Today's Agriculture Pulse
Corn‑based biopolymer ‘plantymer’ promises sustainable plastic alternative
Scientists from China and the Netherlands have created a corn‑protein biopolymer called “plantymer” using a spider‑silk‑inspired process. The material, derived from the protein zein, offers silk‑like rigidity and strong moisture and oxygen barriers, and it degrades up to 80% within a month in simulated soil.
Also developing:
Trump’s Plan for Ultrafast Meat Processing Would Be a Disaster for Workers and the Environment
The USDA announced proposals to raise line speeds in poultry slaughter to 175 birds per minute for chicken and 60 for turkey, while removing any cap on swine line speed. Over 22,000 comments oppose the poultry rule and more than 20,000 oppose the pork rule, citing worker safety and environmental risks. Advocates argue faster lines could increase injuries, heat stress, water consumption and waste, while the agency claims the changes will lower costs and keep groceries affordable. Critics doubt price benefits will reach consumers and warn of broader ecological harm.
Forest Gardening for Resilience: Growing Regenerative Food Systems in New Zealand
A new guide from the Aotearoa Permaculture Workshop and Resilio Studio translates 15 years of research into practical forest‑gardening methods for New Zealand. The authors identify three climate‑adapted garden types—subtropical, deciduous and Mediterranean—matching the country’s diverse temperate ecosystems. By aligning garden...
Eternal.ag Launches Omni-Directional Trolley as ‘Stepping Stone to Fully-Automated Greenhouses’
German agritech startup Eternal.ag unveiled an omni‑directional trolley designed as a stepping stone toward fully automated greenhouses. The trolley can navigate rows without dismounting and can be upgraded into the company’s Harvester robot, with the full purchase price credited toward...
Beyond Chatbots: How Agentic AI Can Boost Productivity and Decision-Making in Food
Agentic AI—autonomous systems that set their own goals—is moving beyond chatbots in the food and beverage sector. Nestlé has integrated the technology across HR, sales and finance, with more than 10,000 employees regularly leveraging AI tools. Danone is piloting agentic...
Underselling Breeding, and Conservation
A Reddit post highlighted that the $100 billion global coffee industry allocates only a tiny share to breeding and conserving plant genetics. The same underfunding applies to other “opportunity crops” such as fonio and Bambara groundnut. Despite clear biological upside and...
Partnership to Track Barley Carbon Emissions From Paddock to Beer
Asahi Beverages has teamed with Charles Sturt University’s Cool Soil Initiative to quantify carbon emissions from barley grown by nine Victorian farms. The partnership collects soil, fertilizer and field‑operation data, delivering farm‑specific emissions reports that benchmark practices across the Wimmera...
Domestic Fert, Value-Add Capacity Lead Ideas for GRDC Spend
The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has finished a broad industry consultation to shape a potential $600 million investment plan for the next decade. More than 500 growers, agribusinesses and online participants ranked ten strategic challenges, with the Nitrogen Challenge...
Evaluating the Application of Biochar on Sweet Corn Production, Soil Health, and Its Role in Regenerative Agriculture
A field trial in Hawaii applied biochar at 12.3 t ha⁻¹ to two soil types—Oxisol and Mollisol—and measured its effect on sweet corn. On the Oxisol, vegetative growth rose 18.8% and yield climbed 19.1%, while sugar content increased 1.7%. The Mollisol showed...
Fertilizer Can Be Made From Local Resources Instead of Fossil Fuels
Fraunhofer IGB has demonstrated a pilot‑scale system that extracts nitrogen and phosphorus from manure, digestate and municipal wastewater and turns them into ready‑to‑use ammonium sulfate, phosphate salts and organic soil conditioners. The technology replaces fossil‑fuel‑derived ammonia and urea, which have...
Low-Cost Method Could Standardize Microplastic Extraction From Soils Worldwide
University of New England researchers have unveiled a low‑cost, high‑recovery technique for extracting microplastics from agricultural soils. The method, developed by Ph.D. candidate Nivetha Sivarajah, combines organic‑matter digestion with density separation and achieves over 92% recovery of six common plastic...
Fertilizer Prices Have Doubled Since the Strait Closed
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Feb. 28 halted half of the world’s fertilizer feedstock shipments, causing fertilizer prices to more than double. Experts say even a cease‑fire won’t quickly restore natural‑gas supplies, so relief could take months or...
