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:
Smart Ranching and Remote Water Management
Satellite IoT is finally reaching the farthest corners of agriculture, where cellular coverage is scarce. Globalstar’s solar‑charged GSatSolar ear‑tag tracker and low‑power STX3 telemetry module enable large‑scale livestock and water‑tank monitoring with event‑driven alerts. Operators are adopting SGP.32 eSIM specifications to provision thousands of devices that switch between NB‑IoT/LTE‑M and satellite fallback. The solution promises maintenance‑light, scalable connectivity for farms that need real‑time data without frequent site visits.
TerraGrid Monitors RTK Signal and Warns of Disruptions
TerraGrid has launched a nationwide, cloud‑based NTRIP network that delivers centimetre‑level RTK corrections to tractors, mowers and other precision‑farming machines across the Netherlands. The service monitors signal quality in real time and alerts users when the RTK fix weakens, even...
IPL Biologicals Opens 3rd Plant in Vadodara, Raises Capacity to 7,000 KL/Year
IPL Biologicals Ltd inaugurated its third biological manufacturing plant in Vadodara, investing roughly $24 million (Rs 200 crore). The new 200,000 sq ft facility lifts the company’s annual production capacity to 7,000 kilolitres, with a daily output of 40,000 kilolitres, and incorporates zero‑liquid‑discharge and 500 kW of captive...
BioWorks Launches TotalNema Ax Botanical Nematicide for Specialty Crop Nematode Control
BioWorks has launched TotalNema Ax, a 25(b) botanical nematicide that uses a proprietary blend of botanical oils to control plant‑parasitic nematodes in specialty crops. Field trials showed an 83% control rate on cotton and up to a 22.5% yield boost on...
New Initiative Set to Test and Validate Agtech Innovation on Canadian Farms
A national Agriculture Innovation, Validation and Adoption Network (AIVA) launched in Winnipeg to test ag‑tech tools on real Canadian farms. The program will run nine multi‑site projects in the 2026 season, involving spray drones, remote sensors and farm‑management software. Already...
Advanced Agrilytics Introduces TerraSIGNAL, an AI-Native Agronomic Platform Built on Proven Sub-Acre Science
Advanced Agrilytics unveiled TerraSIGNAL™, an AI‑native agronomic decision platform built on its proprietary Agrilytics IQ™ engine and 15 years of sub‑acre research. The software combines deterministic models, predictive analytics, and AI‑driven workflows to deliver faster, more consistent recommendations for growers,...
Mosa Meat Joins APAC-SCA to Deepen Asia-Pacific Regulatory and Industry Ties
Netherlands‑based cultivated beef pioneer Mosa Meat has joined the Asia‑Pacific Society for Cellular Agriculture (APAC‑SCA), bringing its decades‑long expertise to the region’s fast‑growing cellular‑agriculture network. The move gives Mosa a platform to engage regulators, investors and research partners as it...
Tilda® Unveils Fourth Impact Report – Scaling Lower-Emission Rice Farming
Food‑tech company Tilda® released its fourth Impact Report, highlighting a rapid scale‑up of lower‑emission rice farming across Asia. The report documents an 18% drop in greenhouse‑gas intensity per kilogram of rice and the adoption of low‑emission practices on 1.2 million hectares...
Drone Nerds Adds Agremo Crop Monitoring and Field Analytics Platform to Agriculture Portfolio
Drone Nerds, a subsidiary of XTI Aerospace (NASDAQ: XTIA), has incorporated Agremo Ltd.’s crop monitoring and field analytics platform into its agricultural enterprise solutions. The Agremo system turns drone and satellite imagery into actionable agronomic data, delivering stand counts, weed...
Ya Ya Foods Owner Gets State Funding to Build $56M Plant-Based Milk Facility in Michigan
The Michigan Strategic Fund approved a $960,000 performance‑based grant and a five‑year tax exemption to support Fenton Food and Beverage, a new venture by Ya Ya Foods founder Yahya Abbas, in building a $56.2 million plant‑based milk factory. The facility, slated...
Harnessing Underutilized Food Crops for Sustainable Extruded Snack Production: A Scoping Review
A new scoping review maps 42 peer‑reviewed studies (2000‑2026) that incorporate underutilized crops—quinoa, Bambara groundnut, orange‑fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), and sesame seed—into extruded snack products. The analysis catalogues ingredient forms, extrusion parameters, and outcomes such as expansion, density, texture, color,...
USDA Is Using AI, but Doesn’t Have the Required Controls to Manage Risks, Watchdog Finds
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has deployed artificial‑intelligence tools to forecast corn and soybean yields, spot supply‑chain risks, and streamline permitting decisions. An Office of Inspector General report reveals the agency lacks essential cybersecurity and governance controls, including a generative‑AI...
