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 healthier root and crown development. Field data from Japan and northern Europe show yield gains of up to 12.5 kg m⁻² when the Spacer is used. While disease control still requires comprehensive agronomic practices, physical system design is emerging as a critical component of disease‑prevention strategies.
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...
"European Consumers Prefer Mediterranean-Grown Watermelons over Long-Distance Alternatives"
Polish importer PIK Global reports a strong start to the European watermelon season, leveraging a diversified sourcing model that includes Turkey, Albania, Greece, Hungary, Romania and early shipments from Spain. The company expects healthy crops and competitive pricing, with early‑season...
Moroccan Tomato Exports Halted as Strike and Supply Concerns Grow
Moroccan authorities have suspended tomato exports, prompting exporters to halt operations. Exporters argue the ban won’t lower prices and points to deeper supply‑chain problems, while consumer groups demand priority for domestic availability amid rising food costs. The dispute threatens farmer...
Ontario Storage Vegetables Still Shipping
Ontario storage vegetables, including cello and jumbo carrots, are expected to ship through May with solid quality, a marked improvement over last year’s early spoilage. Parsnips should remain high‑quality until June, while yellow storage onions will be abundant through June...
ExpoLevante Níjar Exhibitors Show Innovations for a Sustainable Spanish Industry
Spain’s 17th ExpoLevante Níjar, held near Cabo de Gata Natural Park, highlighted the greenhouse sector that drives Almería’s fruit and vegetable export dominance. The indoor exhibition was fully booked, featuring seed firms, input suppliers, and cooperatives, while outdoor areas displayed machinery....
China Now Holds 75% of Gene-Edited Seed Patents as Europe Moves to Loosen NGT Rules
China now commands roughly three‑quarters of all gene‑edited seed patents, with 16,177 filings in 2024—five times the EU total. The European Union is moving to loosen its New Genomic Techniques (NGT) rules, introducing a flexible NGT 1 category that avoids the...
China-Kenya Partnership Unlocks Geothermal Potential of Great Rift Valley
Kenya’s Great Rift Valley now supplies over 40% of the nation’s electricity through geothermal power, the world’s highest share. The Olkaria field, one of the richest reservoirs, drives this growth, yet only about half of the estimated 10,000 MW potential is...
400 Million Crates, 2.5 Billion Uses: Inside IFCO's Global RPC Network
At Fruit Logistica 2026, IFCO Systems unveiled its 2030 roadmap, emphasizing a global reusable packaging network that now runs 400 million crates and logs 2.5 billion uses each year. The German‑based firm highlighted its folding‑crate innovation, ESG pillars, and a target to...
Chinese Greenhouse Manufacturer Expands International Reach
Aurlant, a Chinese greenhouse and controlled‑environment agriculture manufacturer, is scaling its global footprint by offering fully customised growing solutions to commercial farms, individual growers, and government projects. Leveraging a 13‑year track record and an integrated plant in Taizhou, the firm...
Thanet Earth Implements 3,000 SchermNed Insect Netting Filters in Existing Greenhouse
Thanet Earth, a UK greenhouse partnership between Fresca and A&A Growers, installed over 3,000 SchermNed insect‑netting filters in a six‑hectare cucumber greenhouse during Q1. The system required no alterations to the existing ventilation infrastructure, preserving airflow while blocking moths, caterpillars,...
Autonomous Growing Brings Peace of Mind and Clarity for French Grower
French greenhouse operator SCEA la Plaine, run by Benoît Musset, adopted Blue Radix’s Crop Controller in May 2025 to automate climate and irrigation decisions across its 5.5‑hectare facility. The system calculates setpoints every five minutes, forecasts three days ahead, and has cut...
New Strategies for the Effective Biological Control of Thrips Parvispinus
At Expo Levante 2026, Koppert Biological System presented a technical update on managing the horticultural pest Thrips parvispinus. The briefing, led by Technical Director Julián Giner, outlined a four‑phase biological‑control protocol that stresses early‑season interventions and the use of reservoir plants....
