Sands of Change

Insights From Bayer, CNH, John Deere, Hiphen, Sentera, Bunge, BeeHero, Source.ag Chipotle, Plantible, CH4 Global, Windfall Bio, FarmX, Biotalys & More!

Author

Sepehr Achard
January 17, 2025

Welcome to This Week’s AgTech Digest! 🌱

Dive into the latest developments shaping the future of agriculture! This week, we explore groundbreaking innovations in desert farming, game-changing tools for farmers, strategic mergers, and forward-thinking investments that drive sustainability and efficiency.

Let’s dive in! 🚜

This Week’s Highlights Include:

Estimated Reading Time: 8 - 9 minutes

You can also listen to the full episode here.

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PARTNERSHIPS
Innovative AgTech Partnerships: Gene Editing, AI-Driven Pollination, Greenhouse AI, and Quantum Farming

genXtraits x Solis Agrosciences

  • Goal: Accelerate genXtraits' crop variety development programs.

  • Focus: Develop traits like environmental stress tolerance and improved nutrition.

  • Outcome: New crop varieties for commercialization or licensing to seed companies.

  • Impact: Address climate change, food security, and healthier crop demands.

Hazera x BeeHero

  • Objective: Improve pollination efficiency in global seed production fields.

  • Technology: Pollination Insight Platform (PIP) with IoT sensors and AI.

  • Key Features: Real-time monitoring of pollinator activity, flower visits, and environmental conditions.

  • Pilot Locations: Fields in Israel and France.

  • Benefits: Better seed yield, reduced yield volatility, and enhanced bee health.

Source.ag x Bayer

  • Purpose: Enhance data collection and decision-making for greenhouse growers.

  • Innovation: AI-driven virtual replicas of operations to predict plant growth and simulate strategies.

  • Trial Location: Bayer’s De Ruiter Experience Center in the Netherlands.

  • Applications: Testing sustainable growing techniques for tomatoes and cucumbers.

Classiq x Florence Quantum Labs

  • Focus: Develop quantum-enhanced precision agriculture solutions.

  • Technology: Quantum-enhanced biosensors and AI-quantum hybrid algorithms.

  • Applications: Real-time soil health monitoring and optimized nutrient management.

  • Expected Benefits: Improved efficiency, productivity, and climate adaptability.

THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEW
Desert Farming: Advancing Innovation in the Middle East

🌍 Desert Farming as a Solution

  • Challenges: Water scarcity, poor soil, and extreme climates.

  • Innovations: IoT sensors and efficient resource management.

  • Quote: “Desert farming offers scalable solutions for global agriculture,” Dumain said.

🌱 Regenerative Agriculture

  • Benefits: Improves soil health, reduces emissions, and supports farmers.

  • Bayer’s Vision: Tailored solutions for environmental and economic sustainability.

🤝 Bayer x Silal Collaboration

  • Initiatives:

    • Digital farming tools and training programs.

    • Sustainable farming demo sites at Silal Innovation Oasis.

    • Crop trials suited for local climates.

🌾 Climate-Smart Farming

  • Technologies: Precision irrigation, decarbonization practices, and resilient crop varieties.

  • Impact: “Agriculture can reduce emissions with scalable technologies,” Dumain noted.

NEW TOOLS
This Week’s New Tools: Innovations for AgTech Efficiency

🤖 CNH’s AI Tech Assistant

  • Purpose: Advanced chatbot for dealer networks in agriculture and construction.

  • Features:

    • Simulates human conversations and scans technical documentation.

    • Provides accurate diagnostics based on machine-specific details.

    • Bridges knowledge gaps for technicians of varying experience levels.

  • Global Rollout: Pilots in Australia and New Zealand, testing in Brazil and Europe, with global expansion by March 2025.

  • Impact: "Positive dealer feedback highlights its time-saving and efficiency benefits."

🔧 John Deere’s Expanded Repair Solutions

  • Objective: Empower customers and independent technicians to reprogram electronic controllers.

