Grain Check

Featuring Syngenta, Bayer, Cibus, CNH, ADAMA, Microsoft, Fieldin, Al Dahra, Tropic, and more in this week’s AgTech roundup.

Author

Sepehr Achard
May 09, 2025

Good Morning, Growers.
This week’s edition is packed with updates across plant science, precision ag, and crop protection—from gene-edited rice approvals to strategic pivots by industry giants.

What We Are Covering Today:

Estimated Reading Time: 5 - 6 minutes

🎧 Prefer listening over reading?

Catch the full recap on this week’s AgTech Digest Podcast—available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform. here.

CROP PROTECTION
Plant Science Highlights: Acquisitions, Partnerships & More!

🌱 Syngenta Taps Intrinsyx for Bio Boost

Syngenta acquired California-based Intrinsyx to strengthen its global biologicals platform. The deal brings Intrinsyx’s proprietary tech in-house, aiming to speed up sustainable nutrient management solutions for growers.

🌾 Ecuador Greenlights Cibus’ Gene-Edited Rice

Cibus scored a major win: Ecuador will treat its HT1 and HT3 rice traits as conventional, allowing commercialization without transgenic restrictions. The rice was developed using Cibus’ RTDS® tech, aligning with the country's seed laws.

🧪 Gilboa™ Gets FRAC Approval

ADAMA’s Gilboa™ fungicide, which disrupts nucleic acid metabolism, received FRAC recognition. It’s a step toward launch in Europe by 2029 — and a potential game-changer for resistance management in cereals.

🍅 Syngenta + Tropic Join Forces on Gene Editing

A new collaboration between Syngenta Vegetable Seeds and Tropic will deploy GEiGS® technology to speed up disease resistance in key vegetables. Expect faster development of resilient varieties.

🧯 Bayer Exits U.S. Seed Equipment

Bayer is shutting down its seed treatment equipment ops in Minnesota. The strategic pivot comes as the company refocuses on core crop protection, amid financial headwinds and ongoing glyphosate litigation.

🥬 Verinomics x Pinnacle: Lettuce R&D Gets Serious

A fresh partnership between Verinomics and Pinnacle Seed aims to tackle leafy greens with new varieties boasting higher yield and disease resistance. First launches expected in 2026.

THIS WEEK’S EDITORIAL
Chris Laudando’s Radical Truth: Building AgTech from the Ground Up

  • Bootstrapped innovation: Laudando & Associates (L&A) is challenging the venture-backed status quo by self-funding AgTech development and empowering farming entrepreneurs through its Catalyzer program.

  • Hardware with impact: L&A’s L&Aser™️ module offers a modular, efficient approach to weed control, serving as a serious alternative to chemical applications. 

  • Tensions with incumbents: Laudando sees resistance from large Ag players, stating a “cooperation embargo” to protect entrenched interests.

  • Founder’s journey: After losing equity in past ventures, Laudando founded L&A to retain control and support like-minded innovators.

  • Vision for 2030: Laudando envisions a future where farmers own their AI tools, shaping regenerative and locally tuned agriculture.

PRECISION AG
Precision Ag Updates: Partnerships, Reports & More!

🤝 Al Dahra Taps Syngenta’s Cropwise®

Al Dahra is rolling out Syngenta’s Cropwise® platform across over 220,000 farms in four countries. The goal: streamline data, reduce manual inputs, and scale sustainable practices. The move enhances real-time insights across its global farmland footprint.

💧Fieldin + ARAG Target Spray Efficiency

A new collaboration between Fieldin and ARAG introduces a digital flow rate monitor for permanent crops. The tool delivers real-time spray data, improves cost control, and helps ensure compliance. Growers can also track weather impact and optimize chemical usage.

📉 AgTech VC Slows—but Not Stalled

PitchBook reports $1.6B in Q1 2025 AgTech VC deals across 137 rounds. Despite fewer transactions, deal sizes and valuations ticked up. Top-funded areas: ag biotech and precision ag. Most exits were acquisitions, with AI-driven breeding as a rising trend.

🛠️ CNH Eyes $550M in Cost Cuts by 2030

CNH unveiled a Strategic Business Plan focused on AI, innovation, and operational efficiency. Highlights include a refreshed tractor lineup, new combine tech, and predictive maintenance tools. The company projects major savings and dealer investments through the decade.

👩‍🏫 Microsoft x FFA Launch FarmBeats Kits

FarmBeats for Students goes national. Microsoft and the National FFA are equipping 185 schools with smart ag kits. Students will get hands-on with AI, sensors, and ag data tools—training the next generation of digital farmers.

THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEW
How Good Agriculture Is Helping Farmers Focus on Farming

  • Good Agriculture supports farmers by managing financial and administrative burdens.

  • The company focuses on regenerative farmers, who often have more complex operations.

  • AI is used in combination with human oversight to deliver scalable services.

  • Financing challenges persist due to high land costs and limited understanding of newer models.

  • The company aims to expand into broader operational support by 2030.

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OTHER NEWS
Other Updates: Funding Round, A New Private Credit Fund & More!

  • Gardin raised $4.5 million in Seed 2 funding led by Navus Ventures to expand its platform and commercial team. The company’s optical photosynthesis sensor and AI platform is now deployed across more than 20 crop species in polytunnels and greenhouses worldwide.

  • Sollum and Delphy explored dynamic LED lighting strategies in cucumbers. Far-red (FR) light was shown to be essential during dark periods to maintain plant health.

  • PowerPollen has been awarded U.S. Patent 12,245,587 for its process using solid particulates to protect pollen viability during storage.

  • ZIVO Bioscience completed a second collaborative study with the University of Delaware to assess its proprietary algal-derived formulations in mitigating Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (LPAI) spread.

  • Anu™ partners with Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana to manufacture compostable seed pods for its AI-powered produce growing system. Indiana Governor Mike Braun and state legislators visited the Yost Avenue facility to mark the announcement and tour the site.

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