Precision Ag News 6/27

A team of Michigan State University researchers has received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to investigate the climate change mitigation potential of switchgrass cropping systems.

Sky Power International, one of the leading providers of innovative propulsion solutions for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), announced the launch of its new online shop. The new shop provides a user-friendly platform for customers worldwide.

A new article researched and co-authored by American Soybean Association staff explores how farmers can potentially benefit from new biotechnology innovations. The piece offers promising options for America’s half a million soy growers and was recently reviewed and published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Sciences. The article by ASA Director of Government Affairs Kyle Kunkler and Chief Economist Scott Gerlt, Ph.D., is part of a research topic symposium hosted by the journal. It considers how plant molecular farming can benefit U.S. soybean farmers and create new markets for consumers and the most successful ways to launch these varieties.

Nutrien, a leading crop inputs and services provider, recently committed $1 million over four years to support sustainable agriculture practices for rice growers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas and California. Through the USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited decade-long Rice Stewardship Program, we have built a field team of partners who have worked on more than 1,000 rice farms spanning nearly one million acres, improving agricultural and environmental performances.

Syngenta has introduced four new sustainability priorities, each with a clear set of targets, to drive farmer success and positive environmental outcomes in agriculture:
Higher Yields, Lower Impact: This priority focuses on accelerating crop productivity while reducing the impact on the planet through more sustainable technologies.
Regenerate Soil and Nature: This priority will help us enable the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices to help farmers improve productivity, soil health, biodiversity and climate.
Improve Rural Prosperity: This priority drives us to improve the prosperity of low-income and under-served farmers by improving their access to inputs, knowledge, finance and markets.
Sustainable Operations: This priority centers on reducing the environmental impact of our operations and supply chain, strengthening our diverse and inclusive culture, and ensuring the health and safety of our people.

Tampa Bay Sun FC, the first professional women’s soccer team in Tampa, has inked a multi-year partnership with BRANDT, an innovator in agricultural solutions. The new official ‘Plant Health Partner’ will work with the Club on educating fans about ways to reduce food waste through community programming and gameday activities.

BeeHero, the pioneer of data-driven precision pollination, revealed its ESG data from 2023. The data showcases how the company’s Precision Pollination as a Service (PPaaS) solution, which is operational globally including across Australia and North America, has resulted in 629 million bees saved, 1,174 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided, and an over 240 percent increase in acres pollinated. In doing so, BeeHero has contributed to SDG goals of food security, reduced emissions, and the protection of the ecosystem.

Biolevel Ltd., a global biological nutrition company dedicated to developing and delivering a new generation of products that benefit farmers, has appointed Bill Cordingley as Chief Executive Officer. A senior executive of 19 years at Rabobank Group in both New York and Sydney, Cordingley most recently served as the bank’s Global Head of Grains, Oilseeds and Sugar in its Corporate Finance Group. His wealth of global agribusiness finance experience, and leadership expertise, positions Biolevel for a new phase of rapid growth to become a global biologicals market leader.

Bayer aims to launch ten blockbuster products in the next ten years to support farmers worldwide, the company announced at its 2024 Crop Science innovation update in Chicago. Each blockbuster is expected to contribute more than 500 million euros of the over 32-billion-euros peak sales potential in the R&D pipeline – unparalleled across the global agricultural industry. Farmers will benefit from new technologies that will help them produce more while restoring nature through innovations that power regenerative agriculture.

Veteran ag industry seedsman and business leader Nathan Louiso has joined the management team at Meristem Crop Performance as Vice President and National Sales Manager. In the new role, Louiso will focus near-term on building the sales organization to better serve the growing number of farm businesses benefiting from Meristem’s innovative product portfolio, including the game-changing Bio-Capsule seed fluency delivery system.