  • Integration: Tools will join the John Deere Operations Center™ in late 2025.

  • Current Status: U.S. and Canada pilot program underway.

  • Benefits:

    • Reduces downtime and enhances equipment reliability.

    • Builds on decades of support for customer-led repairs.

  • Release Timeline: Second half of 2025.

🌾 Sentera’s SmartScript™ Weeds

  • Formerly: Aerial WeedScout platform.

  • Key Features:

    • Weed classification, stand count, and tank fill guides.

    • Integration with nozzle control systems like John Deere ExactApply and Raven Hawkeye 2.

  • Sustainability:

    • Optimizes herbicide usage, reduces environmental impact.

    • Improves field prioritization and sprayer logistics.

  • Collaboration: Partnering with retail distributors to expand reach.

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
This Week in M&A: Strategic Moves in AgTech and Agribusiness

📸 Hiphen Acquires Aurea Imaging’s Drone Phenotyping Activities

  • Objective: Strengthen Hiphen’s global leadership in image analytics for crop science and seed breeding.

  • Key Points:

    • Builds on Hiphen's U.S. market expansion through SlantRange in 2023.

    • Enhances European market presence.

  • Transition: Aurea Imaging clients will move to Hiphen's Cloverfield Data Platform for advanced analytics.

  • Focus Shift: Aurea Imaging will now prioritize orchard management solutions, including TreeScout for fruit growers.

🌾 Bunge’s Acquisition of Viterra Approved with Conditions

  • Details: Canadian government approval includes measures to protect competition and fair pricing in grain and oilseed markets.

  • Conditions:

    • Division of grain elevators to prevent monopolies.

    • Ownership restrictions on G3.

    • A $520 million investment commitment to spur economic growth and job creation.

  • Economic Impact: Ensures fair pricing for farmers and strengthens the agricultural sector’s competitiveness.

INVESTMENTS
This Week in Investments: Funding Connectivity and Sustainability

🌐 On-Farm Connectivity Program (OFCP)

  • Purpose: Improve connectivity for Australian farms, enabling modernization and sustainability.

  • Funding:

    • Up to 50% rebate for eligible equipment and technology purchases.

    • Maximum rebate of $30,000 per applicant.

    • Total program investment: $53 million, with $20 million added in Round 3.

  • Impact: Thousands of farmers have enhanced productivity, streamlined operations, and adopted sustainable practices.

  • Broader Context: Part of the Albanese Government's $1.1 billion Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia.

🥗 Chipotle’s Cultivate Next Investments

  • Companies Funded:

    • Plantible: Food-tech company producing Rubi Protein™, offering sustainable, allergen-friendly, plant-based protein alternatives.

    • CH4 Global: Climate-tech company developing Methane Tamer™ to reduce livestock methane emissions and improve cattle efficiency.

  • Goals:

    • Drive sustainability in agriculture and food systems.

    • Advance Chipotle's environmental impact and menu innovation.

OTHER NEWS
🌱 Agricultural Innovation – Milestones and Product Expansion

  • Windfall Bio:

    • Scaled methane-eating microbe fermentation to 17,000 liters.

    • Converts methane into nitrogen-rich biomass for organic fertilizer.

    • Partnering with FERMWORX to accelerate production.

  • FarmX Autonomy:

    • OrchardPilot enables GPS-free tractor automation for orchards.

    • Compatible with major brands and installed in a single day.

    • Future updates planned for enhanced functionality.

  • Biotalys:

    • Completed first phase of European regulatory review for EVOCA™, a biofungicide.

    • Next steps: EFSA and EU member state evaluations, public consultation, and voting.

  • Valley Irrigation:

    • Launching AgSense 365, consolidating four platforms into a precision irrigation app.

    • Features remote monitoring, control, and integrated data management.

  • Cibus:

    • Introduced standardized protocols for RTDS gene editing to streamline plant breeding.

    • Focuses on rice and canola traits, with patented platforms for soybean breeding.

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