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Featuring updates from GigaCrop, BioLumic, Jord BioScience, Bioceres Crop Solutions, Pivot Bio, SOLASTA Bio, Biotalys, FA Bio, Indigo Ag, Google, Syngenta, Planet Labs, Topcon Agriculture, xFarm Technologies, Agros, Picketa Systems, LettUs Grow, Verinomics, Zespri, Ohalo, CIBO Technologies, and Rumin8. š±š
Sepehr Achard
March 14, 2025
The weekend is almost here, but before you sign off, hereās your essential roundup of whatās happening in AgTech.
This edition covers breakthroughs in plant science, precision agriculture, crop protection, and sustainability innovations. From AI-powered farming tools and microbial solutions to new partnerships in regenerative ag and emissions reduction, weāve got the latest updates in one place.
š© Grab a coffee, take a quick break, and catch up on this weekās industry highlights.
š Letās dive in!
This Weekās Highlights Include:
Estimated Reading Time: 8 - 9 minutes
You can also listen to the full episode here.
š The 2025 USA Indoor Farming Report is Here! š±
Weāre excited to announce the release of the 2025 USA Indoor Farming Report, packed with industry insights, investment trends, and technological advancements shaping the future of controlled-environment agriculture (CEA).
A huge thank you to our sponsors TTA-ISO & Grow-Tec for their support and to Renko Schuil, Shlomy Razhiel, Corenthin Chassouant, and Neda Vaseghi for sharing their expertise and valuable insights in this edition. Your contributions help drive meaningful conversations about the future of indoor farming!
PLANT SCIENCE
Unlocking Crop Potential: New Biotech and Soil Innovations
GigaCrop Secures $4.5M to Boost Photosynthesis and Double Crop Yields
What is GigaCrop developing? A machine learning-driven enzyme engineering technology that improves photosynthesis efficiency in crops.
How does the technology work? It bypasses Rubiscoās limitations, optimizing plantsā ability to convert sunlight into energy more efficiently.
Who is backing this project? GigaCrop raised $4.5M in pre-seed funding, led by Playground Global, to accelerate its research.
BCF Life Sciences Patents LEAFAMINEĀ® for Soil Regeneration
What is LEAFAMINEĀ®? A free amino acid-based solution designed to regenerate soil, support microbial health, and reduce carbon footprint.
How is it applied? LEAFAMINEĀ® can be sprayed, watered, or mixed into soil, making it suitable for diverse farming practices.
What research supports its effectiveness? After three years of field trials, it has demonstrated significant improvements in soil health and sustainability.
BioLumic Unveils Light-Activated Traits for Corn Seeds
What is BioLumicās innovation? A Trait Activation System that uses UV light to enhance seed genetics, improving growth, vigor, and resilience.
Where is this technology being used? BioLumicās xTraitā¢ platform is being deployed at Gro Allianceās seed facility in Wisconsin.
When will farmers see results? Field trials show strong yield gains, with commercial hybrid traits expected by 2026.
Rosen Systems, Inc.ā Hosts Online Auction of Bowery Farming New Indoor Smart Farming Equipment
Rosen Systems is hosting an online auction for Bowery Farming Assets closing Tuesday, March 25th at 10 AM. The sale features vertical farming systems, produce packaging equipment, and lots more!
Visit the website to see all items and place your bids!
THIS WEEKāS INTERVIEW
šæ Innovating Microbial Solutions: Interview with Jord BioScience
ā What is Jord BioScienceās approach to microbial solutions?
Founded by Dr. Linda Kinkel, the company enhances microbial product performance through a B2B partnership model.
It leverages a proprietary microbial bank of 6,500+ isolates, built over three decades, to improve agricultural outcomes.
ā How does Jord BioScience address performance challenges?
By refining microbial interactions, the company has increased field trial success rates from 55-60% to 85-95%.
Its work in Pythium control has shown comparable or superior efficacy to leading chemical treatments.
ā What are the regulatory and scalability challenges?
Regulatory landscapes vary across regions, affecting market entry for microbial products.
Jord BioScienceās strategy ensures consistent performance across diverse growing conditions.
ā Whatās next for Jord BioScience?
The company plans to expand globally, with multiple products expected to enter the market by 2030.
Its innovations will impact both row crops and specialty crops, bringing novel microbial solutions to key agricultural markets.
CROP PROTECTION
š”ļø Crop Protection: Innovations in Sustainable Pest & Nutrient Management
Bioceres Crop Solutions Receives EPA Approval for Rinotec
What is Rinotec? A biological insecticide and nematicide platform designed to offer an alternative to synthetic pesticides.
What does the EPA approval mean? Bioceres can now expand Rinotecās availability in the U.S. as part of its biological pest control portfolio.
Pivot Bio Introduces PROVENĀ® G3 for Nitrogen-Fixing in Corn
What is PROVENĀ® G3? A nitrogen-fixing microbial solution designed to support nutrient uptake in corn. Builds on Pivot Bioās PROVENĀ® 40 technology, with commercial availability expected in 2026.
How is it being evaluated? A large-scale farmer demonstration is underway, covering 300+ locations in the U.S.
SOLASTA Bio Secures Patent for Bioinsecticides
What is SOLASTA Bioās focus? Developing peptide-based bioinsecticides that target insect neuropeptides.
What makes this patent important? Strengthens SOLASTA Bioās intellectual property position in biological pest control. The bioinsecticides are designed to control pests while minimizing impact on pollinators.
