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HomePosts Tagged "ICL"
Agbiologicals, Agribusiness, Biostimulants, Middle East countries, R&D

More than one dozen novel microbes identified for row crops suffering from extreme weather conditions.

 Israel based ICL, a leading global specialty minerals company, and Lavie Bio Ltd., a leading ag-biologicals company and subsidiary of Evogene Ltd. announced a significant milestone in their collaboration to develop bio-stimulant solutions for key row crops facing various abiotic stresses. By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), Lavie Bio has computationally identified more than a dozen novel microbial candidates believed to have commercial viability as bio-stimulants for crops grown under extreme weather conditions, including drought.  While this process can normally take several years, the collaboration achieved success within its first 12 months – thanks to Lavie Bio’s proprietary Biology Driven Design (BDD) technology platform.

The ambitious AI-driven program, jointly developed by ICL and Lavie Bio, has identified novel microbe-based biological solutions that, when combined with fertilizers, are expected to be a game changer in overcoming various abiotic stresses under different weather conditions. By focusing on bio-stimulants that enhance crop resilience to such conditions, the collaboration has aimed to deliver tangible benefits to farmers, including a 5% to 10% increase in yield, on average.

As part of this AI-driven achievement, more than a dozen novel microbe candidates, which met the product requirements for efficacy, stability, shelf life and fertilizer compatibility, were computationally identified and verified in multiple greenhouse trials. The microbes were discovered and validated using Lavie Bio’s BDD technology platform, powered by Evogene’s MicroBoost AI tech-engine, and achieved a remarkable prediction rate from computer modelling to greenhouse validation – a rate ten times higher than the industry standard, according to company estimates.

This success paves the way for field trials in both the U.S. and Brazil in the second half of 2024, with results available by year-end. Lavie Bio will continue to leverage AI to drive product development and optimization, while ICL will guide the development and lead the way to product commercialization. The parties aim to start the regulatory process in 2026, just three years from program initiation.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Lavie Bio in the search for a novel solution to address a significant and proven market need in regions strategic to ICL,” said Dr. Elinor Erez, vice president of R&D for ICL Growing Solutions. “This partnership exemplifies our commitment to pioneering advanced and unique biostimulant solutions for our customers, which aligns with our strategic vision to lead in agricultural innovation and sustainability and ensuring food security. The discovery process yielded candidate microbes that were validated in the green house, thanks to Lavie Bio’s exceptional capabilities and their structured and efficient discovery platform. We are excited to move forward to field trials and are confident any future novel product will revolutionize how the agricultural community approaches plant resilience and productivity.”      

“We are very proud of the collaborations’ significant progress, which was achieved by leveraging artificial intelligence to drive rapid advancements in our research,” said Amit Noam, CEO of Lavie Bio. “Using ICL’s deep agricultural expertise has been essential in focusing Lavie Bio’s discovery efforts and has enabled us to advance to field trials in multiple target geographies quickly. Our team did a remarkable job of pushing our discovery process and platform to new heights, continuously improving computational accuracy and reducing both the time and cost to market for our novel products.”

More than one dozen novel microbes identified

Agro chems – Fertilizers, Company News, Inputs, Middle East countries

Due to the lower-than-anticipated potash price, ICL expects to see a negative impact to its 2023 EBITDA guidance of approximately $400 million.

Israel based ICL, a leading global specialty minerals company, announced an update to its 2022 to 2024 framework agreement with its customers in China. The company has agreed to supply those customers with an aggregate amount of 800,000 metric tons of potash during 2023, with mutual options for an additional 350,000 tons. The agreed upon price is $307 per ton, which aligns with recent contract settlements.

Due to the lower-than-anticipated potash price, ICL expects to see a negative impact to its 2023 EBITDA guidance of approximately $400 million. In addition, a recovery in demand for flame retardants, which was expected in the second half of the year, has not yet begun to materialize. If a recovery is delayed until the end of 2023, it could result in a further reduction of approximately $200 million in EBITDA guidance for the year. The company reiterated it is on track with regard to its five-year plan and does not expect these developments to have a material impact on its execution.

Due to the lower-than-anticipated potash price, ICL

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Fertilizers, Company News, Finance, Middle East countries

Company’s operating income was $465 million versus $902 million, while adjusted operating income was $480 million versus $880 million in the first quarter of last year.

