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:
Higher Fertiliser Costs Risk Lower-Protein Wheat
Higher fertilizer prices, spurred by volatile crude oil after the US‑Israel‑Iran conflict, are adding roughly $13 per tonne to UK wheat and $25 per tonne to rapeseed costs. Brent crude is about $20 above pre‑war levels, pushing fertilizer and energy inputs higher across grain‑growing regions. Analysts warn that tighter nitrogen budgets could depress wheat protein, prompting some growers to replace wheat with oats, barley or rapeseed. Millers may need to import higher‑protein wheat or add gluten, raising processing expenses.
NY Sun Works Research Finds Hydroponic Classrooms Drive Measurable Civic and Climate Action
NY Sun Works showcased two new research analyses demonstrating that its Hydroponic Classroom program drives measurable climate and civic outcomes in K‑12 schools. A peer‑reviewed Cornell study linked hands‑on hydroponics to transformational education, sustainability solutions, and civil‑society engagement, while an...
Who Pays for the EU’s Toxic Exports?
Each year the EU ships more than 120,000 tonnes of pesticides that are prohibited on European farms, mainly to Africa, Asia and Latin America. A Greenpeace report shows that nearly half of the pesticides used in South Africa, Ghana and Kenya...
Are Southeast Asia’s Organic Farmers More Resilient to Fertiliser Price Spikes?
Fertiliser price spikes triggered by the Iran‑Hormuz crisis are squeezing Southeast Asian growers, but organic farms are feeling the shock less acutely because they rely on compost and manure. Yet organic agriculture remains marginal—less than 0.5% of regional cropland—and scaling...
Autonomous Machines Turn Seed Shooters Into Manure Spreaders
I have a burning desire to turn the seed shoot into a poop shoot for juice boxes Swarm autonomous machines sidedressing corn with 🐖 💩 2 rows at a time Semi brings 30 at a time
Manufacturing Potential Highlighted as Australia Eyes Share of $68.56B Upcycled Food Market
Australia’s manufacturing sector is poised to capture a share of the fast‑growing global upcycled food market, which Fortune Business Insights projects will reach $68.56 billion by 2032. A two‑and‑a‑half‑year study by Queensland University of Technology, End Food Waste Australia and the...
Korean Govt Backs University Project to Develop Precision Fermentation Toolkit
South Korea’s science ministry has awarded Kookmin University a core‑research grant in the 2026 Basic Research Program to develop a genetic toolkit for the food‑grade yeast Candida utilis. The toolkit will enable precision‑fermentation processes that produce proteins, amino acids, vitamins...
Wagyu Numbers Ease
Australia’s feedlot sector trimmed its average days on feed from 164 days in 2024 to 155 days by the end of 2025. The shift was driven by a 25% drop in Wagyu cattle on feed, falling from over 300,000 head...
Future AI: Tiny, Cheap, Embedded, Not Massive
There's enormous focus on the heavy frontier AI models right now, but I don't think they're the future. The future will be lightweight "good enough" AI that can be embedded on cheap devices. Imagine a weed-killing robot. A tiny little thing,...
Editing Grapevine DNA Could Boost Resistance to Disease and Drought
Researchers at Stellenbosch University and the Agricultural Research Council used CRISPR to knock out the VvDMR6.1 gene in grapevines, marking the first successful DNA edit of a woody crop in Africa. The edited vines showed markedly reduced susceptibility to downy...
Sprigging Wheat Creates Ideal Corn Seedbed, Cuts Weeds
This is what our fields look like the next spring from relay wheat. I call this method sprigging or “hot ice” A vertical till pass in the fall distributes the straw from wheat and both plants and thins the volunteer...
German Vaccine Scientists Are Now Applying Their Expertise to Scaling Cultivated Meat
The Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems in Magdeburg has partnered with cultivated‑meat startup Innocent Meat on a two‑year ZELPI project to transfer vaccine‑scale perfusion techniques to food biotech. The collaboration will test Innocent Meat’s cell lines...
How AgriTech North Is Fighting Food Insecurity in Ontario
AgriTech North has built a 2,500‑sq‑ft. patented greenhouse with a triple‑layer ETFE envelope that cuts heat loss by up to 70%, enabling year‑round cultivation in Dryden’s -40 °C winters. Backed by federal, provincial and private funding, the firm plans to scale...