Perfect Tomatoes Delivered Daily, No Matter the Cost
I am once again sharing my proposal for a startup called The Good Tomato that does one thing, and one thing only: offers to ship you a perfect tomato, at whatever price is necessary, 365 days a year
Home Gardeners Shift to Weekly, Climate‑Responsive Planting
Home gardeners across the United States are increasingly basing planting decisions on weekly weather forecasts rather than traditional seasonal schedules, a trend highlighted by recent observations. The shift leverages weather apps, micro‑climate awareness, and rapid adjustments to improve plant survival...
Better Outcomes, Not Lower Costs: Rethinking Agtech in Horticulture, with Mark Trzaskoma
In this episode, Sarah Nolette talks with horticulture veteran Mark Trzaskoma about how his Batunga Orchards in Victoria, Australia, adopts ag‑tech not to cut costs but to boost yields, quality, and long‑term profitability. Mark describes a test‑measure‑learn cycle that uses...
Robot OSCAR Brings Automation to Irrigation and Nutrient Application
Osiris Agriculture has launched OSCAR, a field robot that automates row‑crop irrigation and fertigation. The four‑wheel platform can deploy a 900‑metre polyethylene pipe and a 44‑metre foldable boom that delivers water at one‑metre intervals, covering about 40 hectares per week....
Graft Four Dragon Fruit Varieties for Faster, Diverse Harvest
I created a Frankenstein dragon fruit plant by grafting 4 different varieties onto the exact same plant It's a delicious fruit but grows SLOWLY, so this technique gets me a diverse yield of these fruits on a way faster timeline Highly recommend...
The Day of No More Triffid Testing Protocol Arrives
The EU will end its mandatory sampling and testing protocol for Canadian flax on May 1 2026, removing a non‑tariff barrier that has existed since a 2009 discovery of trace CDC Triffid DNA. The protocol, introduced after the unauthorized GMO was found,...
Geopolitical Risks Drive Long-Term Contracts, Boost Low‑carbon Fertilizer
The top executive at Atome sees the low-carbon fertilizer industry getting a boost as buyers shift to long-term contracts amid rising geopolitical risks. https://t.co/oo6Au7EQpp
Armed with Govt Missive, India’s APEDA Poised to Take up GMO Rice Issue with China
India’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has received an official memorandum from the Environment Ministry confirming that no genetically modified (GM) rice is approved for cultivation in India. The memo, backed by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal...
BioMar Funds Research and Development for Barramundi and Yellowtail Kingfish Aquaculture
Denmark‑based feed producer BioMar announced an expansion of its research and development portfolio to include warm‑water species, starting with barramundi and later yellowtail kingfish. The trials will be conducted at the Aquaculture Technology Centre in Hirtshals, which features 15 experimental...
Iowa House Advances Right to Repair Bill for Farmers
Iowa's House passed a Right to Repair bill for farm equipment with a 70‑18 vote, requiring manufacturers to provide parts, software, and tools at reasonable terms. The legislation aims to reduce downtime and repair costs for farmers who face software...
CamoAg Reaches Profitability with Ag Sales Intel Platform as Corbett Kull Builds LinkedIn for Farming
CamoAg, the ag‑sales intelligence platform founded by Corbett Kull, has become profitable and says it won’t need further VC funding. After shutting down its Tillable farmland‑rental marketplace, the company refocused on a data‑layer that aggregates public land, equipment, and USDA...
Red Crown Rot Another Challenge for Central Illinois Farmer
Red crown rot has emerged as a significant soybean disease for central Illinois growers, cutting yields by up to 60% in severe cases. Farmer Ken Franklin in Christian County first encountered the pathogen two seasons ago, initially mistaking it for...
Why Hybrid Meat Products Are Gaining Traction in R&D
Hybrid meat products that blend animal and plant proteins are gaining momentum in research and development as consumers seek familiar taste with added health and sustainability benefits. ADM’s research shows 68% of shoppers are curious about hybrids and 86% view...
The Cost of Prop 12
California’s Proposition 12, which mandates larger living spaces for breeding pigs, is now showing measurable economic fallout. USDA data and a North Dakota State University analysis reveal that state consumers have spent roughly $350 million more on pork over the past two...