The Cracks in Chemical Farming Are Getting Hard to Ignore. These Startups Are Providing Alternatives
Investors and regulators are increasingly questioning the sustainability of chemical‑intensive farming as costs rise and health concerns mount. Startups such as Verdant Robotics and Inari are deploying AI‑driven precision robotics and gene‑editing platforms to slash input usage while maintaining yields....
Turkey Opens 3,000‑Ton Nanotech Plant to Cut Farm Water Use by 50% and Boost Yields 25%
Turkey inaugurated a 3,000‑ton‑per‑year nanotechnology plant in Istanbul that will mass‑produce the biodegradable soil‑water nanomaterial NANOTERN. The product can halve irrigation water consumption and lift agricultural yields by as much as 25%, positioning Turkey as one of the few nations...
Is This the Beginning of the End for Bagged Greens?
Home Harvest is launching connected at‑home vertical farms in the UK and US, priced around $430 per unit with a $13‑$19 monthly seed‑mat subscription. The low‑energy devices use roughly $2.5 of electricity per month and automate lighting, temperature and humidity...
"Without Partners Like Priva, We Would Have a Massive Challenge Keeping Even Conditions"
Avisomo has launched a large‑scale vertical farm inside a Coop distribution centre near Oslo, focusing on leafy greens to cut imports and boost local production. The project relies on Priva’s climate‑control, irrigation and automation platform, integrated with hardware from Danvan,...
Escarda Starts Series Production of AI Laser Weeder After Acquisition
Berlin‑based Escarda Technologies, now fully owned by Berlin Industrial Group (B.I.G.), is moving into series production of its AI‑powered laser weeder. The system blends high‑resolution cameras, AI plant recognition and Class‑1 laser technology to eliminate weeds in real time without...
Decarbonizing Desert Greenhouse Crop Production with Direct Air Capture–Based CO2 Enrichment
Researchers evaluated two adsorption‑based direct‑air‑capture (DAC) systems—temperature‑vacuum‑swing (TVSA) and moisture‑swing (MSA)—as on‑site CO₂ enrichment for high‑tech desert greenhouses. Using techno‑economic and life‑cycle models, they found DAC can match the levelized cost of trucked liquid CO₂ while delivering lower climate‑change impacts...
Munich’s Feldwerke Secures €12 Million Revolving Credit Facility to Build 100 MW Agri-PV Portfolio in 18 Months
Munich‑based agri‑PV developer Feldwerke has secured a €12 million (≈$13 million) revolving credit facility from a French renewable‑energy debt fund to fund the construction of a 100 MW portfolio over the next 18 months. The financing marks the startup’s first major debt round...
A New Genetically Modified Rice Could Improve Children’s Health. But Will It Be Grown?
The Philippines has issued its first biosafety permit for HIZ039, a genetically modified rice enriched with iron and zinc, aiming to combat childhood anemia and stunting. Laboratory data show the grain triples iron and more than doubles zinc compared with...
Indian Scientists Create World’s First AI-Designed Gene Editor for Crops
Indian scientists at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Central Rice Research Institute have created and experimentally validated Plant‑OpenCRISPR1 (POC1), the world’s first AI‑designed genome‑editing tool for crops. Unlike traditional CRISPR systems that rely on naturally occurring bacterial proteins, POC1...
Creating Contactless Pollination in Vertical Growing
Researchers present an aerial‑manipulator UAV that uses RGB‑D perception and model‑predictive‑path‑integral (MPPI) control to locate and approach flowers in vertical farms, achieving centimeter‑level positioning without touching the bloom. Tests in MuJoCo simulation and a laboratory testbed show stable flight, reliable...
UK Retailer Marks & Spencer Launches Range of Vertically Farmed Salads
Marks & Spencer has introduced three exclusive, vertically‑farm‑grown salad varieties—Citrus Sorrel Baby Leaves, Spicy Baby Leaves and Baby Garlic Kale—available in its Food stores. The indoor farms use precise climate control, robotics and a soil‑free substrate, cutting water use by...
Germany: Herbs and Vegetables From a Pigsty
German pig farms have shrunk by 44% over the past decade, leaving many stables vacant. Münster‑based start‑up Stallgrün is converting those former pigsties into year‑round indoor farms for herbs and vegetables. Backed by €125,000 (about $135,000) from the German Federal...
