Innovative Biochar Composite Promotes Safer Rice Cultivation and Reduces Methane Emissions
Researchers have unveiled a biochar‑based composite that can be mixed into flooded rice paddies, creating a more aerated soil environment that suppresses methane‑producing microbes. Field trials across three provinces in China showed up to a 35% reduction in methane emissions while maintaining comparable grain yields. The material also immobilizes arsenic and cadmium, lowering their uptake in rice grains and enhancing food safety. Production costs are projected at roughly $0.12 per kilogram, making large‑scale adoption financially feasible.
Philippines: Aquaponics-Based Growing Helps Rehab Mariveles PDLs
AboitizPower, through its GNPower Mariveles Energy Center and GNPower Dinginin partnerships, launched an aquaponics‑based catfish farming project inside the Mariveles Municipal Jail. The initiative achieved its first harvest, which was featured in a cooking competition that highlighted the inmates' culinary...
AeroFarms Sold to Palm Ventures
AeroFarms has been acquired by Palm Ventures, an Austin‑ and Greenwich‑based family investment office, with the deal closing in April 2026. The new ownership installed Gustavo Burger, a veteran of Kraft Heinz and Anheuser‑Busch InBev, as CEO and substantially reduced the company’s debt....
Canada: Moose Jaw Students Get Crash Course in Hydroponics
Canadian Horizon School Division has partnered with fertilizer giant Nutrien to install a hydroponic grow container at Lanigan School, the first such lab in the division. The soil‑free system enables students to grow leafy greens year‑round, providing hands‑on experience with...
CEA Transforms Malaysian Strawberry Farming
BerryGood, a Malaysian vertical farm, has partnered with Siemens to implement controlled‑environment agriculture (CEA) for strawberry production. Using Siemens programmable logic controllers, the farm follows stage‑specific recipes that precisely regulate temperature, humidity, light intensity, nutrient concentration, pH and irrigation. Real‑time...
India's Agriculture and Water Tech Startups Gain Momentum, Sustainability in Focus: Nasscom
India’s deep‑tech ecosystem for agriculture and water technology is gaining traction, according to Nasscom. The organization hosted the Deeptech Confluence 2026 in New Delhi, showcasing 12 startups from its 20‑week DTC Accelerate program. Participants—including investors, enterprises, and government bodies—discussed pathways to...
Mosa Meat’s Mark Post on the First Lab-Grown Burger and the Future of Cultivated Meat
Mark Post, the scientist who created the world’s first lab‑grown burger in 2013, now serves as chief scientific officer of Mosa Meat. Backed early by Google co‑founder Sergey Brin, the Dutch startup is moving from university‑lab prototypes toward EU regulatory clearance for...
GreenTech Amsterdam 2026 Wraps with Focus on Efficiency and Integration
GreenTech Amsterdam 2026 closed with a focus on efficiency‑driven technologies for indoor agriculture. Oreon unveiled a 1,000 W vertical‑farm lamp that relocates the driver outside the grow zone, cutting heat and cooling demand. HAWE introduced the Air Gutter, a modular airflow and irrigation...
UK: Solar Power Could Offset Emissions in Vertical Farming
A University of Surrey study finds that vertical lettuce farms can cut UK farmland needs by 93 percent, but their current electricity use makes them more greenhouse‑gas intensive than field production. The research models several post‑farm land‑use options and shows that...
UK: Strawberry Propagation Project Strengthens with New Members
The EMQ+ consortium, a DEFRA‑funded three‑year research initiative delivered through Innovate UK, announced that InnoPhyte Consulting and Flex Farming have joined its team. The project, now in its final year, evaluates strawberry propagule production in total controlled environment agriculture (TCEA) to...
Using Data to Change the Way We Grow
Brio Agri, an Ahmedabad‑based agritech firm, is building India’s largest hydroponic parks using IoT‑driven data. Its first 100‑acre controlled‑environment facility monitors leaf temperature, irrigation and nutrient delivery in real time. The company has now launched the Unnati Project, a 180‑acre...
A Sticky Solution to a Pesky Agricultural Problem
University of Waterloo has developed a water‑based pesticide formulation that uses cellulose nanocrystals to dramatically improve droplet adhesion on plant leaves. The nanostructured droplets resist wind, rain, and splash, delivering more pesticide to the target while using less active ingredient....
India Launches WhatsApp-Based AI Advisory Service for Oilseed Farmers
India’s agricultural research council has launched Oilseeds Kisan Mitra, a WhatsApp‑based AI chatbot that delivers real‑time, research‑backed advice to oilseed farmers. The multilingual service covers groundnut, mustard, sesame, sunflower, soybean and niger, answering queries on variety selection, pest control, irrigation...
DFI Retail and The Mills Fabrica Name Number 8 Bio Winner of Sustainability Innovation Challenge
DFI Retail Group and The Mills Fabrica announced Number 8 Bio as the winner of the 2026 DFI Sustainability Innovation Challenge. The Australian startup’s BetterFeed™ feed additive reduces enteric methane from grazing cattle and sheep while boosting animal productivity. The...