Prepping the Sprayer for a New Season | Wheat School
In this eight‑minute Wheat School episode, Ridgetown College professor TJ Pullman walks listeners through the step‑by‑step process of readying an Apache sprayer for winter wheat applications. He emphasizes inspecting the plumbing system, checking filters, hoses, end caps, nozzle tips, and...
What Prairie Pest Watch Tells Us, with Amanda Jorgensen | Pests & Predators, Ep 36
In this episode, Alberta Agriculture’s insect management specialist Amanda Jorgensen explains the province’s role in the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network, detailing how seven key pest species—including pea leaf weevil, armyworm, diamondback moth, grasshoppers, cabbage seed‑pod weevil, wheat midge, and wheat...
Senator to File Bill Ending Morocco Duties: Correction
U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R‑Kansas) will introduce the Lowering of Input Costs for American Farmers Act, which would eliminate countervailing duties on phosphate imports from Morocco. The move aims to cut phosphate fertilizer prices by more than 20%, roughly $150...
Taiwan to Resume Pork Exports to Philippines After Regaining ASF-Free Status: Premier
Taiwan will restart pork shipments to the Philippines on May 14, 2026 after the World Organisation for Animal Health confirmed the island’s African swine fever‑free status. The Philippines halted imports in December 2025 following Taiwan’s first ASF outbreak in October...
"The Malaysia Digital Status Strengthens Our Ability to Scale Our AI-Powered Farming Solutions"
Agroz Group Sdn. Bhd., the Malaysian arm of Agroz Inc., has been awarded Malaysia Digital (MD) Status by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation. The designation recognizes the company’s AI‑driven AgriTech platform and its contribution to the nation’s digital ecosystem. Agroz...
CEAg World Brings Grower-First Focus to Charlotte Event
CEAg World, a grower‑first conference, will convene greenhouse, vertical‑farm and open‑field producers on Nov. 10‑11, 2026 in Charlotte‑Concord, N.C. Hosted by Meister Media Worldwide, the two‑day event replaces a traditional trade show with curated, peer‑driven sessions that emphasize immediate, profit‑boosting solutions. Attendees...
"Using This ‘Crop Grazing’ Technique, Yield Can Be Improved up to 20% Even on a 3rd Flush"
Alan Edwards’ Game Changer mushroom machine automates stalk cutting, punnet placement and weighing, letting pickers work with both hands. The system’s “crop‑grazing” method lets larger mushrooms be harvested first, allowing smaller ones to mature, which can lift yields up to...
Premier Tech Receives 2026 CEAC Mission Award at the University of Arizona
Premier Tech was honored with the 2026 CEAC Mission Award by the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center at the University of Arizona. The award recognizes the company’s sustained contributions to CEAC’s education, research and outreach programs in controlled‑environment agriculture. Dr. Jose Chen Lopez,...
NoPalm Ingredients Shortlisted for World’s Largest Environmental Food Prize
Dutch fermentation startup NoPalm Ingredients has become one of four global finalists for the 2026 Curt Bergfors Food Planet Prize, the world’s largest environmental award in food and agriculture with a $1.5 million top prize. The company produces yeast‑derived fats that...
Hormuz Blockade Drives Fertilizer Surge, Threatens Planting
Strait of Hormuz. Fertilizer prices. Hitting countries at what should be planting times. Pending food supply shortages and high prices. Hormuz—a global supply chain disaster.
Precision Agriculture Funding in 2025 Reached $668M — But the Distribution Tells a More Complicated Story
Precision agriculture attracted $668 M in equity funding across 37 rounds in 2025, but the capital was heavily skewed toward a handful of late‑stage deals. Four Series C and D rounds alone accounted for 47% of total dollars, while early‑stage seed activity...
Study: Plant-Based Mince and Meatballs a Third Cheaper than Meat Options
A Good Food Institute study finds that plant‑based mince and meatballs are, on average, 33% cheaper than comparable beef, lamb, or pork dishes such as spaghetti bolognese, lasagne and meatballs. The price gap is driven by volatile meat costs linked...
