Author: Hithaishi CB

Futureco Bioscience and Sumitomo Corporation to evaluate proprietary biological crop protection technology In a strategic move to advance sustainable agriculture and biological innovation, Futureco Bioscience, a Spanish biotechnology manufacturer specializing in environmentally responsible crop protection and biostimulation, has signed a global evaluation with licensing option agreement with Sumitomo Corporation, one of the world’s largest integrated trading companies. The agreement concerns a proprietary biological crop protection technology, developed and patented by Futureco Bioscience, which is currently undergoing registration in both Europe and the United States. The agreement, signed by Rafael Juncosa, President & CEO of Futureco Bioscience and Marcos Mares, Director of the Global Business Development Office of the Agribusiness…

Costs efficient approach to LED lighting and effective root zone management, combined with climate control and active dehumidification Philips Horticulture LED Solutions and Grodan are further exploring ways for growers to reduce energy costs by using LED lighting and effective root zone management, along with climate control and active dehumidification. Producing high-quality, year-round tomatoes with reduced energy input and lower costs is made possible when all aspects of the cultivation strategy are under control. The Botany Research Centre began researching low-energy tomato growing under full-LED lighting in late 2023 and early 2024, in collaboration with Grodan and Philips Horticulture LED Solutions’…

Adaptation of Nidec Drives white paper “Irrigation in Agriculture”, which discusses the use of variable speed drives in irrigation As the global population grows and climate change intensifies, the agricultural sector is under increasing pressure to produce more food while reducing its environmental impact. One of the most promising solutions to emerge is the use of Solar-Powered Irrigation Systems (SPIS’s), which harness solar energy to power irrigation pumps. These systems, combined with advanced control technologies, are revolutionising farming practices, offering a sustainable path forward for the industry. The Challenge of Traditional Irrigation Irrigation is essential for global food production, with…

Partners with small and medium scale organic and biodynamic farms to restore farmland and surrounding ecosystems Todd, a generative agriculture firm is introducing the world’s first regeneratively grown seed products, developed to reverse the damage caused by over-farming and synthetic fertilizers, by exhibiting tolerance to regenerative farming practices that heal the earth. Committed to setting a new standard in regenerative agriculture, Todd has transformed into a renowned agriculture firm by partnering with small and medium scale organic and biodynamic farms to restore farmland and surrounding ecosystems. This restoration is achieved by naturally enriching soil, increasing biodiversity, and restoring watersheds. Todd has…

STROVEQ and SPREXIMA utilize Agrauxine’s unique strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast as Biofungicides Syngenta Crop Protection has signed an agreement with Agrauxine by Lesaffre to private label and exclusively distribute Syngenta’s products STROVEQ® and SPREXIMA®. STROVEQ is a systemic resistance inducer and SPREXIMA, is a biofungicide. These products will be sold and distributed in the ornamental market in the US. This agreement further strengthens the collaboration between Agrauxine and Syngenta. Both STROVEQ and SPREXIMA utilize Agrauxine’s unique strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. STROVEQ is a systemic resistance Inducer (SRI) that acts preventively to prepare plants to defend against fungal attacks. SPREXIMA prevents disease…

Global assessment is based on information provided by 128 countries, four regional centres  and 13 international centres through the FAO World Information and Early Warning System on Plant Genetic Resources (WIEWS) A sustainable cropping system is dependent on Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) – plants that are currently harvested or have potential to be harvested for food and agriculture. The publication, The Third Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (Third Report), presents the results of a comprehensive assessment of the global status and trends, including progress made and the remaining constraints, regarding…

Ministers pledged to continue the expansion of trilateral cooperation in economy and trade Korea Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Dukgeun has agreed with his counterparts from Japan and China to expand trilateral cooperation in economy and trade. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in Seoul on March 30 said the 13th trilateral talks on economy and trade among the three countries was held that day at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul’s Jung-gu District. Attending the meeting was Minister Ahn, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoji Muto, and Chinese Minister of Commerce…

Specialized dialogues on dairy and fisheries, strengthen policy communication and information exchanges across agricultural sub-sectors China’s Vice Minister Zhang Zhili met with Ray Smith, Director-General of the Ministry of Primary Industries of New Zealand, in Beijing on March 25. They exchanged views on advancing agricultural cooperation between China and New Zealand.   Vice Minister Zhang highlighted agriculture as a pivotal sector within China-New Zealand bilateral relations. In recent years, the two countries have enjoyed increasingly robust agricultural cooperation, benefiting from improved cooperation mechanisms, significant trade potential, and deepened exchanges in agricultural science and technology. Minister expressed China’s stand to work with…

Collaboration to enable cost-effective end-to-end genotyping across large animal and plant populations Twist Bioscience Corporation, a core mid-cap growth and value equity company in the life sciences segment of the health care sector, and Curio Genomics, a pioneer in genomics software, announced a collaboration to accelerate the adoption of NGS workflows in agricultural genomics (agrigenomics) by offering Twist’s FlexPrep™ Ultra-High Throughput (UHT) Library Preparation Kit with Curio’s bioinformatics software and data platform. Despite the flexibility and depth of genomic data provided by NGS workflows compared to microarrays, adoption of NGS in agrigenomics has lagged due to the low cost and familiarity of microarray workflows.…

NTU Singapore invention ‘fungi tiles’ can mimic the skin’s biological process of regulating heat A team of scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed ‘fungi tiles’ that could one day help to bring the heat down in buildings without consuming energy. These wall tiles are made from a new biomaterial combining fungi’s root network – called mycelium – and organic waste. Earlier research has shown that mycelium-bound composites are more energy efficient than conventional building insulation materials such as expanded vermiculite and lightweight expanded clay aggregate. Building on this proven insulating property, the NTU Singapore team worked…