solutions by leveraging their knowledge of the various barriers that prevent projects from maturing and scaling, from technical complexity to policy and regulatory challenges and access to finance.

Fair Carbon aims to lower market growth

Acquaculture, Company News, Live Stock

The facility, subject to finalisation and completion, will be used to fund the first phase of the Brunei expansion and pivot to BG 2.0

Barramundi Group Ltd announced that its Brunei operations have secured a facility offer of BND 15 million from a Bruneian financial institution.

The facility, subject to finalisation and completion, will be used to fund the first phase of the Brunei expansion and pivot to BG 2.0. The financing allows us to execute the 2 key components of this first phase:

The construction of a RAS Broodstock and Hatchery centre, complementing the existing RAS Nursery operations; and immediate deployment of sea cages at our existing sea lease, Pelong Rocks. This deployment is slated for mid-2024.

With the new broodstock and hatchery facility, the Brunei operations will be able to capitalise on the genetic nucleus from our Singapore broodstock – naturally bred and selected over 20 years – to spawn and culture fry and fingerling within Brunei. The capacity of this facility will allow Brunei to be sufficient not only for the Phase 1 Pelong Rocks grow-out cages, with an annual capacity of 1,000 tonnes but also for Phase 2 requirements of the planned 3,000 tonne land-based RAS facility.

The immediate deployment of Pelong Rocks will help to smoothen the gap in production and revenues, but also provide the Group with an opportunity to re-enter the China market – one of our largest and key markets, previously unreachable with a Singapore-grown product.

Securing this initial funding, in the present economic climate, and following the many difficulties the Group has faced in recent years, is encouraging. We now focus on the work ahead to establish the funding requirements of Phase 2 of BG 2.0 and the Group.

The facility, subject to finalisation and completion,

Floriculture, Supply Chain, Trade, World

This collaboration focuses specifically on the development, production and marketing of Dümmen Orange’s roses in China

Leading global breeder Dümmen Orange and Lanzhou New District Agricultural Science and Technology Development from Lanzhou, China, have announced the collaboration in the field of technology resources. This collaboration focuses specifically on the development, production and marketing of Dümmen Orange’s roses in China, such as Avalanche+, Sweet Avalanche+ and Peach Avalanche+. By combining R&D capabilities, planting technology, and market development capabilities, both parties expect to create new standards of excellence and promote sustainable growth in the ornamental flower and plant sector in China.

Recently, a shipment of flowers worth 1.65 million yuan and weighing 16 tonnes was sent from Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport to Almaty. This marks the opening of Gansu’s first international cargo route connecting with Central Asian countries, as well as the province’s efforts to increase cooperation with Central Asian countries through the Belt and Road Initiative and to open up to the West. This new route marks a higher level for Gansu’s exporting economy, and it will help foreign trade enterprises expand their cargo business.

In the northwest province of Gansu in China, there is an automated smart greenhouse situated in Fuhan Township, where tens of thousands of roses are in full bloom amidst the cool autumn air. The greenhouse is part of the Flower Port project of Linxia Yinong Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Investment Co., Ltd. The project comprises three similar facilities, covering an area of around 200,000 square meters in the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture. The project started in October last year and has produced about 1.5 million rose seedlings so far.

The greenhouse is equipped with an automatic temperature and humidity control system and an integrated smart irrigation and fertilisation system. It is capable of producing about 200,000 fresh-cut roses daily, earning the name “rose gigafactory” among the locals. The prefecture has an average elevation of 2,000 meters and abundant sunlight in a dry climate, making it an excellent location for rose cultivation. The rose industry has enabled many local farmers in Fuhan Township to become industrial workers.

In mid-October this year, his company ordered 200,000 fresh-cut roses that were dispatched from Linxia. The flowers were transported via a cold-chain truck, passing through the Alataw Pass in the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region before entering Kazakhstan, and finally reaching Moscow.

In August this year, the Chinese company also transported some of its flowers to Kazakhstan, a significant breakthrough for local flower and plant exports. Moreover, two flower companies in the prefecture have seen their products exported to Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore, reflecting a growing international demand for their blooms.

This collaboration focuses specifically on the development,

Agrotech, Farm Mechanisation, Interaction, Machinery - Pre-harvesting, Machinery – Post-harvesting

A four-day event to provide platform for B2B, B2Gand B2C meeting, facilitating valuable networking opportunities for business and consumers, fostering partnerships and knowledge exchange.