EPA Approves Soilcea’s CarriCea T1: The First CRISPR-Edited Rootstock to Offer Greening Tolerance for Florida Citrus
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved Soilcea’s CarriCea T1, the first CRISPR‑edited citrus rootstock engineered for tolerance to Huanglongbing (HLB) disease. Developed by University of Florida researchers and Soilcea, the rootstock blocks the bacterium’s interaction with the tree, limiting infection....
Brazil Registers Newly Discovered Spontaneously Emerging Banana Cultivar
Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) has officially registered Clarinha (SCS455), a newly discovered banana cultivar that arose spontaneously in Luiz Alves, Santa Catarina. The variety is a natural mutation of the Caturra banana and features a lighter peel with...
Hydroponic Strawberry Growers Look Below the Substrate to Reduce Root and Crown Disease Pressure
Hydroponic strawberry growers are adopting elevated metallic gutter systems with a Spacer that creates an air chamber beneath substrate bags, reducing humidity and improving drainage. The design mitigates root‑zone stress that fosters pathogens such as Phytophthora and Fusarium, leading to...
Biotalys Achieves First U.S. State Registration for Evoca in Florida
Biotalys announced that its protein‑based bio‑fungicide Evoca secured state registration in Florida, marking the first U.S. state approval for an Agrobody biocontrol. The Florida Department of Agriculture accepted the EPA‑approved label, enabling growers to combat Botrytis and powdery mildew on...
U.S. Grown Greenhouse Tomatoes Roll Into the Market
Pluck’d, a Virginia‑based greenhouse tomato grower, began shipping U.S.-grown tomatoes to New York City distributors in late March and has quickly secured placement in Weis, Walmart’s Mid‑Atlantic stores, and upcoming launches at Harris Teeter and Food Lion. The company offers three product lines—Preemos...
Crop Price Index Hits Highest Since November 2023
The Bloomberg Agriculture Spot Index climbed for a third consecutive month, reaching its highest level since November 2023 as the Iran‑related war in the Strait of Hormuz and severe weather disruptions tighten global crop markets. Wheat futures on the Chicago Board...
General Mills Faces Setback in Supply Chain Sustainability Push
General Mills reported a slowdown in its supply‑chain emissions reductions for fiscal 2025, cutting total greenhouse‑gas output by 14% versus a 19% decline the prior year. The dip stems from a 3% rise in operational emissions after adding electricity use...
California Almond Bearing Acreage Shrinks for the First Time in 30 Years
California’s bearing almond acreage slipped to an estimated 1.386 million acres for the 2026 crop year, marking the first decline since 1995. The drop of 15,227 acres follows four straight years of overall acreage contraction and 47,588 acres of orchard removals...
Food Tank Explains: Carbon Farming
Carbon farming uses regenerative agricultural practices to pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and lock it into soils and plants, turning farmlands into carbon sinks. Soils could sequester up to 1.85 gigatons of carbon per year—roughly the emissions of the global...
China Convenes Future Food Leaders at the 2026 Global Forum on Cultured Meat
China’s Nanjing Agricultural University and startup Joes Future Food hosted the 2026 Global Forum on Cultured Meat, gathering researchers, industry pioneers, and regulators. The forum tackled technology innovation, safety standards, and cost barriers while outlining a roadmap for scaling cultivated...
Icelandic Fish Farming Company First Water Finances Phase One of Six for Expansion
Icelandic salmon processor First Water announced the completion of phase one financing, raising roughly €75 million ($88 million) to double its land‑based production capacity. The funding combines a €40 million ($47 million) convertible bond from existing shareholders and a €35 million ($41 million) loan from Landsbankinn...
BASF and Nutrien Partner to Help U.S. Farmers Access Low-Carbon Biofuel Markets
BASF and Nutrien have launched a joint initiative that links BASF’s xarvio digital farming platform with Nutrien’s on‑farm agronomy network to help U.S. corn growers document and lower the carbon intensity of their crops. The xarvio BIOENERGY tool records field‑level carbon...
Netafim Reports 7% Revenue Growth in Q1 2026, Orbia’s Precision Agriculture Segment Advances on Turkey, Brazil, and Africa Demand
Orbia’s Precision Agriculture unit, branded as Netafim, posted Q1 2026 revenue of $290 million, a 7% year‑over‑year increase driven by strong sales in Turkey, Brazil and project work across Africa. EBITDA rose modestly to $34 million, but the margin slipped to 11.8% as...