He Sold His Grass-Fed Jerky Company for Millions. Then He Started One of the Hardest Businesses in Food.
After selling Epic Provisions, the grass‑fed jerky pioneer, Robby Sansom launched Force of Nature in 2019 to bring regenerative‑raised meat to mainstream consumers. The company aggregates 917 ranches across 3.8 million acres, selling beef, chicken, bison and other proteins through more...
Two Weeks to Two Days: Surveying 3,800 Hectares of Queensland Sugarcane with the DJI Matrice 400
A Queensland sugarcane estate adopted a LiDAR workflow using DJI’s Matrice 400 drone equipped with a Zenmuse L3 sensor. The system captured sub‑canopy terrain data across 3,800 ha in two 40‑minute flight sessions, slashing full‑property survey time from roughly two weeks to two...
New Tractor With 12-Valve Cummins and Zero Electronics Goes Back to the Basics
Ursa Ag, a Canadian startup, has launched a line of tractors powered by remanufactured 12‑valve Cummins engines that omit electronic controls. The 150‑hp, 180‑hp and 260‑hp models are priced at roughly $95,000, $110,000 and $146,000 USD, about half the cost...
Handle with Care: Soft Robot Gripper Picks Ripe Fruit without Bruising
Cornell researchers led by Rob Shepherd have built a soft‑robot gripper that uses stretchable fiber‑optic strain gauges to gauge fruit stiffness and determine ripeness. The device gently twists strawberries off the plant with a planetary‑gear wrist, avoiding the bruising that...
Levi’s Targets Regenerative Cotton Boost in Pakistan
Levi Strauss & Co. launched the Levi’s Regenerative and Resilient Landscape Initiative (LRI) in January 2026 in Jalalpur Pirwala, a key cotton‑growing area of Pakistan’s Punjab province. Within the first three months, the program has enrolled almost 600 farmers to adopt...
Are Vegetable Oils High Carbon & Bad For Climate Change?
A 2022 study shows vegetable‑oil crops occupy roughly 20% of the world’s arable land, making oil production a sizable source of greenhouse‑gas emissions and biodiversity loss. Clinical research indicates that consuming any oil, including extra‑virgin olive oil, impairs endothelial function...
Govt Doubles Down on Wheat Exports, Clears Extra 2.5 Million Tonnes
The Indian government approved an additional 2.5 million metric tonnes of wheat for export, raising the total wheat export quota to 5 million tonnes and wheat‑product quota to 1 million tonnes. The move follows a robust production outlook—120 million tonnes projected for 2025‑26 and...
CFIA Could Move Forward with Proposed Livestock Traceability Changes ... But Will It?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has placed a formal pause on publishing its proposed livestock traceability regulations after strong opposition from national cattle groups and a wave of social‑media backlash. The draft rules, already cleared through Gazette 1, could still...
Ag Aircraft Drone Encounters Increased In 2025 Season
Unsafe interactions between drones and manned agricultural aircraft surged during the 2025 growing season, with 20% of aerial applicators reporting at least one incident—up from 16% in 2024 and 11% in 2023. The low‑altitude nature of crop‑dusting puts pilots within...
Middle East Conflict Revives Concerns Over Fertilizer Dependence in the U.S. and Brazil
Recent hostilities in the Middle East have restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for roughly 30% of global fertilizer shipments. The United States, which supplies about 60% of its own fertilizer, still relies on imports for 95%...
Rethink Yield: Embrace Polycultures Over Scale‑Driven Monocultures
This is the formula… Agriculture is obsessed with yield + economies of scale What delusional is we’re diluting each plant’s yield. The alternative is polymath through polycultures. I’ll be here…cranking out the research until it’s seen as relevant in the lens...
Herbicide‑free Cover Crops Boost Tilth in Tough Soils
On our “tougher” soils this system has proven to add tilth to these timber white clays. We leave out any herbicide pass in the fall to encourage our “free” cover crop to establish. The haters will call it...
