AgriTech Review

Plus: Australia approves lab-grown duck. The post AgriFood Signals: India’s Scimplify nets $25m, Deere funds food security, USDA funds seed research appeared first on AgFunderNews.

The move, which the UKATC insists is “not a cost-cutting exercise,” reflects a shift to a new operating model, says chief engagement officer Daniel Himsworth. The post UK Agri-Tech Centre to slash workforce by 60% in strategic pivot to new operating model appeared first on AgFunderNews.

A new study across 13 Spanish farms finds that camera traps detect far more wildlife species than environmental DNA metabarcoding, but the two methods reveal complementary patterns shaped by species ecology and livestock density.

Deep inside every seed lies a hidden world that scientists are only now beginning to understand. Bacteria, fungi, archaea and other microorganisms inhabit both the internal tissues and external surfaces of seeds, forming what researchers call the seed microbiota. Unlike

Radishes grown in polyacrylamide hydrogel granules matched the yields of plants raised in the clay substrate used on the International Space Station while requiring significantly less water, positioning hydrogels as a promising foundation for space agriculture.

A brush with low doses of the herbicide dicamba spurs oxalis, a weed commonly known as wood sorrel, to produce more flowers, University of Michigan researchers have discovered. The finding suggests that farmers and homeowners are inadvertently making weeds growing around the perimeter of their fields or lawns stronger, the researchers say. The study results are published in the journal New Phytologist.

A super El Niño fueling record ocean temperatures poses a "terrifying" threat to the world's fragile coral reefs, the chair of the U.N.'s expert nature panel told AFP.

Bryce Baker of PTx explores retrofit-first global expansion, targeted spraying’s potential, and the challenges of scaling autonomous technology. The post Ag Tech Talk Podcast: PTx on Precision Ag Retrofits, Targeted Spraying, and Autonomy appeared first on CropLife.

Switch Bioworks and Bayer partner to advance engineered microbes that boost biological nitrogen fixation and deliver next-generation fertilizer solutions. The post Switch Bioworks Announces Collaboration with Bayer Crop Science to Advance Biological Nitrogen appeared first on CropLife.

A comprehensive review of 112 livestock studies finds that tannin feed additives deliver clear benefits for cattle, sheep and goats, particularly through reduced methane emissions and improved gut health, while showing limited value for poultry and inconsistent results for pigs.

A common-field experiment in Inner Mongolia shows that eight crops grown in identical saline-alkaline soil develop dramatically different rhizosphere microbial communities, ion allocation patterns and soil functional traits, with crop identity explaining up to 83.5 percent of fungal community variation.

Researchers from the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies (BCSS) Ocean Observatory have documented ancient forests that grew on the Mozambican coast thousands of years ago and have been found beneath the sea, where they now serve as hotspots teeming with marine life similar in biodiversity to coral reefs.

The European Commission risks obstructing wind power development if it reopens debate on key rules regarding the protection of wildlife habitats in member states, industry body WindEurope has warned.

Molecular docking and laboratory validation show bacterial azoreductases decolorize azo and anthraquinone dyes at up to 2,000 mg/L and cut phytotoxicity by 80 percent.

Phosphorus is the quiet workhorse of agriculture, an indispensable component of DNA and the backbone of every fertilizer blend that sustains global crop yields. Yet a paradox haunts the world's farmland: while phosphate rock reserves are unevenly distributed and expected

arXiv:2610.19924v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Plant-based cheeses often fail to reproduce the texture of dairy cheese. Closing this gap is slow because the reference methods, texture profile analysis (TPA) and sensory panels, destroy the sample and are poorly suited to screening many formulations in a timely and cost-effective manner. Here we show that non-contact, air-coupled ultrasonic imaging combined with machine learning can characterise cheese texture rapidly and without damaging the sample. Thirteen commercial products (nine dairy, four plant-based; 119 slices, 357 scans) were imaged in through-transmission at 100 kHz to give two-channel amplitude and time-of-flight C-scans, and each slice was then measured by TPA. The C-scans revealed millimetre-scale acoustic domains in ripened dairy cheeses, consistent with their fused-curd microstructure, that were absent from the homogeneous starch and oil matrix of the plant-based products. TPA showed that the texture gap is one of

A new review reveals that microplastics released from nuclear power plants act as Trojan horses, adsorbing rare heavy metals like uranium, cadmium, and mercury and delivering them into food crops through active transport routes, with severe consequences for food safety and human health.

