Agrowatch Weekly #9 Microwave Heating For Soil Pests, EU To Miss 2030 Organic Target & Much More

Pakistan Agritech Ecosystem

• Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) and Korea Programme on International Agriculture (KOPIA) will construct aeroponics greenhouses and screen houses to boost potato output. The project, "Pakistan-Korea Joint Programme on Certified Seed Potato Production System," aims to produce 160,000 tonnes of certified seed potatoes annually. It will increase seed production potentially saving Pakistan Rs2-3 billion per year. Source: Nation
• WeatherWalay partnered up with Rapidev - a software and hardware solution provider in the Electronics and Defence industry. Weather Walay also reported shifts in Pakistan's November and December rainfall patterns with contrasting effects on rice and wheat cultivation. Increased November rainfall impacted rice harvesting, and led to delayed harvests, waterlogging, and quality issues. Decreased December rainfall affected wheat sowing, potentially reducing yield and straw production.

International Agritech Ecosystem

• Indonesian aquaculture startup eFishery has concluded its pilot project in India, where it acquired over 1,000 acres of ponds and distributed over 3,000 tons of feed. The company plans to expand its operations to five more Indian states by 2024, while eyeing one or two countries in Asia and Latin America within the year. Source: Tech in Asia
• NewLeaf Symbiotics, Inc. has secured $45 million in a Series D funding round led by Gullsp?ng Re: food, featuring participation from Otter Capital Partners, S2G Ventures, Leaps by Bayer, and others. NewLeaf focuses on developing microbial amendments, using its pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFM) technology, to enhance nutrient uptake and resilience in plants. The funding will support further development of PPFM technology for biostimulants, microbial inoculants, biocontrol products, nitrogen use efficiency, and methane mitigation. NewLeaf aims to release a biopesticide technology for corn rootworms in 2024 and explore biostimulants for peanuts and cotton. Source: AgFunder
• Loveland Products, Inc , an affiliate of Nutrien Ag Solutions , has entered into a joint development and supply agreement with Ascribe Bioscience to commercialize two new crop protection products containing Ascribe’s biofungicide, Phytalix, in the U.S. row crop market. The collaboration aims to provide farmers with innovative tools to prevent and overcome fungal pathogens' resistance to traditional chemistry. Pending EPA registration, the products are expected to launch in the 2026 growing season. Source: Crop Life
• Argentinian AgTech startup DeepAgro raised $2 million in a Seed round led by Draco Capital, aiming to expand to Brazil and the U.S. The AI-powered ag-tech reduces chemical usage by 70-90%, saving costs and lowering environmental impact. The move aligns with the growing trend in sustainable agricultural practices, with the global agricultural AI sector expected to reach $4 billion by 2026. Source: Latamlist
• Applications are open for the 5th cohort of the AgFunder GROW Impact Accelerator, targeting agrifoodtech founders. The global accelerator, launched in 2019, focuses on innovative technologies addressing climate impact, human and planetary health, waste mitigation, and financial inclusion. The 2024 program will provide 10 founders with a $100,000 cash investment, introductions to a global network of co-investors, and mentorship over five months. Applications for Cohort 5 close in February 2024. Source: AgFunder
• Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) has developed a breakthrough technology that uses microwave heating to effectively eliminate pests and protect farms from soil diseases without the use of chemicals. The technology penetrates microwaves deep into the soil, reaching up to 30 cm, and selectively heats moisture, effectively sterilizing the soil. The technology may have applications beyond agriculture, including eradicating habitats of foreign pests, de-icing roads, and cleaning oil-contaminated soil. Source: Newswire
• The European Union is "very unlikely" to achieve its 2030 target of 25% organic agriculture, as progress would need to almost double the current rate, according to the European Environment Agency . The report states that the EU is off track for most environmental targets, including organic farming. The Farm to Fork Strategy's key element, aiming for at least 25% of EU agricultural land to be organic, lacks sufficient policy support and disparities persist among EU countries in achieving organic farming goals. Source: Euractive
• Researchers from the The University of Sheffield Institute for Sustainable Food exploring ways to engineer salt-resistance rice, found that reducing the number of stomata in rice makes it more salt-resistant, a crucial development as rice accounts for 20% of human calories and requires 40% of global irrigation. The researchers worked with the High Agricultural Technology Research Institute in Vietnam to overexpress the EPF1 gene in traditionally bred rice varieties, making them more resilient to salt. The next step is to enhance the heat resistance of high-yield dwarf rice species. Source: The Cool Down