“Greenhouse Lighting Success Depends on Everything Around It”
Total Grow Light’s Jeff Mastin says greenhouse lighting is moving away from one‑size‑fits‑all fixtures toward flexible, system‑integrated solutions. He stresses that custom lighting plans—tailored to crop type, facility constraints, and financial goals—outperform standardized setups in most commercial greenhouses. Efficiency and...
China Deploys Autonomous Robots for Rice Planting
#Autonomous Rice-Planting #Robots at Work in China by @ShangguanJiewen #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/E09YTAlk7a
US
🇺🇸U.S. winter wheat conditions fell below all trade estimates to 30% good/excellent. That's approaching 2022 & 2023, among the lowest scoring years in recent memory. Despite some wet weather, U.S. corn & bean planting pace met expectations and remain ahead of...
Sensient Invests $250M to Expand Natural Food Dye Production
Sensient Technologies announced up to $250 million in capital to expand its natural‑color production, adding 28,800 sq ft to its 500,000‑sq‑ft St. Louis plant. The company aims to capture a $1 billion sales opportunity in the fast‑growing natural‑color segment as food makers shift away from...
Testing 8-Row Gaps for Higher Corn Yields
Will 8 rows with big ☀️ gaps win the high yield 🌽 plot? Well weight it and see this September https://t.co/GYu0XUhXSt
USDA's Weekly Report Highlights Winter Wheat Before Plains Freeze
USDA will release its weekly crop progress report this afternoon. The focus will be on the winter #wheat conditions, but keep in mind that the majority of survey responses were likely filed on Friday afternoon ahead of the weekend freeze...
"Buyers Can Acquire Systems that Would Cost Millions to Purchase New, at a Fraction of Replacement Cost"
SecondBloom Auctions has opened an online liquidation of more than 500 lots of equipment from Eden Green Technology’s former vertical‑farming facility in Cleburne, Texas. The auction, running until April 30, features LED grow lights, climate control systems, fertigation gear, vertical grow...
Canadian Saffron Specialist Faces Going Concern Warning as Losses Widen
Canadian indoor‑ag company Sativus Tech Corp., through its Saffron Tech unit, is developing controlled‑environment saffron production as the global market expands toward $3.7 billion by 2032. For the year ended Dec 31 2025 the firm recorded a net loss of roughly $1.0 million USD,...
4 Tech Tools Food Brands Are Using to Enhance Inventory, Demand Planning
At the Food Manufacturing Summit, experts highlighted four tech tools reshaping inventory and demand planning for food brands: digital twins, RFID, cold‑chain solutions, and advanced planning systems. They stressed that data quality is the single biggest lever for supply‑chain performance,...
China Makes Urea From Coal, While World Uses Gas
JUST IN: China uses coal for urea production, unlike the rest of the world that relies on gas.
Singapore Food Agency Publishes List of Approved Novel Foods
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) released a comprehensive list of 14 novel foods approved for sale through October 2025, reinforcing its role as a regulatory pioneer in sustainable protein. The list features four cultivated‑meat products—including Eat Just’s serum‑free chicken, Vow’s cultured quail,...
Researchers Identify Key Gene Behind Strawberry's Sweet Aroma
A collaborative study led by the University of Florida and Spain's IHSM La Mayora identified a previously unknown gene, FaECH, that drives the production of γ‑lactones—key sweet‑fruity volatiles—in both cultivated and wild strawberries. The team combined genome‑wide association studies, transcriptomic...
From a Car Dealership in Argentina to Ecological Hydroponics in France
Marion and Nicolas Sarlé, former auto dealers, founded Les Sourciers in 2013, converting a 600 m² balcony experiment in Buenos Aires into France’s first ecological hydroponic micro‑farm in Gers. The farm now supplies premium herbs, edible flowers and heirloom tomatoes exclusively to...
Loopworm Says Its Silkworm-Based Feed Ingredients Are Now Carbon Negative
Loopworm announced that its silkworm‑derived feed ingredients, LoopMeal and LoopOil, are carbon‑negative, removing 2.56 kg CO₂e per kilogram produced. An independent life‑cycle assessment by PwC India, conducted to ISO 14040/44 standards, benchmarked the products against soy and fish meals across 18 impact...