Wind farms are usually operated with a simple rule: every turbine runs at full power whenever the wind allows it. But turbines inside a farm do not age equally. Those sitting in the wake of their neighbors endure stronger turbulence

Researchers in Xi'an have used humic acid and silane-functionalized magnetite nanoparticles to create waterborne polyurethane films with 67.7 percent higher tensile strength plus electrical conductivity and magnetic responsiveness.

A new study in Biochar shows that manganese-modified biochar dramatically boosts white-rot fungal breakdown of wheat straw, accelerating the conversion of agricultural waste into valuable humic substances for soil improvement.

A genome-wide association study of 287 wild and synthetic wheat genotypes has identified stable genomic regions and 11 candidate genes linked to resistance against the corn leaf aphid, opening new routes to sustainable pest management.

Wood is one of nature's most stubborn materials, and that stubbornness is precisely what makes it so valuable as a renewable resource and so frustrating as a feedstock for biofuels. At the molecular level, much of this recalcitrance traces back

Iowa State University engineers have developed patented thermo-mechanochemical and bio-oil modification technologies that turn low-value lignin and aqueous pyrolysis bio-oil into carbon fiber exceeding Department of Energy automotive performance targets at costs below five dollars per pound.

A Worcester Polytechnic Institute-led study finds bamboo can be converted into liquid fuels at costs competitive with petroleum and with greenhouse gas emissions 26 times lower than conventional diesel.

Consumers may not fully understand precision fermentation yet, but many are curious enough to taste the results. New qualitative research from the EIT Food Consumer Observatory, published ahead of World Food Day on Oct. 16, suggests that this curiosity creates an important opportunity for food innovation, provided companies can answer consumers' questions clearly and deliver on the first bite.

A new report by CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, has found a growing suite of promising options already available to reduce on-farm emissions, as well as further opportunities for practical solutions for Australian producers.

A retrospective study of nineteen preterm infants with Bacillus cereus sepsis reveals respiratory deterioration as a key warning sign and highlights brain abscess as a severe, underrecognized complication.

Agriculture in the Global South remains under pressure to produce more food while responding to climate change and resource constraints. Policy responses have focused on increasing production. But what about postharvest losses? Globally, about one-third of food produced for human consumption is estimated to be lost or wasted.

The Trump administration is providing guidance to help biofuel producers claim the 45Z tax incentive, even if their product is missing from the government’s “cheat sheet” for calculating the credit’s value.

Japanese researchers have established the first stable genetic transformation system for the multiple-herbicide-resistant weed Echinochloa phyllopogon using particle bombardment, creating a platform for testing genes behind metabolic herbicide resistance.

An international team of scientists recently collaborated to identify a mysterious viral disease damaging pepper and tomato crops in Chile.

A 47-year Hungarian field experiment shows nitrogen fertiliser prevented about 90 percent of soil carbon loss under cropping but slowed carbon sequestration after conversion to grassland.

A three-country comparison finds that fortification, not just the plant or cow source, determines whether plant-based milks and yoghurts can match dairy nutritionally, and that the choice of nutritional metric reshapes their climate rankings.

German researchers show that manually created vertical macropores help crop roots bypass compacted subsoil, boosting grain yields by up to 15 percent and enhancing drought resilience.

A Swedish qualitative study finds that gardens, balconies, window views and surrounding neighbourhoods at residential care facilities offer rich opportunities for everyday activities, person-centred care and rehabilitation, but physical, seasonal, organisational, informational and social barriers leave this outdoor potential largely untapped.

PerPlant's crop intelligence sensors have mapped more than 250,000 hectares across 12 countries to date. The post PerPlant lands Valtra deal to put its AI crop sensor on tractors straight from the factory appeared first on AgFunderNews.

A field-validated IoT platform in Türkiye unifies crop monitoring, irrigation scheduling and solar management for agrivoltaic farms.

Honeybees are outcompeting wild pollinators in the U.K., and new research has found evidence of their aggressive behavior, recording for the first time the extent to which they restrict access to food sources and attack and chase other species.

Researchers combined structure-guided protein design with cis-regulatory editing at the native HPPD locus to create elite herbicide-tolerance alleles in rice and wheat.

