Author: Hithaishi CB

The discovery could arm breeders with information on how to develop canola varieties with improved resistance against the disease. Australian researchers have discovered three genes associated with resistance to sclerotinia stem rot, marking a major step towards developing improved disease-resistant canola varieties for growers. The genes have links to sclerotinia stem rot susceptibility and resistance. Sclerotinia stem rot is a fungal disease which can significantly reduce the productivity of a grower’s canola crop. The discovery could arm breeders with information on how to develop canola varieties with improved resistance against the disease. Researchers from the Centre for Crop and Disease…

The programme has granted land titles for 5.6 million hectares of state forest to 1 million households. Indonesia’s social forestry programme, adopted in 2016, has ushered local communities into a new era of forest management. The programme is designed to strengthen land access rights, empower communities and support forest conservation practices. The government is aiming to reallocate a total of 12.7 million hectares of state forest, equivalent to the size of Indonesia’s main island of Java, to local communities, enabling them to manage their forests for decades at a time. As of today, the programme has granted land titles for…

To increase access and use of digital farming technologies in Brazil BASF has launched an innovative program in Brazil that links independent, agronomic consultancies with farmers through its advanced xarvio FIELD MANAGER crop optimization platform. The unique program, called xarvio Agro Experts, gives agronomic consultancies access to existing xarvio solutions that optimize and increase productivity in the field, specifically for soybean, corn, and cotton. It enables these consultancies to expand their digital farming knowledge and service offering, bringing even greater value to the work being done. It also ensures farmers can benefit from in-field support for the use of xarvio FIELD MANAGER…

Entering the attractive precision agriculture market Nordson Corporation has completed the acquisition of the ARAG Group and its subsidiaries (“ARAG”). ARAG is a global market and innovation leader in the development, production and supply of precision control systems and smart fluid components for agricultural spraying. The completion of the transaction follows the Company’s June 26, 2023, announcement that it had entered into an agreement to acquire the business. This acquisition will expand Nordson’s core dispense capabilities into the precision agriculture end market. ARAG is the specialist for components accessories and solutions the crop protection equipment as well as Precision agriculture…

Bionema Group Ltd, a leading UK-based biocontrol technology developer and manufacturer of biocontrol, biostimulants and biofertilisers, has announced the launch of a new range of biofertiliser products in the UK for use in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, sport turf and amenities.Bionema Group Ltd is launching four biofertilisers comprising living microbes that enhance plant nutrition by mobilising or increasing nutrient availability in soils and substrates. The BioNFix™ range and Rhizosafe™ include Paenibacillus azotofixans BNL1913, Azospirillum lipoferum BNL714, Bradyrhizobium japonicum BNL1061, and Rhizophagus irregularis BNL2414 encapsulated in a novel Incapsulex™ technology platform. This technology effectively encapsulates naturally derived microorganisms and delivers them on target, safely and effectively. These biofertilisers restore the…

World Bioprotection Research Foundation appoints expert members for New Program Advisory Council The World BioProtection Research Foundation is proud to announce the selection of seven distinguished professionals from around the world to join its inaugural Program Advisory Council of Experts (PACE). The selection follows a rigorous international search, attracting exceptional talents in the fields of bioprotection, soil and marine microbiology, and related disciplines. Seven world class experts have joined the PACE, with the goal of providing leadership in setting the research agenda, evaluating progress, and making informed decisions to advance the foundation’s objectives: Dr Zhibing Zhang PhD, Professor and Co-Director…

Christian Philippsen, Managing Director at BENEO Asia Pacific Evolving from a niche fad into a full-fledged lifestyle for consumers, the plant-based portfolio has tremendously expanded in recent years to include a variety of everyday products for consumers to fit their daily needs. This expansion has come on the back of the adoption of the flexitarian diet, which is a mostly vegetarian diet with occasional consumption of meat and fish. According to a plant-based consumer survey, 4 in 5 consumers globally adopted or are on the way to reducing meat consumption in their lives. The rise in flexitarian diets has been…

Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry (AAGI) co-investment in grains research, development and extension (RD&E) data and insights Australian growers will benefit from a renewed focus on grains research, development and extension (RD&E) data and insights with the announcement of a five-year strategic partnership aimed at harnessing analytics to drive the sector’s profitability and global competitiveness. Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry (AAGI) is a co-investment from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) with strategic partners Curtin University, The University of Queensland (UQ) and University of Adelaide. This new research will build on the foundational work done under the…

Thailand exports about 290,000 – 310,000 tons of rice to Japan per year, taking a 46.74% share of the rice market in Japan. Department of Foreign Trade led Thai Rice Exporters Association to visit Japan at the end of August 2023 to strengthen relations with government and private sectors involved in Japanese rice products and build confidence in the quality of Thai rice standards As a rice exporter with international quality and standards. The Department will lead the Thai Rice Exporters Association to meet with the Ministry of Agriculture. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the body that oversees rice auctions. and determine…

Facility aims to revolutionize rice breeding by shortening the breeding cycle and to increased efficiency and productivity International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baos, Laguna held its Speed Breed Facility (SBF) Inauguration Ceremony in late mid August at the Lloyd T. Evans Plant Growth Facility (PGF). The event marks a significant milestone in rice breeding, as the facility aims to shorten the breeding cycle for increased efficiency and productivity. Research Director and Head of the Rice Breeding Innovations Department, Dr. Hans Bhardwaj, talked about the overall goal of the SBF and how it aligns with the objective of reducing breeding…