ICL, Israel-based a leading global specialty minerals company, reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023. Consolidated sales were $2.1 billion versus $2.5 billion. Operating income was $465 million versus $902 million, while adjusted operating income was $480 million versus $880 million in the first quarter of last year. Adjusted EBITDA was $610 million versus $1,002 million. Earnings per share were $0.22 versus $0.49, and adjusted diluted EPS was $0.23 versus $0.48.

“ICL delivered another solid first quarter, even as prices pulled back significantly from last year’s peak levels. We are working to leverage opportunities created by geopolitical developments, global sustainability challenges and the current capital markets backdrop, to strengthen long-term value creation through innovative food security and battery materials solutions, while maintaining our focus on consistent cash generation and on driving cost efficiencies,” said Raviv Zoller, president and CEO of ICL. “For the first quarter, we continued to return value to shareholders, as we delivered record operating cash flow of $382 million and announced a dividend of $0.11 per share.”

The company also reiterated its guidance for full year adjusted EBITDA of between $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion, with approximately $1.1 billion of this amount estimated to come from the company’s specialties focused businesses. (1a).

First quarter 2023 summary

  • Sales of $564 million vs. $566 million.
  • EBITDA of $45 million vs. $110 million.
  • Margin decreased, due to destocking during a declining price environment.

Key developments

  • Specialty agriculture: Sales declined versus the prior year, as lower volumes offset higher prices achieved through new product launches.
  • Turf and ornamental: Results softened year-over-year, as higher prices from new product launches were unable to offset weaker ornamental and horticulture sales volumes.
  • Brazil: Sales increased versus the prior year, while profit was impacted by higher-cost inventory.
  • Polysulphate: Sales and profit increased year-over-year, with record production at Boulby of 259,000 metric tons.

Company’s operating income was $465 million versus

Agrotech, Company News, Europe, R&D

It will also ensure the continued investment and development of research and technical innovation that has pioneered many of the advanced Integrated Turf Management techniques.

Syngenta and ICL have signed a new agreement to continue and enhance the strong relationship that has brought great innovation, investment and service to the turf industry. The agreement includes the launch of new products, along with digital technologies and technical communication strategies.

The move reinforces the close working relationship of ICL’s unparalleled nutrition expertise, industry support and technical field force to deliver Syngenta’s world leading technical R&D products and services over the past 15 years.

It will also ensure the continued investment and development of research and technical innovation that has pioneered many of the advanced Integrated Turf Management techniques now successfully implemented by turf managers.

The extended agreement comes at an exciting time for both companies introducing ground-breaking technological advances. That includes the launch of ICL’s eqo.s® controlled release fertiliser technology and Syngenta’s new fungicide, herbicide and biocontrol products, along with Acelepryn and NemaTrident integrated solutions for turf soil pest control in 2023.

Announcing the new agreement, Syngenta Commercial Head, Daniel Lightfoot said: “The combined strength of ICL and Syngenta has, over the past 15 years, pioneered the products and the techniques to deliver huge advances in the management of high-quality turf and amenity landscapes.

“We are delighted to forge stronger links between the two companies that together can better help our customers to meet the current challenges, as well as develop further in the future. Stephen Squires, ICL Regional Business Lead, added: “We have built an incredibly strong strategic alliance with Syngenta, this agreement underlines the strength of the relationship.

“Together we will continue to deliver and build on the full value of our world leading product portfolios, our technical innovation and our industry knowledge and technical advice to our customers.”

It will also ensure the continued investment

Agro chems – Chemicals, Company News, Middle East countries

The long-term agreement will begin in June of 2023 and will initially be focused on supply in North America

Israel based ICL, a leading global specialty minerals company, announced it will be the strategic specialty phosphate solutions supplier to General Mills. The long-term agreement will begin in June of 2023 and will initially be focused on supply in North America, with the potential for international expansion.

“Our focus is always on the customer and on delivering best-in-class product, quality and service. We’re pleased General Mills appreciates our efforts and is also dedicated to providing best-in-class products to their customers,” said Phil Brown, president of ICL Phosphate Specialties and managing director of North America for ICL. “We’re looking forward to working with their R&D team to find new ways to support their product development and are excited to turn to our global innovation team for support.”

“As part of our strategy to develop long-term partnerships with key suppliers, we’re excited to work with ICL and leverage their technical expertise to support our business growth plans,” said Sebastiao Pinho, global sourcing director for General Mills.