A two-year field experiment in Xinjiang shows that a moderate nitrogen rate of 280 kilograms per hectare minimizes the greenhouse gas burden per unit of yield while preserving soil quality in arid jujube-cotton intercropping systems.

A seven-year field experiment shows that nitrogen fertilization, straw incorporation, and plastic film mulching raise wheat yields and soil organic carbon, but shift carbon into less stable particulate pools while weakening mineral-associated stabilization.

A survey of 206 European ponds shows that richer aquatic biodiversity strongly boosts ecosystem multifunctionality, while nutrient pollution from intensive cropland undermines it.

A new end-to-end AI detector called SFM-DETR combines Mamba state space modeling with frequency-domain analysis to identify maize seedlings and weeds in complex fields with record accuracy and real-time speed.

Growers’ improved sustainability is the result of some $89 million in research funded by the Almond Board of California since 1973, including studies relating to production, environmental stewardship. A University of California farm adviser credited the work during the annual CAPCA conference in Anaheim.

A year-long survey in northern Pakistan combined tick collection, microscopy and 18S rRNA sequencing to map Theileria annulata infection and its Rhipicephalus and Hyalomma vectors in cattle and buffaloes.

A new review synthesizes 25 years of research on astaxanthin, tracing how the potent but fragile antioxidant pigment is sourced, extracted, stabilized and delivered across the agro-food industry.

War-related energy and shipping disruptions are increasing costs for banana producers, while higher fertiliser prices and expiring supply contracts could eventually push up supermarket prices.

A two-year study of wheat root architecture and nitrogen-processing enzymes across soil depths shows that moderate fertilizer rates and depth-specific management can more than double grain yield while curbing nitrogen losses.

A Colombian case study shows that a unified robust–stochastic optimization model with an immune-inspired adaptive regulation layer dramatically improves operational viability in first-mile agricultural logistics under severe disruption.

Researchers at Lanzhou University have developed a type-temporal-spatial coupling framework that quantifies how mixed grass-legume pastures, optimized harvest timing, and strategically located forage production zones can restore the forage-livestock balance on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Researchers at Hainan University combined transcriptomics, network analysis, and machine learning to show how Bacillus safensis strain H23 primes tomato defenses against Ralstonia bacterial wilt, identifying ten core candidate genes for disease resistance.

A greenhouse and field study shows that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi shift the competitive balance between two co-invading plants depending on their proportional abundance, easing competition between species while intensifying it within species.

Plants—like people—come in all shapes and sizes. And just like scientists want to understand the components of the human body to treat disease and improve our lives, they also want to understand how plants thrive, develop disease, succumb or survive.

Dustin Volz / New York Times: The FBI says it worked with CrowdStrike to dismantle 40+ laptop farms across Texas used to help North Koreans get remote US tech jobs under stolen identities  —  F.B.I. investigators worked with the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike to dismantle so-called laptop farms that steal American identities to earn cash for Pyongyang.

In the proposal, EPA is increasing renewable fuel targets in each of the next three years to 20.82 billion gallons in 2023, 21.87 billion gallons in 2024 and 22.68 billion gallons in 2025. Renewable Fuels Association’s Geoff Cooper says the proposal launches the Renewable Fuel Standard into a new era. “If the EPA put the RFS back […] The post EPA proposes increased biofuel blending requirements appeared first on Brownfield Ag News.

A new innovation in soybean production is aiming to change the way farmers manage one of their most costly and persistent threats: soybean cyst nematode (SCN). Developed by BASF, Nemasphere represents the first genetic trait designed specifically to defend soybean plants against this yield-draining pest. Michael McCarville, Trait Technology Lead at BASF tells Brownfield, “Breeders […] The post New Trait Technology Targets Soybean Cyst Nematode, Helping Farmers Capture Lost Yield Potential appeared first on Brownfield Ag News.

With the agricultural economy tighter than ever, farmers are looking for ways to get the most out of every acre without overspending. Croplan Seed is helping growers navigate that challenge with a focus on data, testing, and local knowledge. Jeff Osterhaus, Seed Portfolio Manager with Croplan, explained that while many companies offer strong products, Croplan […] The post Croplan Focuses on Smart, Data-Driven Seed Decisions for Growers appeared first on Brownfield Ag News.