45% Less Plastic and a Stronger Brand: How Looye Switched to Paper Banding
Looye Kwekers replaced plastic bands with narrow paper banding for its fresh‑produce range, cutting plastic use by roughly 45% while reinforcing its premium brand image. The paper bands keep the fruit visible, lower overall package weight, and are largely recyclable,...
From Satellite Images to Seed Advice: Experience Data Brings AI to the Fresh Produce Sector
Experience Data, a Dutch AI specialist, is rolling out affordable, custom AI solutions for the fresh‑produce sector, including an onion‑variety recommendation tool and a satellite‑imagery buyer‑identification model. Projects start at roughly €10,000 (about $10,800), dramatically lowering the cost barrier for...
The Decrease in Moroccan Courgette Exports to the EU Benefited Almeria's Producers
Morocco’s courgette exports to the EU fell 27.4% year‑over‑year, ending the season on 12 April after shipping 25,507 tons. The drop eased foreign pressure on Almería growers, who saw early‑year prices spike to about €3 (~$3.30) per kilogram before sliding to under €0.40 (~$0.44)...
Phormium Develops New Energy Screen with Proprietary Weaving Technique
Belgian greenhouse‑textile maker Phormium is finalising a new energy‑saving screen woven with a proprietary technique, and has already begun production on dedicated looms. The company has filed a patent and is testing the fabric with tomato growers, with results expected...
Call to Reject Changes to EU-Morocco Agreement
The Joint Congress‑Senate Committee for the EU, backed by Grupo Popular, approved a non‑legislative proposal urging the European Union to reject recent amendments to its Association Agreement with Morocco. The motion passed with 18 votes in favour, two abstentions and...
Ploid AI Wants to Put Bioinformatics Back in Breeders’ Hands
Ploid AI launched an AI‑powered, no‑code bioinformatics platform that lets plant breeders run complex genetic and phenotypic analyses directly, without needing R, Python, or dedicated compute clusters. The tool automates repetitive pipeline steps, generates statistical models from uploaded data, and...
Little Food Festival Inspires the Next Generation of Veggie Lovers
The Little Food Festival returned to Melbourne’s Federation Square for its eighth edition, offering a free, two‑day experience that turns vegetables into play. Backed by Rijk Zwaan’s Veggies First program, the event delivered hands‑on activities and fresh veggie snacks to families,...
Pluck’d Launches U.S.-grown Tomato Brand Amid Supply Chain Pressures
Pluck'd has launched a new tomato brand grown exclusively in a high‑tech greenhouse in Virginia, now available at select Walmart, Weis Markets and regional retailers. The operation uses advanced sensors, climate control and data‑driven irrigation to produce tomatoes year‑round, reducing...
"Turkish Tomatoes Have a Strong Position in International Markets"
Turkey remains a leading global tomato producer, harvesting roughly 14 million tons annually. In 2025 the country exported tomatoes worth $401 million to 51 markets, with first‑quarter revenue climbing 11.8% year‑over‑year to $180 million. Romania emerged as the top destination, importing 42.8 million tons,...
Moroccan Tomato Growers Urged to Help Alleviate Domestic Supply Crisis
Morocco faces a severe shortage of round tomatoes after a February storm devastated greenhouses and compounded existing phytosanitary issues. Authorities have met with growers, urging them to divert more produce to the domestic market rather than export. While cherry tomato...
"Technology Alone Isn't Enough to Achieve Operational Excellence"
Optimize by Nexus, an independent consulting firm born from a partnership between Edwin Huybers, Chris Breunis, and Digna van Zanten, is targeting horticultural and agribusiness companies. The firm combines strategy, data management, and operational excellence expertise, arguing that technology alone...
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...