The long-term agreement will begin in June

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Fertilizers, Company News, Finance, Middle East countries

ICL’s consolidated sales of $2,519 million were up 41 per cent year-over-year versus $1,790 million.

Israel-based leading global specialty minerals company, ICL reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022. Consolidated sales of $2,519 million were up 41 per cent year-over-year versus $1,790 million. Operating income of $935 million was up 191 per cent versus $321 million, while adjusted operating income of $928 million was up 195 per cent versus $315 million. Net income of $633 million was up 181 per cent, while adjusted net income of $628 million was up 192 per cent. Adjusted EBITDA of $1,049 million was up 139 per cent versus $438 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin of 41.6 per cent was up versus 24 per cent. Earnings per share of $0.49 were up 188 per cent versus $0.17.

Once again, ICL’s focus on long-term specialties solutions benefitted the company, as did additional upside from commodity prices, which began to ease following record-setting rates in the first half of the year.

“ICL delivered another quarter of record results, with record third quarter and year-to-date sales, operating income, EBITDA, operating cash flow and net profit, as well as a new production record at our Dead Sea site and year-to-date records for free cash flow and EPS. All three of our specialties businesses delivered record third quarter results, even with shifts in demand and continued global supply chain challenges,” said Raviv Zoller, president and CEO of ICL. “Our third quarter results reinforce our recent investor day message, which stressed our commitment to growing our leadership position across our differentiated businesses, as these represent significant long-term opportunities for ICL to deliver sustainable shareholder value.”

ICL's consolidated sales of $2,519 million were

Agrotech, Company News, IT, Middle East countries

ICLeaf is currently available for grape, cotton, banana, tomato and pomegranate crops in India, with other crops being added

Israel-based leading global specialty minerals company, ICL announced the launch of ICLeaf, a revolutionary diagnostics tool, which will provide farmers with a personal prescription for maximising yield. The tool measures 10 different elements in a leaf sample and then delivers accurate, real-time feedback and a recommendation regarding nutrient use.

ICLeaf is currently available for grape, cotton, banana, tomato and pomegranate crops in India, with other crops being added. The revolutionary diagnostics tool was created at the Center for Fertilisation and Plant Nutrition (CFPN), which was founded through a partnership between ICL and the Volcani Institute (Agricultural Research Organization ARO). The Volcani Institute is the research arm of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and leads in its field, with among the widest range of technologies and developments in advanced agriculture.

The digital technology suite – including the ICLeaf and Crop Advisor solutions, among others – was developed by Agmatix, an ICL owned digital ag startup, which developed the world’s first single engine designed to drive the agronomic innovation cycle from research and experimental data into meaningful and actionable insights. The Agmatix platform can read and interpret thousands of the different data points commonly used across the agricultural industry to help scientists, agronomists and farmers make actionable decisions.

The process begins with the collection of leaves from the targeted crop, which are then analysed using unique technology. Results are rapidly available – within up to three days after initial sampling – versus several weeks using traditional methods, and the new tool is also more sustainable than traditional testing. It will allow farmers to make quick and data-driven decisions, based on the measurements, and enable them to take multiple samples each year and make immediate, in-season improvements.

ICLeaf is complementary to Crop Advisor, an optimized data-based crop nutrition plan, which provides customised fertiliser recommendations, based on type of crop, location and environmental conditions. This customer-focused solution is supported by professional agronomists, who offer personal guidance throughout the process.

ICLeaf is currently available for grape, cotton,

Agrotech, Company News, Middle East countries, R&D

Field trials have resulted in significant improvement, while leaving minimal footprint.

Israel based leading global specialty minerals company, and ag-biotech company PlantArcBio, Ltd. has announced the development of a novel bio-stimulant technology platform, which will improve crop yields while having minimal impact on the environment.  The platform successfully uses of RNAi technology to maximize a plant’s natural yield increase mechanisms, without any genetic modification, and was the result of a multi-year research collaboration between the two companies.

In early-stage canola field trials, the platform has significantly increased seed weight per hectare for canola crops, and ICL and PlantArcBio are planning larger-scale field trials in 2022.  These will include testing the new technology platform using both commercial sprayers and standard farming practices.  Greenhouse trials for soybeans and rice are already in progress, with early results showing good potential. 