The eighth edition of EIMA Agrimach India 2024, the international agricultural machinery exhibition organised by FICCI in collaboration with FederUnacoma, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Indian Council for Agricultural Research, opened in Bangalore at the GKVK University of Agricultural Sciences.

EIMA Agrimach India 2024 will showcase live demonstrations of innovative equipment, demonstrating their efficiency and effectiveness. The event will provide platform for B2B, B2Gand B2C meeting, facilitating valuable networking opportunities for business and consumers, fostering partnerships and knowledge exchange. The event will also host Kisan Training lectures to empower farmers with the knowledge and skills to adopt new technologies and practices.

The exhibition – which held its first five editions in New Delhi and from 2022 has been moved to Bangalore in Karnataka, to meet the technological needs of a region of the Subcontinent whose agriculture is largely centred on fruit and vegetable production – will be on stage until Sunday 3 March with the display of models in the covered halls and demonstration trials in the outdoor areas of the exhibition centre. An important event, that of EIMA Agrimach, which was underlined by the solemnity of the inaugural ceremony that saw, in front of the large audience of the congress hall of the exhibition centre, the presence of the highest representatives of the organising bodies and the industries of the sector.

In his greeting to the audience, the FICCI Karnataka State Council Chairman Ullas Kamath recalled the vigorous economic growth of Indian economy and underlined the significant improvements of India’s primary sector. The exhibition – this emerged from the speeches by representatives of FICCI Manish Singhal, of SBI V. N. Sarma and of PWC Guna Nand Shukla – confirms itself not only as a promotional and commercial event aimed at economic operators, farmers and agri-mechanics technicians, but also as an opportunity to analyse trends in agriculture and to highlight the great challenges facing the primary sector in India and in all major regions of the world. In this regard, the Italian consulate in Bangalore Alfonso Tagliaferri underlined the importance of the commercial and technical partnership between Italy and India, especially in the field of agricultural mechanics and in that of high technology agricultural machines.

Mariateresa Maschio, President of FederUnacoma, the Federation of Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers, which has been an organising partner with FICCI of the Indian exhibition since the first edition in 2009, focused on the main topics of EIMA Agrimach 2024.

“The issues that will be covered during the four-day event, which concern the sustainability of agricultural production, new technological and digital frontiers, training of technicians, but also the use of water resources, soil fertility and all the salient issues for the agricultural sector. With its companies, its institutions, and its university and research system. India presents itself as an immense laboratory for a new model of agriculture, one that meets the needs of the present, and guarantees the right resources for the future”, said Mariateresa Maschio.

A four-day event to provide platform for

Agro chems – Chemicals, Climate, Company News

Nouryon aims to reduce its absolute Scopes 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030 compared to 2019 and aspires to be a net-zero organisation by 2050

Nouryon, a global specialty chemicals leader, has been awarded a score of A- in the global CDP Climate Change category, in recognition of the Company’s progress in implementing current best practices in sustainability targets, value chain engagement, and opportunity disclosures. The A- score places the Company at the leadership level, above the chemical industry average score of B. This marks the third consecutive year Nouryon has engaged with CDP.    

CDP is a global non-profit that runs the world’s environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states, and regions to manage their environmental impacts. Considered the gold standard of environmental reporting, CDP maintains the most comprehensive collection of corporate environmental data in the world and is fully aligned with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Nouryon aims to reduce its absolute Scopes 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2030 compared to 2019 and aspires to be a net-zero organisation by 2050. The Company was recently awarded an EcoVadis Gold rating, remaining in the top 5 per cent of companies then rated by EcoVadis.

Nouryon aims to reduce its absolute Scopes

Agrotech, Company News, Sustainability

The B Corp movement is a global movement of people using business as a force for good

Cropin Technology, the global Agtech leader enabling intelligent agriculture announced that it has become a Certified B Corporation (B Corp) for its unwavering commitment to social and environmental progress and redefining sustainable food systems worldwide. The certification is the result of a meticulous assessment of Cropin’s decade-long impact on transforming the agriculture landscape, empowering farmers, and reshaping agribusiness models through its cutting-edge Agtech solutions. The B Corp movement is a global movement of people using business as a Force for Good.