Labor shortages remain a challenge for many farms, and new technology from Massey Ferguson aims to help producers maintain efficiency and consistency in the field. At the recent Commodity Classic in San Antonio, the company introduced Tractor Implement Management (TIM) as part of updates to the MF 9S Series tractor lineup. Derek Reusser, senior marketing […] The post Massey Ferguson Showcases TIM Technology and MF 9S Tractor Updates at Commodity Classic appeared first on Brownfield Ag News.

Farmers attending Commodity Classic were highly engaged on the trade show floor, asking questions and searching for practical solutions to help manage tight margins. Reid Abbott, Great Plains Regional Agronomist for AgroLiquid, says the current ag economy is prompting many growers to rethink how they approach crop nutrition. That could include adjusting application methods, adopting […] The post Soil Testing and Balanced Nutrition Key as Farmers Seek Fertility Solutions at Commodity Classic appeared first on Brownfield Ag News.

Farmers attending the 2026 Commodity Classic 2026 got their first look at a new combine designed to deliver high-capacity performance and advanced harvesting technology. Matthew Poling, Combine Product Sales Specialist with CLAAS of America, tells Brownfield the CLAAS LEXION 8500 combine made its North American debut at the show. The machine is part of the […] The post CLAAS Debuts LEXION 8500 Combine with Advanced Technology at Commodity Classic 2026 appeared first on Brownfield Ag News.

A three-year study of 25 Brazilian dairy farms links rising temperatures to declining milk fat and rising bacterial counts, and reveals that quality-based payment schemes may fail to signal the microbiological risks of a warming climate.

Days after Ukrainian military drones took down several Russian data centers, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that the campaign had hurt Russia's disinformation efforts. "It suddenly became a little easier to breathe on many social platforms," Zelenskyy said Monday. "There was less hate, less division, and fewer provocations." Zelenskyy isn't the first to assert that the drone operation, which targeted data centers belonging to the Russian technology company Yandex, has cut down on spam and disinformation campaigns fomented by Russian bot farms. Social media users have claimed they've noticed less traffic on posts by MAGA-affiliated a … Read the full story at The Verge.

A controlled pot study shows that just one year of continuous cropping depletes potassium and nitrogen, suppresses soil dehydrogenase activity, and collapses beneficial Mortierella fungi while Fusarium pathogens surge nearly fivefold in the rhizosphere of the medicinal herb Pinellia ternata.

A new review argues that crop wild relatives hold vast untapped genetic diversity, but translating it into better cultivars requires confronting fundamental quantitative-genetic bottlenecks.

New research from Indonesia shows Rhizobium seed inoculation boosted mung bean yield and nodulation more consistently than increasing urea doses, pointing toward integrated biological and mineral nitrogen management.

Mandy Bish with University of Missouri Extension says she’s looking forward to the Crop and Pest Management Field Day and Ag Innovation Showcase, scheduled for July 8, 2026. The post MU Extension and Missouri Soybeans Field Day to Feature Ag Research, Robotics and Precision Spraying appeared first on Brownfield Ag News.

The post Bear Archery’s Ryan Shutts on Single-Cam Bows, Classic Compounds & Future Technology appeared first on Brownfield Ag News.

Switch engineers its microbes to first compete with the native soil microbiome and establish themselves before a genetic switch turns on that triggers ammonia production. The post Switch Bio partners with Bayer to advance ‘switchable’ tech for biofertilizers appeared first on AgFunderNews.

Agriculture depends on a reliable supply of nutrients. Phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium, for example, are indispensable for agricultural crop production. However, natural reserves are limited, vary greatly in regional availability or are very energy-intensive to extract.

Missouri Soybeans is inviting farmers and ag professionals to a full day of research, technology, and hands-on innovation at the Crop and Pest Management Field Day and Ag Innovation Showcase at MU’s Bradford Research Farm on July 8. The post Missouri Soybeans to Showcase Ag Innovation and Field Research appeared first on Brownfield Ag News.

The post Bear Archery’s Ryan Shutts on Single-Cam Bows, Classic Compounds & Future Technology appeared first on Brownfield Ag News.

IIT Ropar’s ANNAM.AI, NIC Punjab and PSFC have signed an MoU to expand AI-powered agricultural advisory, helping Punjab farmers access reliable, multilingual guidance on crops, weather and farming practices.