Colombian Cape Gooseberry Exports Show Promising 6.5 Percent Growth
Colombian cape gooseberry exports rose to $8.5 million in January‑February 2026, a 6.5 percent increase over the same period last year, while volume grew modestly to 1,486 metric tons. The rebound follows a weaker 2025 season that saw total exports fall to $41.3 million,...
Guest Article: Physical AI Isn’t Replacing Farmers. It’s Critical for Keeping Them in Business
Physical AI is emerging as a lifeline for U.S. family farms, offering autonomous capabilities that augment—not replace—human workers. By retrofitting proven tractors like the Kubota M5 with Agtonomy’s AI stack, growers can oversee multiple machines, cut labor costs, and attract...
Altitude-Dependent Biomass Accumulation and Carbon Storage Potential of Agroforestry Systems in Garhwal Region, India
Researchers evaluated 14 agroforestry models across three altitude zones (800‑2300 m) in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal Himalaya to quantify biomass accumulation and carbon storage. Mixed agri‑silvi‑horticulture (ASH) systems, especially the home‑garden model HASH6, delivered the highest above‑ground biomass (162.7 t ha⁻¹) and carbon stocks (73.2 t C ha⁻¹)....
Kontali: Salmon Sector in Slowdown as Supply Tightens, Trade and Demand Dynamics Shift, and Tensions Rise in Middle East
Kontali analysts warn that the Atlantic salmon industry is entering a supply-constrained phase as harvest‑ready biomass declines in Norway, Chile and Scotland. At the same time, demand is becoming more price‑sensitive, pushing producers toward product innovation and promotions. Europe’s market...
UK Government Backs £50 Million Push to Bring AgriTech to British Farms
The UK government has unveiled a £50 million National Action Plan to accelerate agri‑tech adoption and cut pesticide risks on British farms. The plan introduces a Pesticide Load Indicator that targets a 10% reduction across 20 risk metrics by 2030, with...
Fertilizer Prices Weekly Update (April 13 – 20, 2026)
Urea settled at $702.25 per ton, up 81.69% year‑to‑date, while DAP held near $722.5 per ton with an 11.58% monthly gain. Sulfur prices jumped to CNY 6,100 per ton (about $847), marking a 158.73% rise from a year ago. European TTF...
Front Row Ag and Solstice Agriculture Merge to Create Unified Cultivation Supply Company
Front Row Ag LLC has merged with its longtime distributor Solstice Agriculture LLC, finalizing the deal on April 1, 2026. The combined entity will retain the Front Row Ag brand while Solstice operates as the dedicated distribution arm. By uniting...
Grodan Integrates GroSens Root Zone Data with Source.ag Software Platform
Grodan has linked its GroSens Suite root‑zone sensors to Source.ag’s greenhouse management platform, allowing growers to view substrate data directly within Source.ag dashboards. The integration delivers five‑minute, sensor‑level granularity and feeds real‑time measurements into Source.ag’s AI‑driven irrigation control. Signed in...
Oxbo Opens $60.5M U.S. Headquarters and Advanced Harvester Facility in Bergen, New York
Oxbo, a Netherlands‑based agricultural equipment maker, opened a $60.5 million, 200,000‑sq‑ft headquarters and advanced harvester plant in Bergen, New York. The purpose‑built campus consolidates U.S. production and corporate functions, featuring laser‑cutting, powder‑coating, a test track and a showroom for high‑value crop...
BX6-Dependent Benzoxazinoid Biosynthesis Enhances Herbivore Resistance and Salt Stress Tolerance in Durum Wheat Triticum Turgidum
Researchers used CRISPR‑Cas9 to knock out the BX6 gene in tetraploid durum wheat, creating a benzoxazinoid‑deficient mutant. The BX6‑null plants supported higher reproduction of sucking insects such as aphids and two‑spotted spider mites, while chewing caterpillars were unaffected. Under saline...
Vive Crop Protection Launches Averland SM Nematicide with Soil Mobile Technology
Vive Crop Protection has introduced Bifender SM, a soil‑applied bifenthrin insecticide that can be applied in‑season to corn. The product leverages the company’s new Soil Mobile Technology, allowing the active ingredient to travel deeper into the root zone with irrigation water....