Canary Tomato PGI Aims to Support Gran Canaria Producers
The Canary Islands Institute of Agri‑Food Quality (ICCA) has awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status to the “Canary Tomato,” creating legal protection for the product. Backed by exporters’ association FEDEX, the move seeks to reposition the tomato in the European...
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...
Greenhouse Modernization and Emission Reduction in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan’s Turkestan region, which supplies 72% of the nation’s greenhouse vegetables, is shifting away from coal heating toward cleaner energy and air‑filtration systems. The area hosts 3,366 greenhouse units across 1,006.7 ha, with 1,223 units (551.8 ha) still coal‑fired. Filtration upgrades cost...
Nunhems Invests €40 Million in Next Generation Seed Processing facilitieS
BASF’s vegetable‑seed division, Nunhems, announced a €40 million (≈$44 million) investment to modernize and expand its seed‑processing hub in Nunhem, the Netherlands. Construction will start in Q2 2026 and finish by the end of 2028, adding roughly 6,000 m² to the existing 20,000 m² footprint....
Halt on Moroccan Tomato Exports More Nuanced According to APEFEL and FIFEL
Moroccan fruit and vegetable exporters APEFEL and FIFEL say there is no formal ban on tomato shipments, only a temporary freeze for certain fresh and processed segments to ease local shortages. Domestic tomato prices have spiked to roughly $0.38 per...
From Whole Cauliflower to Pre-Cut Convenience: How Eating Habits Are Reshaping the Vegetable Sector
GreenS & SaladS reports that the Dutch fresh‑produce market is expanding, but rising prices are squeezing margins as retailers use vegetables as loss leaders. Consumer preferences are shifting toward pre‑cut, ready‑to‑eat vegetables, driven by busy lifestyles, smaller households, and the...
New Data: Bananas Officially Australia’s Most Popular Fruit
Prosus announced it will sell a 4.5% stake in Delivery Hero to Uber, fulfilling EU commitments from its Just Eat Takeaway acquisition. Meanwhile, Walmart launched a multibillion‑dollar remodel program covering over 650 U.S. stores and adding 20 new locations. Instacart...
Italmark Teams up with Amazon for Grocery Delivery
Italian regional retailer Italmark has partnered with Amazon to launch a grocery‑delivery service in Brescia, covering fresh meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, Consilia private‑label items and specialty ranges such as vegan, gluten‑free and lactose‑free products. The collaboration gives Italmark instant access...
US (IO): Graduate Student’s Research Aims to Provide Solutions for Organic Vegetable Growers
Graduate student Smriti Chaudhary at Iowa State University earned the 2026 Graduate Program Research Excellence Award for her work on organic vegetable production. Her research evaluated nylon‑mesh mesotunnels as insect‑exclusion structures and compared them with organic insecticide programs, showing reduced...
"Working with Industry Leaders Enables Us to Accelerate the Path From Research to the Field"
Biotalys announced its first research milestone in a partnership with Syngenta to develop a novel bio‑insecticide. Laboratory tests using Biotalys’ Agrobody protein platform delivered promising in‑vitro activity against key insect molecular targets. The collaboration now moves to in‑vivo testing on...
Making Sure that the Investment in a High Tunnel Will Pay Off
High‑tunnel greenhouses are emerging as a cost‑effective alternative to traditional glass structures, offering growers a fast path to profitability. A 30′ × 96′ tunnel can house roughly 275 tomato plants, producing 6,875 lb and $20,625 in revenue at $3 per pound, covering the...
Cropshader Approved for Organic Farming in Europe
Lumiforte's Cropshader, a starch‑based liquid shading coating, has received Ecocert verification for organic farming in Europe. The product creates a reflective film on fruit and foliage, lowering canopy temperatures and cutting sunburn incidents. Field trials show it outperforms traditional kaolin...
Ghanaian Farm Plans 3,000-Ton Tomato Supply Expansion
Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture announced that Maphlix Farms will place 3,000 tons of tomatoes on the market by year‑end, using a mix of greenhouse and open‑field production. The farm has already begun harvesting, with three‑day picking cycles to maintain...