As a prominent B Corp in the Agtech industry, Cropin stands among businesses at the forefront of a global shift for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. The B Corp certification highlights its commitment to excellence across a spectrum of vital areas – governance, employee well-being, community/customer empowerment, environmental impact and a legal commitment to stakeholder governance. It reaffirms Cropin’s substantial strides in making agriculture predictable, traceable, and inherently sustainable, bringing value to all stakeholders in the food systems. This encompasses the empowerment of farmers, contributing to substantial progress in the lives of underserved communities. This certification further underscores Cropin’s significant role in leading the global ‘Ag-intelligence’ movement by;

●      Cropin positively impacts millions worldwide, including women farmers in emerging markets

●      Agri-climate tech solutions deployed  across 103 countries

●      Introduced the world’s first industry cloud for agriculture, driven by a Crop Knowledge Graph encompassing 500 crops and 10,000 crop varieties

●      Built intelligence over 200 million acres of farmland

●      Reimagining agriculture through digitalisation, data, and intelligence for agribusinesses, development agencies, and government stakeholders

The B Corp movement is a global

Agro Universities, Agrotech, R&D, Start ups

The partnership leverages BharatRohan’s unique experience in hyperspectral imaging for crops, focusing on creating a spectral library to improve pest and disease detection in paddy and cotton crops

BharatRohan, a pioneer in providing hyperspectral imagining-enabled drone-based crop monitoring services, is excited to announce a co-innovation partnership with AgHub, the Agri-innovation hub of Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University(PJTSAU). This collaborative effort aims to promote a culture of co-innovation, collaboration, and co-creation, facilitating advancements through synergies between Agritech startups and agricultural scientists.

The partnership leverages BharatRohan’s unique experience in Hyperspectral Imaging for crops, focusing on creating a spectral library to improve pest and disease detection in paddy and cotton crops. This initiative is expected to significantly benefit farmers by potentially increasing yields through a reduction in losses caused by pests, such as the Brown Plant Hopper and Pink Bollworm, and diseases like rice blast and boll rot, by 20-30 per cent.

Amandeep Panwar, Co-founder of BharatRohan, commented on the partnership: “This partnership marks a significant milestone in our mission to empower farmers. Utilising hyperspectral technology, we aim to provide invaluable insights leading to healthier crops, reduced input costs, and enhanced yields. Our collaboration with AgHub and PJTSAU underscores our dedication to sustainable and prosperous agriculture.”

The collaboration leverages innovative hyperspectral imaging and advanced drone technology, setting a new benchmark in early detection and intervention for crop management. This integration is anticipated to lead to more sustainable farming practices and healthier crops.

The partnership leverages BharatRohan's unique experience in

Carbon Farming, Company News, Sustainability, World

Diverse agribusiness will utilise Regrow’s platform for the soybean programme

Regrow Ag, the Agriculture Resilience Platform provider, and Bartlett, a Savage Company announced their partnership to advance sustainability commitments. The Regrow platform supports rigorous Scope 3 emissions analysis, and the ability to create actionable carbon reduction plans and track environmental outcomes on the farm level. Bartlett will use Regrow’s solution to determine county-level emissions factors for its soybean supply shed. The platform will also provide insights into current regenerative practice adoption, to assist Bartlett in designing programs to support more sustainable farming practices.

When its new soybean crush plant opens later this year in Montgomery County, Kansas, Bartlett will work with local farmers, cooperatives and commercial grain elevators to handle approximately 49 million bushels of soybeans annually at the facility, which has already begun accepting soybeans. By leveraging the insights from Regrow’s technology, Bartlett will be able to create sustainability strategies for soy oil and soy meal co-products, with data collection and reporting designed to meet evolving sustainability standards for biofuels and insetting programs. Analysing current practice adoption will also help Bartlett prioritize counties with the highest abatement potential.

Regrow combines industry-leading science and technology to help companies across the agriculture value chain measure, report, and reduce on-farm emissions, using aggregated field-level data to create a baseline. Using its soil carbon models and remote-sensing-based technology, Regrow will help Bartlett identify opportunities to support farmers by calculating high-precision emissions factors and other critical sustainability metrics.

Diverse agribusiness will utilise Regrow’s platform for

AgroPolicy, Floriculture, SAARC

Expected to produce around 2,051 tonnes of sunflowers

Sunflower farming has become increasingly popular in Bangladesh, with over 3,000 hectares of land being used for its cultivation this season. Officials have reported that a total of 3,100 hectares of land have been used for sunflower farming in Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, and Narail districts.

In Bagerhat, a total of 1,048 hectares of land were used for sunflower farming, exceeding the target of 986 hectares set by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). This is expected to produce around 2,051 tonnes of sunflowers. In Narail, 105 hectares of land were cultivated, exceeding the target of 103 hectares, with a production aim of 240 tonnes.

In Khulna, 1,809 hectares of land have been used for sunflower farming, which is slightly less than the target of 2,026 hectares. The production target for Khulna is 4,822 tonnes. In Satkhira, sunflowers were cultivated on 138 hectares of land, which is slightly less than the target of 150 hectares. The production target for Satkhira is 338 tonnes.

