The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced up to $7.7 billion in assistance for fiscal year 2025 to help agricultural and forestry producers adopt conservation practices on working lands. This includes up to $5.7 billion for climate-smart practices, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, which is part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda and $2 billion in Farm Bill funding. This is more than double the amount available last year and the most conservation assistance made available in a single year in U.S. history for popular USDA conservation programs.
With an eye toward the future of agriculture and the crop protection industry, the Mid America CropLife Association (MACA) announced the election of the 2024-2025 Board of Directors. Newly elected officers are, President Michael Lehman, AMVAC; Vice President John Oesch, Nutrien Ag Solutions, and Secretary/Treasurer Aaron Deardorff, Syngenta Crop Protection.
October 1 marked the second National Nematode Day, a day that’s especially exciting for the winners of The SCN Coalition’s $500 sweepstakes. They are: Feyisayo Akande, Austin Brand, and Jacob Mekidani Salu. These winners qualified for the drawing by participating in The SCN Coalition’s “Are You Smarter Than a Nematode?” quizzes. This fun, engaging and informative series sponsored by BASF, Bayer and Syngenta challenged participants to test their nematode knowledge.
California’s Citrus Research Board (CRB) has signed a $900,000 non-dilutive funding agreement with Nanovel that includes delivery of a citrus-harvesting robot after a series of field trials. The field trials are set to start in the spring of 2025 and will be conducted in cooperation with citrus growers. Nanovel, an Israeli company established in 2018 by Chief Executive Officer Isaac Mazor, has unveiled an AI-powered autonomous fruit-harvesting robot capable of picking citrus fruit for the fresh market. According to Nanovel, the robot offers a solution to growers dealing with farm labor shortages and rapidly increasing costs.
Solinftec, a global leader in artificial intelligence solutions and sustainable agricultural practices, has shared an update on the successful inaugural commercial season of its groundbreaking Solix Sprayer Robot. For the 2024 growing season there were 50 robots in commercial use on farms in Indiana and Illinois monitoring more than 65 million plants. The use of Solix resulted in a reduction of up to 98 percent in herbicide volume and up to 10 percent more potential yields of crops including wheat, corn, popcorn seed and soybeans.
Fruitnet Media International – the world’s leading publisher and event organizer for the fresh produce business – is bringing Agtools curated and audited data to enhance its audience’s understanding of the industry. This collaboration aims to empower Fruitnet’s audience with Agtools’ meticulously curated and audited market data, enhancing insights and fostering informed decisions in the dynamic agricultural landscape.
Syngenta Group, a global leader in agricultural innovation, announced the launch of Cropwise AI at the World AgriTech Innovation Summit in London. Cropwise AI is a cutting-edge GenAI system designed to increase the efficiency of agronomic advisors and growers to determine the best crop management practices. Leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms and data analytics, Cropwise AI empowers growers with deep insights and enhanced decision-making capabilities to optimize crop yields, improve sustainability, and drive profitability.