UAE Airlifts over 3,000 Tons of Produce From India for Vishu Demand
Lulu Group has air‑freighted more than 3,153 tonnes of Kerala fruit, vegetables and traditional items to the Gulf ahead of the Hindu New Year festival Vishu. The shipments, including jackfruit, banana leaves, kani konna flowers and coconuts, arrived via a National Airlines...
Steaming Strawberry Plants for a Smooth Start of the Season
Belgian grower Aardbeien Vergeyle has expanded its use of Moleda’s Plantsauna steam‑treatment to 17 pallets of Karima strawberry plants for the new season. The steam process gently heats plants with aerated steam, eliminating pathogens without chemicals. Early observations show steam‑treated...
Four Supermarket Chains Hit by Fraud over the Origin of Their Fruit and Vegetables
On 7 April 2026 France's consumer‑protection authority DGCCRF ordered Carrefour, Leclerc, Aldi and Lidl to halt misleading practices around fruit and vegetable origin labeling and, in some cases, promotional pricing. The regulator found origin information hidden in catalogs, using tiny fonts, ambiguous...
Nordica A81 Opens a New Chapter for Northern Highbush Blueberry Varieties
Blueberica’s Nordica A81, a northern highbush blueberry, has completed three commercial years in Chile, delivering yields of 3.5‑4.5 kg per plant (some exceeding 5 kg) and fruit over 18 mm with a 60‑65‑day post‑harvest life. The variety matches southern cultivars in size, firmness...
Spain's Corrugated Cardboard Sector Posts €7.2 Billion in 2025, Holding Third Place in Europe
Spain’s corrugated cardboard industry posted €7.168 billion in 2025 (≈ $7.7 billion), cementing its position as the third‑largest producer in Europe behind Germany and Italy. The sector comprises 66 corrugating firms operating 89 factories, generating 5.94 billion m² of board and consuming 3.35 million tons of paper....
War in Iran: Fertilizer Sector Warns of Lasting Supply Risk
A two‑week U.S.–Iran ceasefire will temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for roughly 30% of global fertilizer trade and 20% of natural‑gas flows. The closure has already forced several Gulf fertilizer plants offline, tightening worldwide supply and...
Translating Research Into Action
North Carolina State University’s Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Coalition is reshaping research by letting growers and suppliers dictate project priorities. The coalition’s three‑pillar model—industry‑driven focus, shared infrastructure, and multidisciplinary expertise—has attracted funding and accelerated solutions for greenhouse challenges. A flagship...
"Resistance to Bremia Is One of the Main Strengths of Our Lettuce Range"
Bejo has unveiled a lettuce portfolio that emphasizes disease resistance, especially against Bremia, while catering to diverse market segments from fresh grocery to 4th‑range supermarket sales. Flagship varieties include VITABEL batavia for vigor, ADORABEL with multi‑disease resistance, CHARLICE iceberg for...
EU Exempts Wooden Pallets From PPWR Reuse Requirements
The European Commission clarified that wooden pallets are exempt from reuse obligations under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The guidance applies to pallets used for imports, exports and intra‑EU trade, as well as custom‑designed transport packaging. Industry concerns...
Agriplace Rebrands to Simvia as Compliance Data Platform
Agriplace has rebranded to Simvia, shifting its focus from a farm‑level compliance tool to a Europe‑wide data infrastructure for food and consumer‑goods companies. The platform now aims to unify fragmented regulatory, sustainability and packaging requirements into a single, audit‑ready system....
Albanian Tomato Prices Rise to US$8.40 per Kg
Albania’s tomato market has seen a sharp price surge, with cherry tomatoes reaching $8.40 per kilogram and standard varieties climbing to $3.70‑$4.65 per kilogram. The increase follows flood‑induced damage to greenhouse areas, reduced planting acreage, and higher input costs, which...