AI in Agriculture: The Future of Smart Farming
AI is reshaping agriculture as the global market is projected to reach $16.9 billion by 2034, growing at roughly a 20% compound annual rate. Precision farming, AI‑driven analytics and autonomous robotics are delivering yield gains and cutting operating costs up to...
Tajikistan Solar Greenhouses Support Year-Round Vegetable Supply in Mountain Villages
In Tajikistan’s remote mountain valleys, passive solar greenhouses are allowing households to grow fresh vegetables year‑round despite sub‑zero winters. The simple structures capture daytime heat and release it at night, enabling crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers to be...
U.S. Cotton LCA Claims Negative Carbon Footprint
A new ISO‑conformant life‑cycle assessment, commissioned by Cotton Incorporated and performed by WSP USA, finds that U.S. cotton can achieve a negative greenhouse‑gas footprint when biogenic carbon storage is accounted for. The study evaluates the emissions associated with producing one...
Renaissance Bioscience Unveils Yeast-Derived VLP Platform for Next-Gen RNAi Biopesticides
Renaissance Bioscience announced a yeast‑derived virus‑like particle (VLP) platform that packages double‑stranded RNA for next‑generation RNAi biopesticides. The VLPs, 40‑50 nm protein shells harvested from engineered baker’s yeast, promise higher dsRNA yields and stability compared with the company’s original whole‑yeast system....
South Korea’s Soyft Biome Bags Funding to Upcycle Tempeh Waste Into Plant-Based Dairy
South Korean food‑tech startup Soyft Biome secured a new financing round from MYSC’s Extramile Lycon Fund to scale its plant‑based product line derived from tempeh fermentation waste. The capital will bolster its Ja:yu low‑sugar condensed milks, KetoYou tempeh items, and...
U.S. Sugar Deploys Largest Autonomous Tractor Fleet in American Sugar Farming
U.S. Sugar announced the deployment of five driverless John Deere tractors—four 8R Series and one 9R Series—across its 255,000‑acre South Florida sugarcane fields. The fleet, managed by Autonomous Solutions, Inc.'s Mobius platform, represents the largest commercial use of autonomous tractors...
David Sandelman on Why Cannabis Post-Harvest Is Still Operating in the Dark
Canachold’s COO David Sandelman adapted his vapor‑pressure control system, originally created to stabilize cheese aging, for cannabis post‑harvest drying. By managing temperature and vapor pressure instead of relative humidity, the Vapor Troll platform reduces trichome head rupture from 25‑30% to...
Amid the Fertiliser Crisis, Africa Has a Chemical-Free Option: Agroecology
The war in the Gulf has halted roughly 20% of global fertiliser shipments, driving up prices and threatening food security across Africa, which relies heavily on imports. Past attempts to subsidise chemical fertilisers and hand land to agribusinesss have left...
On the Heels of Fresh Funding, Oishii Has ‘Crossed the Chasm’ of Unit Economics in Vertical Farming
Oishii announced the first close of a $150 million Series C round, bringing its total capital to $370 million. The company attributes the funding to its disciplined focus on proving unit economics rather than chasing rapid revenue growth. By concentrating on premium strawberries...
Don't Freeze that Pre-Sidedress Nitrate Soil Test!
Ontario’s Soil Management Committee has revised its Pre‑Sidedress Nitrate Test (PSNT) handling guidelines, recommending that soil samples not be frozen after collection. New research from the University of Guelph shows freezing inflates nitrate readings, altering nitrogen recommendations in more than...
Ag Tech Talk Podcast: EarthDaily on Satellite Data, Crop Monitoring, and Market Transparency
In a May 15 2026 episode of Ag Tech Talk, EarthDaily’s Global Director of Business Development, Andrew Pylypchuk, explained how next‑generation satellite imagery is moving agriculture toward daily, global cropland monitoring. He highlighted that more frequent, consistent data improves market transparency and...
Satellite Data Moves Closer to Real-Time Farm Decisions
In a May 15 2026 AgriBusiness Global Ag Tech Talk, EarthDaily’s Andrew Pylypchuk explained that satellite imagery is finally achieving the data frequency and integration needed for real‑time farm decisions. Historically, the agricultural sector struggled with inconsistent revisit rates and cumbersome data...
Cellulose Nanocrystal/Zn‐MOF Nanocarriers for Enhanced Foliar Adhesion, pH‐Responsive Release, and Efficient Pesticide Delivery
Researchers have engineered a cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and zinc‑based metal‑organic framework (ZnMOF) nanocarrier that encapsulates the insecticide acetamiprid. The hybrid carrier delivers a pH‑responsive release—up to 85.9% at pH 5—while dramatically improving leaf wettability, adhesion (28.9 mg cm⁻²), UV stability (65.1% gain) and...
