Author: Suchetana Choudhuri

South Africa Lighthouse project targets over 1 million tonnes per year output, leveraging high-efficiency electrolysis to drive globally competitive green ammonia pricing Hive Hydrogen has announced a capital expenditure commitment of over $1 billion for its Coega Green Ammonia project, selecting Danish technology company Topsoe to supply its dynamic ammonia loop and 850 MW Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) system, marking a major step in scaling industrial green hydrogen-to-ammonia production. The project is designed to leverage high-efficiency electrolyser technology to significantly improve conversion efficiency and reduce overall production costs. The Coega facility is expected to produce over 1 million tonnes…

Syngenta retains economic stake as it reshapes portfolio toward higher-growth agricultural segments and core crop innovation Syngenta Group has announced an agreement to divest its Flowers business into a strategic joint venture with Dümmen Orange, bringing together two global leaders in ornamental breeding and propagation to create a scaled global horticulture enterprise, subject to regulatory approvals. The transaction will transfer all assets and employees of Syngenta Flowers and Dümmen Orange into the new entity, with Syngenta retaining a significant economic interest in the joint venture. The move reflects a strategic portfolio realignment by Syngenta Group, as it sharpens its focus…

Breakthrough discovery of fungal long non-coding RNA attack mechanism could enable greener, broad-spectrum disease-resistant rice and wheat varieties Chinese scientists have uncovered a previously unknown molecular strategy used by rice blast fungus to attack crops, revealing how the pathogen disables plant immunity through an RNA-based “Trojan horse” mechanism, in a breakthrough that could reshape the future of crop disease management and sustainable agriculture. The research, led by Sichuan Agricultural University and published in Nature, identifies a long non-coding RNA molecule used by the rice blast fungus to infiltrate rice cells and suppress the plant’s immune response, causing significant yield losses…

New “Green Shield” model integrates regulatory safeguards and crop-specific intelligence to standardise farm advisory systems across major crops China has unveiled its first open-source large language model for crop protection, “Green Shield”, developed by Nanjing Agricultural University in collaboration with the National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and more than 30 industry institutions, marking a significant step toward AI-driven agricultural decision support systems. The model is designed to provide scientifically validated agricultural guidance, particularly in pest management and pesticide usage, addressing rising concerns over pest outbreaks, pesticide resistance, and inconsistent advisory quality in rural farming systems. Specialised Agricultural AI Built…

Underlying EBITDA rises 18 per cent; net debt reduced by $135 million as Crop Protection and Seed Technologies drive margin expansion and cash flow strength Nufarm Limited reported a strong performance for the half year ended 31 March 2026, marked by robust earnings growth, improved cash generation, and continued progress on balance sheet deleveraging, supported by disciplined execution across Crop Protection and Seed Technologies businesses. Strong Earnings and Cash Flow Expansion For 1H FY26, statutory net profit after tax stood at $38 million, up 28 per cent year-on-year, while underlying NPAT rose 35 per cent year-on-year to $52 million. Underlying…

KisanKraft Chairman Ravindra Agrawal highlights why seasonality and asset intensity make farm mechanization fundamentally different from urban platform models In an exclusive Agrospectrum interview with Ravindra Agrawal, Chairman of KisanKraft, the conversation maps India’s farm mechanization at a clear inflection point, where ownership is steadily giving way to access-based rental models driven by smallholder constraints and seasonal labor shortages. He argues that the rental economy fundamentally improves farm productivity by lowering capital barriers, reducing maintenance burdens, and ensuring time-critical agricultural operations are completed efficiently. However, he highlights that unlike urban “Uber-like” platforms, agricultural mechanization is structurally constrained by seasonality, asset…

High-efficiency liquid pyroxasulfone designed to reduce complexity while improving field-level weed suppression ADAMA has announced the launch of Novali SC, a high-load liquid pyroxasulfone herbicide designed to strengthen residual weed control programs for row crop growers in the United States, particularly in corn and soybean production systems. The product introduces a patented concentrated liquid formulation intended to deliver significantly higher active ingredient loading per gallon compared with leading competing liquid pyroxasulfone products. This higher concentration is designed to reduce handling requirements, transport volume, storage needs, and refill frequency while maintaining strong and extended residual weed control performance. ADAMA said the…

Full label registration for next-generation enzyme enables cross-species deployment, improving feed efficiency, cost performance, and nutrient utilization Novonesis has received a full label registration for its next-generation phytase HiPhorius, increasing flexibility of use and bringing its superior performance and cost efficiency to farm and feed producers of all monogastric species across EU-countries. Previously authorized for all poultry species for fattening, poultry reared for laying or reared for breeding, sows and fin fish, HiPhorius can now also be used for laying hens, breeding poultry, piglets and fattening pigs. The full label registration allows feed producers and farmers the opportunity to use…

NTT, Kubota and DOCOMO test hybrid network for remote farm machinery control NTT, Kubota, and NTT DOCOMO have completed a joint demonstration of advanced communication technologies designed to enable stable remote operation and monitoring of robotic agricultural machinery in mountainous regions, where network instability has historically limited automation deployment. The experiment focused on maintaining continuous connectivity and high-quality video transmission for field operations by combining mobile networks with satellite communication systems. The integrated approach is intended to support future agricultural automation in challenging terrain conditions. The demonstration showed that multi-link control systems can dynamically coordinate mobile and satellite connectivity based…

Partnership targets scalable, consent-based footprinting to meet rising supply chain sustainability demands Sustell has entered into a strategic partnership with PoultryPlan to accelerate the adoption of environmental footprinting in poultry production through simplified, data-driven tools built on primary farm-level inputs. The collaboration is designed to help poultry producers measure, manage, and reduce their environmental impact with greater ease and consistency, while supporting increasingly stringent sustainability requirements across global food supply chains. The joint initiative focuses on enabling scalable and practical footprinting solutions that translate operational farm data into verified environmental performance metrics. The system is intended to support retailers, food…