Biotalys Reports Positive Field Trial Results for BioFun-6
What is BioFun-6? A protein-based biofungicide developed using Biotalysā AGROBODYā¢ platform.
What were the field trial results? The biofungicide was tested in grapes (Botrytis) and cucumbers/tomatoes (powdery mildew). It demonstrated disease control at lower application rates compared to standard treatments.
FA Bio Expands Partnership with IFF for Microbial Crop Protection
What does this agreement involve? FA Bio is licensing selected microbial strains to IFF for use in biofungicide and biostimulant development.
How does FA Bio develop microbial solutions? The company collects and analyzes microbial samples from agricultural soils as part of its Microbial Library Collection.
BiOWiSHĀ® Crop Liquid Applied to Over 10 Million Acres
What is BiOWiSHĀ® Crop Liquid? A microbial-based fertilizer additive aimed at improving nutrient efficiency.
What do trials indicate? Third-party evaluations reported an 86% win rate and an average 7.7% yield increase.
Who are BiOWiSHās partners? The company collaborates with SABIC Agri-Nutrients, Syngenta MAP, ADM, and PetroVietnam Ca Mau Fertilizer.
PRECISION AGRICULTURE
š” Precision Agriculture: Data-Driven Solutions for Smarter Farming
Indigo Ag and Google Partner to Promote Regenerative Farming in Oklahoma
What is the goal of this partnership? To implement water-saving agricultural practices that improve soil moisture, drought resilience, and groundwater recharge.
How is the initiative funded? Google is contributing $1.5 million to support regenerative farming methods on farms in Pryor, Oklahoma.
When will this program begin? The project starts in fall 2025 and runs through 2032, covering thousands of acres in Oklahoma watersheds.
Syngenta Integrates Planet Labsā Satellite Data into Cropwise
What does this partnership bring to farmers? 3-meter resolution satellite imagery with near-daily updates, improving visibility even in cloudy areas.
How does it enhance decision-making? Farmers can monitor crop health, detect stress early, and manage field variability using Planet Labsā tasking and insights platform.
Topcon Agriculture and Connecterra Improve Dairy Data Insights
What is the focus of this collaboration? Integrating feeding and operational data to improve efficiency and herd management.
What metrics can dairy farmers track? Dry Matter Intake (DMI), milk weight, total solids, ruminating time, and Energy-Corrected Milk (ECM).
What is Topconās broader initiative? The company has joined the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) to establish group feeding data standards.
xFarm Technologies Expands to Brazil in Partnership with Checkplant
What is the goal of this expansion? To strengthen digital agriculture solutions in Brazilās key farming regions.
How will this partnership support farmers? By integrating xFarm and Farmbox platforms to provide decision support, agronomic modeling, and supply chain transparency.
Agros Secures $4.25M to Expand Solar Irrigation for Smallholder Farmers
Who invested in this funding round? Co-led by Gaia Impact, Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia, and Wavemaker Impact, with additional backing from the Global Innovation Fund (GIF).
How has Agros impacted smallholder farmers? Helped 6,000 farmers adopt solar irrigation, improving access to sustainable water solutions.
What are Agrosā future targets?
By 2027, the company aims to:
Partner with 30,000 farmers.
Increase collective incomes by $40 million.
Prevent 1 million tonnes of COā emissions through clean irrigation solutions.
Gloviewer Showcases Satellite-Based Tools at Agrinnovation 2025
What are Gloviewerās new products?
Gloviewer Trace ā a supply chain monitoring tool for EUDR compliance and emissions tracking.
Gloviewer Grow ā a farm management platform integrating remote sensing, data analytics, and IoT technology.
Why are these tools relevant? They support precision agriculture, real-time insights, and sustainable land-use management.
Where is Gloviewer expanding? The company plans to grow its presence in Indonesia, where smart agriculture adoption is increasing.
Picketa Systems Expands LENS Platform to Include Canola
How was the technology tested? Through field trials across North and South America, with data collected from Chile in collaboration with Hi-Tech Seed Productions.
Who is adopting LENS technology? Saskatchewanās canola farming community has shown early interest, with angel investors Jesse Wiebe and Chris Nykolaishen backing the company.
What partnerships support this initiative? Cargill is piloting LENS technology at its Camrose, Alberta location to assess its role in nutrient management and fertilizer efficiency under the 4R Nutrient Stewardship program.
How Did You Like Today's Newsletter? |
OTHER NEWS
š AgTech Advancements: AI, Genetics, Sustainability, and Emission Reduction
Source.ag introduces three new AI product tiers, enhancing decision-making, operational integration, and comprehensive suite, enhancing efficiency and profitability for vegetable growers worldwide.
LettUs Grow and KG Systems have partnered to expand access to Advanced Aeroponics technology, aiming to improve efficiency and yields in greenhouse and vertical farming solutions.
Verinomics introduces Genesis and Genova platforms for specialty crop development, raising $13 million to support genomics-driven breeding and transgene-free editing research.
Zespri reaffirms $2 million investment in ZAG, prioritizing climate resilience solutions for sustainable agricultural advancements, with over 100 submissions from 15+ countries.
Ohalo launches Strawberry Consortium, collaborating with industry leaders to develop true-seed strawberry varieties, improving flavor, sustainability, and economic viability through a proprietary hybrid breeding system.
CIBO Technologies introduces open platform for integration with third-party carbon and ecosystem services models, simplifying data collection, reporting, and supporting sustainability initiatives, collaborating with modeling companies and universities.
Rumin8's veterinary product reduced methane emissions by 95.2% in cattle, demonstrating its role in achieving climate goals and mitigating emissions.
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