Author: Hithaishi CB

Australia’s biosecurity system will receive more than $1 billion in funding over four years to restrict contagious strain of H5 HPAI to strengthen the efforts. The Australian Government ensures a strong biosecurity system, and has officially declared the country free of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) in accordance with the World Organisation for Animal Health. In Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory, the H7 HPAI outbreaks that occurred in 2024 have now been eradicated. The full resumption of trade is dependent on regaining Australia’s freedom from HPAI, where restrictions may remain in place after last year’s…

Indonesia continues to foster the fertilizer industry to expand subsidized stock to farmers Indonesia-based PT Pupuk Kujang’s “Kujang Kampioen” research farm was inaugurated on 7th February in Cikampek, Karawang, West Java by the Deputy Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) of the Republic of Indonesia, Aminuddin Ma’ruf. He ensured that fertilizer would be available to farmers in the form of subsidized fertilizer stocks. Deputy Minister Amin inspected the fertilizer packaging facilities and fertilizer stock in the warehouse of PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero) along with Tina T. Kemala Intan, PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero)’s Director of Human Resources, and Maryono, the President and Director of…

An estimated 200 million kiwifruit trays will be harvested over the next few months The record crop of just over 200 million trays of kiwifruit to be harvested over the coming monthsNew Zealand has kicked off its earliest and largest ever kiwifruit harvest, which will break the 200 million tray milestone this year, indicates New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (NZKGI). The first fruit was picked in the Bay of Plenty on New Zealand’s North Island, marking the earliest-ever harvest. The harvest traditionally peaks in mid-April and runs until June, according to the NZKGI. Zespri’s sweet, berry-flavored RubyRedTM is the first…

Enhance several soil indicators, including soil conductivity, respiration rate, microbial biomass and plant biomass. Researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in China have recently revealed the vital role soil invertebrates play in enhancing soil fertility, texture, and crop yields. Soil invertebrates, such as termites, ants and earthworms, are found across diverse ecosystems worldwide. By disturbing the soil, they create distinct biological structures such as termite mounds, ant nests, and earthworm casts. These creatures are often referred to as “ecosystem engineers” for their role in shaping the environment. The researchers spent a year collecting and reviewing 1,047 relevant documents from six continents,…

Aircraft will revolutionize aerial application, delivering meaningful cost-savings and spray results for growers Pyka, a leader in autonomous electric aviation, has unveiled its next-generation agricultural spray aircraft, Pelican 2. Featuring an expanded 300-liter payload and a work rate of up to 90 hectares per hour, Pelican 2 is the world’s largest and most productive autonomous electric agricultural aircraft. With global food demand rising, Pyka aims to revolutionize autonomous aerial applications, providing farmers around the world with unprecedented efficiency, cost savings, and sustainability in farm practices. Since launching its first commercial autonomous spray aircraft in 2021, Pyka has continuously refined its technology…

ALCIVIA now provides advanced nitrogen diversification to drive farmers’ profitability and success As one of the world’s leading agtech companies, Pivot Bio recently announced a retail distribution partnership with ALCIVIA, an agricultural cooperative headquartered in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin. ALCIVIA specializes in expertise, services and products in agronomy, animal nutrition, energy and grain. This partnership will make PROVEN® 40, a microbial nitrogen solution powered by Pivot Bio’s patented gene-edited technology, available across ALCIVIA’s entire network, servicing customers within Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa. “ALCIVIA has a proven track record of delivering best-in-class products and services to drive farmers’ long-term profitability and…

Al Khorayef signed a letter of intent to meet agriculture’s energy demands in remote and challenging locations Hyliion Holdings Corp. a developer of sustainable electricity-producing technology, has signed a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) with Al Khorayef Group, a leader in power generation with diverse expertise in industrial machinery, agriculture, and irrigation solutions. Headquartered in Saudi Arabia and operating in more than 40 countries, Al Khorayef is a key player in the power generation industry in the Middle East, with its Gulf Power brand at the forefront. The LOI outlines plans for Hyliion to deliver up to twelve 200 kW…

Optimized for large-scale growing operations, new LEDs reset the standard for efficiency and durability while offering a seamless upgrade path Penguin Solutions’ Cree LED® brand introduced the XLamp® XP-L Photo Red S Line LEDs, a revolutionary advancement in horticulture lighting. Designed to deliver exceptional efficiency, exceptional durability and seamless system upgrades, these LEDs are optimized for high-performance applications in greenhouses, vertical farms, and other large-scale growing operations. The XP-L Photo Red S Line LEDs represent a 6% improvement in typical Wall-Plug Efficiency (WPE) over the previous generation, reaching 83.5% at 700 mA and 25°C. This improvement offers compelling cost benefits…

Combining robotics with precision agriculture expertise Topcon Agriculture, a global innovator in precision farming technologies, and Bonsai Robotics, a leader in vision-based autonomy for agriculture, announced a joint initiative to advance agricultural automation for permanent crops. The collaboration will leverage Bonsai Robotics’ expertise in vision-based autonomous driving solutions and Topcon Agriculture’s industry-leading capabilities with sensors, connectivity, and smart implements to provide farmers unparalleled efficiency and productivity. The collaboration combines the strengths of Bonsai Robotics’ vision-based, autonomous navigation systems with Topcon Agriculture’s advanced autosteering, telematics and smart implement integration to create end-to-end solutions that address automating labor-intensive tasks, enabling data-driven decision…

The GPSS aims to address the nationwide growing issue of agri-plastics by creating a regulated system that supports farmers and growers in reducing waste. A new pilot programme by Agrecovery offers farmers and growers in the New Zealand’s Hurunui District the opportunity to recycle agri-plastics for free. During the period of 19 February to 13 March 2025, this initiative will promote the recovery and recycling of more farm plastic, improve sustainability, and gather insight for a nationwide recycling program. Currently, Agrecovery is operating a number of voluntary Product Stewardship Schemes. Richard Carroll, Head of Commercial, emphasized the importance of providing…