“The use of novel biostimulants based on RNAi technology helps promote sustainability, by reducing the use of chemicals in agriculture,” explained Hadar Sutovsky, vice president of External Innovation and general manager of ICL Planet. “This aligns perfectly with ICL’s long-term goal of creating impact and sustainable growth in the agriculture end-market, alongside ensuring food security.” 

“ICL and PlantArcBio have filed for a joint patent on the application for multiple crops,” said Sutovsky. “The application does its work, then rapidly disappears from both the plants and the environment, lasting no more than a few days, as it is highly biodegradable and also leaves no residual footprint.”

“The positive canola field trial results constitute another milestone in strengthening PlantArcBio’s capabilities in the development of RNAi-based products,” said Dror Shalitin, Ph.D., founder and CEO of PlantArcBio. 

Field trials have resulted in significant improvement,

Agro chems – Chemicals, Organic

ICL has signed a long-term agreement with IPL to supply Polysulphate through 2026, with a renewal option

ICL, a leading global specialty minerals company, recently announced that it has signed a long-term agreement with India Potash Limited (IPL) to supply Polysulphate through 2026, with a renewal option. The five-year term is for an aggregate amount of 1 million metric tons, with quantities increasing for each year of the agreement. Each shipment will be a minimum of 25,000 tons and equally distributed across the calendar year, with prices and payment terms to be fixed between IPL and ICL from time to time.

The availability of Polysulphate is expected to help boost the Government of India’s organic agriculture program. Polysulphate is available in its natural state and is mined, crushed, screened and bagged, with no additional chemical separation or other industrial processes – unlike blended or compound fertilisers – and has the lowest carbon footprint available globally. Polysulphate is a cost-effective answer to crop nutrition, as it contains four key plant nutrients: sulfur, potassium, magnesium and calcium, which are steadily available to plants along the crop cycle.

ICL has signed a long-term agreement with

Agrotech, Environment, Start ups

Organisations joining forces to develop the next generation of crop nutrition and food tech startups

ICL, a leading global speciality minerals company, has partnered with startup accelerator StartLife in its quest to invest in startups focused on new ways to address global challenges in food and agricultural production. These challenges range from increasing yields and tackling food insecurity, to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Both organisations are fully geared toward accelerating the business development and growth of early-stage startups, and this partnership enables them to advance in their shared mission.

Headquartered in Israel, ICL Planet Startup Hub serves as the vehicle ICL uses to cultivate, nurture and accelerate innovation in the AgriFood tech ecosystem, through open innovation and collaboration on a global basis. Potential targets also include novel ways to recycle minerals, extract them from waste streams and convert them to fertilisers or develop innovative functional proteins for clean label applications, among others.

“ICL Planet Startup Hub seeks to establish a new generation of plant nutrition solutions, and we aim to invest in startups, which can make a meaningful difference,” said Hadar Sutovsky, VP of External Innovation at ICL Group. Sutovsky first encountered StartLife through its annual summit – F&A Next – which is centered on disruptive AgriFood technologies and brings together startups, investors and corporates from all over the world.

“StartLife has a strong track record of spotting and attracting promising early-stage startups globally, and its position at the heart of the European AgriFood tech ecosystem, its focus on sustainable food systems, and its strong links with the world-renowned Wageningen University & Research were central to our decision to enter into a partnership,” continued Sutovsky.

StartLife’s Operations Director, Laura Thissen, said, “Through this partnership, StartLife aims to accelerate startups’ scaling journey and, at the same time, support ICL in finding the best startups, which match their innovation challenges. Our team is already identifying startups looking to partner and help solve a piece of the innovation puzzle for Planet Startup. The scope includes crop nutrition, such as next-generation fertilisers and biostimulants, but also precision farming and alternative proteins.”

Thissen added, “To boost innovation, StartLife actively connects startups to leading players in the industry. ICL’s core domain is complementary to our partner community value chain coverage. In our talks, we quickly discovered we have a lot of synergies in our activities and the same drive for sustainability in food and agriculture.”

Startups have much to gain from a collaboration with ICL Planet Startup Hub, including market access, expertise and world-class scientists, as well as the ability for sample testing. As an on-the-ground industrial partner, ICL can also provide agronomic or food application feedback. ICL Planet Startup Hub is already an active investor in several AgriFood startups, most recently in alternative protein companies Plantible and Protera.

Organisations joining forces to develop the next