According to the local media, sunflower cultivation has been completed on 3,100 hectares of land, which is slightly less than the target of 3,265 hectares. The production target for the region is 7,451 tonnes this season.

According to the government official, sunflower farming has become popular because it is a lucrative and less expensive crop to cultivate. About eight maunds of sunflower seed can be produced from one bigha of land. Initiatives are underway to create a market for selling sunflower seeds.

The government has taken various steps to increase oilseed production. Following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s instructions, fallow land has been brought under sunflower cultivation. The DAE has provided training and motivation to farmers in the respective areas about sunflower cultivation.

Expected to produce around 2,051 tonnes of

Agribusiness, Carbon Farming, Company News, North America

To date, farmers in Indigo Ag’s sustainability programs (Carbon and Sustainable Crops) have earned more than $12M. Farmers are scheduled to be paid for the third carbon crop in March 2024.

Boston based Indigo Ag, the innovative leader and trusted partner in sustainable agriculture, announced the successful completion of its third carbon crop. With 163,0481 carbon credits produced, Indigo is the only company to complete three carbon harvests at scale and the unprecedented program continues to show growth with year-over-year increases in the number of farmers paid, fields filed, and credits produced.

Since its inception in 2019, farmers participating in Indigo Ag’s carbon program have sequestered or abated the equivalent of nearly 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Indigo Ag’s carbon credits are verified and issued by the Climate Action Reserve, one of the world’s most trusted independent carbon registries. To date, farmers in Indigo Ag’s sustainability programs (Carbon and Sustainable Crops) have earned more than $12M. Farmers are scheduled to be paid for the third carbon crop in March 2024.

“Our record breaking third carbon crop reinforces that farmers can earn money and have a real and measurable impact leveraging agricultural soil as one of the world’s largest carbon sinks,” said Dean Banks, CEO of Indigo Ag. “As carbon projects continue to be scrutinized, we are incredibly proud to be the largest issuer of nature-based, registry issued agricultural soil carbon credits in the world, driving real value for farmers and corporations.”

Indigo’s latest crop of credits represents an equivalent of 163,048 metric tons of carbon dioxide sequestered or abated by U.S. farmers across 28 states. Indigo’s carbon program growth is evidence of the continued rise in adoption of sustainable farming practices with a 333% year over year increase in new acres, a 297% increase in new fields, and a 215% increase in new grower participation.

Indigo is also working closely with its expanding network of more than 25 agribusiness partners to use unique insights to support growers in deepening their transition to sustainable practices.

Eligible Crops List Expanded for Fifth Carbon Crop

Indigo Ag is already working on its fourth carbon crop, with enrolment numbers and the data collection progress underscoring the continued growth, popularity and value of its sustainable agriculture program. More details on the fourth carbon crop will be shared in early 2025 when credits are expected to be delivered.

For its fifth carbon crop, covering the 2023-24 planting season and already open for farmer enrollment, Indigo is expanding the list of eligible crops for its sustainability programs, adding hemp, perennial and annual alfalfa, millet, collard greens, and four perennial legumes to the current eligible crops (corn, soy and cover crops), giving farmers additional options for program eligibility.

Additionally, Indigo continues to work with its industry partners to make it easier for farmers to import and enter their data, whether they are importing that data from a spreadsheet or their FSA 578 insurance form. Additional product enhancements include historical data validation and the ability to spread out carbon harvests.

To date, farmers in Indigo Ag's sustainability

AgroPolicy, Finance, India, Schemes - Govt

Government of India permits sale of FCV Tobacco on Tobacco Boards auction platform and waives off penalty on sale of excess production of registered growers.

From 3rd-5th December 2023, MICHAUNG cyclone had caused heavy rains in Andhra Pradesh.  The FCV tobacco crop grown in Andhra Pradesh covering Eluru, East Godavari, Kakinada, Prakasam, Nellore, Bapatla, Palnadu and Guntur districts has been severely affected due to these cyclonic rains. The estimated area planted in the current crop season in Andhra Pradesh was 75,355 ha. and 14,730 ha. area i.e. around 20 per cent of the total planted area has been affected due to these heavy rains. The FCV tobacco crop has been impacted by washing out of crop, drowning of standing crop, water logging and resultant wilting of standing crop.