China: Automating Pollination for Growers
China’s agriculture is rapidly shifting to technology‑driven production, with science and tech now accounting for over 64% of output growth. Mechanisation of crop cultivation and harvesting has climbed to 76.7%, while crop‑variety coverage exceeds 96%. In high‑tech greenhouses, the Chinese...
Farming Knowledge Is Dying but AI Can Save It
A wave of farm succession failures is eroding centuries‑old agricultural knowledge, as aging owners like 74‑year‑old Don Guinnip lack successors and the expertise remains undocumented. In the United States, farm bankruptcies jumped 46% to 315 in 2025 and the average...
Advancements and Prospects in Key Technologies for Robotic Pollination in Greenhouse Pepper Breeding
A new review in Frontiers of Plant Science outlines the current state of robotic pollination for greenhouse pepper breeding, highlighting three core technical domains: flower detection and pose estimation, end‑effector design, and motion‑control strategies. The authors find that existing systems...
“The Goal Is Interoperability Between Systems, Industries, and Trading Partners”
Traceability specialist Zach Zeus of Pyx Global highlights a major opportunity for Australian produce exporters to boost premium positioning through standardized, interoperable traceability systems. The United Nations Transparency Protocol (UNTP) aims to standardise 80% of data elements across supply chains,...
Syngenta Vegetable Seeds Opens R&D Technology Center in Almería to Combat Emerging Crop Pathogens
Syngenta Vegetable Seeds inaugurated a new R&D Technology Center in El Ejido, Almería, Spain, to develop pathogen‑resistant vegetable seed solutions and shorten breeding cycles for fruity crops. The facility adopts a field‑to‑lab model, integrating breeding, trait development, fruit‑quality testing, data science...
EarthOptics Opens 14,500-Square-Foot Raleigh-Durham Lab to Scale Soil Intelligence and Automate Analysis
EarthOptics has opened a 14,500‑square‑foot laboratory, office and warehouse in the Raleigh‑Durham region of North Carolina, adding to its existing Emeryville facility. The new campus colocates the analytics lab with the Sensor and Automation team to accelerate robotics‑driven soil measurement....
Easy Environmental Solutions’ Terreplenish Achieves 12% Rice Yield Increase with 50% Less Synthetic Fertilizer in Ghana Trials
Easy Environmental Solutions reported that its microbial fertilizer Terreplenish boosted rice yields by 12% in independent trials at the University of Ghana‑Legon while cutting synthetic fertilizer use in half. The yield lift translates to roughly one metric ton per hectare,...
Egrobots Unveils AI-Powered Harvesting Robot Built Entirely by Egyptian Engineers
Egrobots announced the launch of the first autonomous agricultural harvesting robot built entirely by Egyptian engineers. The robot combines AI, computer‑vision and autonomous navigation to identify ripe crops and harvest them with up to four robotic arms, delivering roughly 160...
Biodegradable Sensors Attached to Plants Detect Pesticides in 3 Minutes
Researchers at Brazil's University of São Paulo have unveiled a biodegradable, screen‑printed sensor that adheres directly to plant surfaces and identifies three major pesticide classes in just 3 minutes and 28 seconds. The device uses cellulose acetate bioplastic and carbon ink,...
Castoro Cellars Deploys Saga Robotics’ UV-C Bots Across 600 Organic Acres
Castoro Cellars is expanding Saga Robotics' autonomous Thorvald UV‑C bots to more than 600 certified organic acres on California’s Central Coast. The robots emit ultraviolet‑C light at night, disrupting the life cycle of powdery mildew, botrytis and sour rot without...
AgriFood Signals: S2G Investments Bags $1bn, Oishii Makes First Close of Series C, Corteva Picks Crop Protection HQ
AgFunderNews highlighted a wave of capital inflows and strategic moves in agri‑food tech. S2G Investments closed a $1 billion inaugural fund, while Oishii completed a $150 million Series C to scale its premium berries. Corteva announced Indiana as the site for its new...
Graphene “Tattoos” For Plants Could Form Neural Networks
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have created a graphene‑based “tattoo” that can be pasted onto a plant leaf to deliver real‑time moisture readings. The patch functions as a three‑terminal transistor, using the leaf as a dielectric, and...
EarthDaily on Satellite Data, Crop Monitoring, and Market Transparency
In this episode of Ag Tech Talk, host Lauren Milligan and Andrew, EarthDaily’s Global Director of Business Development, dive into the challenges and opportunities of using satellite data for agricultural decision‑making. They compare agriculture’s slower adoption of remote sensing to...