In view of the hardships faced by FCV Tobacco growers in Andhra Pradesh, the Government of India has approved Rs 10,000 interest free loan from the Grower Welfare Fund of Tobacco Board to the grower members of the fund, whose crops were damaged due to MICHAUNG Cyclonic rains in Andhra Pradesh. This is a one-time interest free loan for Andhra Pradesh Crop Season 2023-24 only. This interest free loan amount will be recovered from the respective tobacco growers auction sale proceeds of 2023-24 Andhra Pradesh crop season.

Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) Tobacco is mainly produced in India in 2 states, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Currently crop season is going in Andhra Pradesh, which has 42,915 FCV tobacco growers and auctions are going on in Karnataka which has 39,552 FCV tobacco growers.

Currently, auctions of FCV Tobacco are going on in the Karnataka. Till date, around 85.12 M. kg FCV tobacco has already been marketed by the Board through its e-auction platforms in Karnataka. There is a jump of 12.49 per cent in the average price received by tobacco growers i.e. from Rs 228.01/- per kg last year to Rs 256.48/- per kg in the current year.

In Karnataka, the State Government of Karnataka has declared drought in all except 2 FCV Tobacco growing taluks. This has affected the livelihood of FCV Tobacco growers. Due to this, the Government of India has decided to permit the sale of FCV Tobacco on Tobacco Boards auction platform after waiving off the penalty on the sale of excess production of registered growers and unauthorized production of unregistered growers for Karnataka Crop Season 2023-24 only.

Government of India permits sale of FCV

Agribusiness, Agrotech, Drones, India, R&D

Direct seeding drone is developed in collaboration with Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University (PJTSAU) incorporates a multi-nozzle aerial seed dispensing device.

Marut Drones, has been granted the world’s first utility patent for a term of 20 years starting from November 29, 2021, under the provisions of the Patents Act, 1970. This patent recognizes Marut’s direct seeding drone, developed in collaboration with Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University (PJTSAU), which incorporates a multi-nozzle aerial seed dispensing device. With this patent, Marut Drones endeavors to facilitate the widespread adoption of direct seeding drones for rice cultivation at the grassroots level.

Marut’s seeding drones have obtained the patent following scientific validation by PJTSAU, which has also released Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for their use. This validation underscores the reliability and efficacy of the technology in enhancing rice production.

The patented system enables the aerial dispersion of diverse rice seeds through a meticulously designed multi-nozzle mechanism, optimizing the efficiency and effectiveness of seed-sowing processes. Marut has adhered to standard operating procedures for seeding, ensuring precise parameters such as drone speed, swath width, nozzle type and pressure, spray volume, spraying altitude, and droplet size in Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) using drones.

Prem Kumar Vislawath, CEO and Founder of Marut Drones, emphasized, “This patented technology will revolutionize rice farming practices in India. By reducing on-farm manual labor through drone technology, we aim to address the persistent challenges faced by farmers, particularly labor shortages due to rapid urbanization. From seeding paddy to controlling mosquitoes and pests in rice fields, labor costs pose significant hurdles. Through our collaboration with PJTSAU, we seek to promote the widespread adoption of Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) through drones, fostering a more economically viable and sustainable rice cultivation ecosystem.”

Marut’s direct seeding drone is a multi-utility attachment, enabling farmers to utilise drones not only for pesticide application/spraying but also for direct seeding, thereby accelerating Return on Investment (ROI). This multi-functionality allows the drone to be utilised around the year, justifying its name AG365.

By leveraging Marut Drones’ innovative DSR drones, farmers can achieve a remarkable 92 per cent reduction in water usage, significantly accelerating ROI and profitability timelines from 3 years to just 1.5 years. The DSR drones are highly feasible under delayed monsoons, late release of canal water, or other contingency situations, addressing major challenges faced by rice farmers.

Traditional obstacles such as nursery time, transplantation, and skilled labor shortages are effectively mitigated, empowering farmers with enhanced operational efficiency and flexibility. With Marut’s DSR drones, farmers can sow up to 30 acres in a single day, requiring only 33,333 man-days to cover 500,000 acres compared to the 50 lakh man-days required for manual transplanting. Moreover, this technology minimizes operational exposure to harmful pesticides during pest outbreaks.

Through extensive trials conducted across 5 states, Marut Drones is poised to revolutionize rice farming practices nationwide. As India grapples with the impending dip of 2 million tons in rice production, creating disruptions in the global rice market, Marut Drones aims to seed 1 million hectares of land by 2030.

Marut’s patented technology not only opens avenues for rural employment but also encourages the establishment of Community Health Centers (CHCs) facilitated by Farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and women self-help groups.

Direct seeding drone is developed in collaboration