Researchers report that airborne compounds from Streptomyces albidoflavus G1 directly inhibit the apple ring rot fungus, enrich Pseudomonas bacteria within lesion tissues, and reprogram apple defense genes, revealing a three-layered biocontrol mechanism.

A four-year study of 90 plots across 15 farms in southern Bahia links high cocoa yields to surface phosphorus, potassium, and zinc availability, while identifying subsurface aluminum toxicity as a hidden constraint on root growth and productivity.

'Countryfile' farmer Frank Carr, a fourth‑generation hill farmer from Malhamdale, dies aged 35 after highlighting the pressures facing Yorkshire hill farms.

A four-year field trial on China's Loess Plateau shows that replacing a quarter of chemical nitrogen with pig manure outperforms commercial organic fertilizer in yield, soil quality, and drought resilience for rainfed winter wheat.

A new opinion paper in Plant and Soil proposes that silicon fertilization reshapes paddy soil microbes to suppress methane emissions and should be recognized as a climate-smart tool in national climate policy.

From a humble mayonnaise-laden sandwich to an expensive piece of sashimi, tuna is a prized source of food for people around the world. Once an inexpensive, easily shipped canned protein source, today's bluefin tunas can fetch millions of dollars at auction. Millions of tons of tuna are harvested every year, supporting a global industry worth around $40 billion annually.

Researchers transformed waste tyre biochar with hydrogen peroxide into a material that removes 99 percent of phosphorus from wastewater and then acts as a slow-release fertiliser, nearly tripling maize biomass in nutrient-poor soil.

A recent satellite photo shows a patchwork of tens of thousands of size-restricted farms tightly crammed into Taiwan's Yunlin County, which grows a majority of the island's food.

During his appearance alongside Adam Henson, Frank Carr warned that British hill farmers faced an uncertain future despite describing agriculture as a rewarding profession.

A year-long field experiment in China shows that biochar stabilizes soil aggregates by raising readily oxidized and particulate organic carbon, which reshape surface electrochemistry to boost van der Waals attraction and curb electrostatic repulsion between particles.

A newly characterized Bacillus velezensis strain combines a rich arsenal of antifungal genes and metabolites with strong disease control and yield gains in potato fields.

A new review in Plant and Soil details how nanoscale biochar helps crops tolerate soil salinity through physiological, molecular, and rhizosphere microbiome mechanisms.

New funding will help establish manufacturing facilities for two automated technologies – robots that install solar panels, and robots that drive foundation piles. The post Solar robotics innovators win Arena funding to build manufacturing plants on Australian soil appeared first on Renew Economy.

A Florida man with no travel history developed pulmonary melioidosis from Burkholderia pseudomallei, a soil bacterium increasingly detected along the US Gulf Coast, and recovered fully after treatment with intravenous ceftazidime followed by oral doxycycline.

Researchers have built a machine learning framework with an interactive interface that estimates full unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity curves in milliseconds from basic soil properties, while acknowledging that saturated conductivity prediction and synthetic training data remain key limitations.

A multi-omics study of the stinkhorn fungus Phallus rugulosus reveals that its mycosphere selectively enriches anaerobic, element-cycling microbes whose functional genes mediate a hierarchical cascade linking soil chemistry to a distinctive chemical signature.

The humble amino acid glycine—the simplest of all amino acids—is everywhere. The human body produces it, and it helps make up our skin, bones and ligaments. It's found in meats like beef and has even been discovered in comets returned from outer space.

The 2026 California legislative session is over and the deadline for Governor Newsom to sign bills has passed. Here at CalCAN,... The post 2026 Legislative Session Highlights: $60 M for Farmland Conservation, $70 M for Climate Smart Ag and Local Food Systems, and Goat Grazing Contractors Protected appeared first on CalCAN - California Climate & Agriculture Network.

A Bacillus strain isolated from licorice roots produces a cell-free supernatant that kills MRSA, dismantles over 90 percent of established biofilms, suppresses biofilm-associated genes, and shows antioxidant activity with low toxicity to human skin cells.

Researchers in India have developed a hierarchical feature fusion transformer that identifies seventeen jute pest species with 98.43 percent accuracy, outperforming all previously published methods.

Researchers have unveiled an explainable deep learning framework that detects insect crop pests in real time with up to 98 percent precision while visually revealing which image regions drove each prediction.

Researchers report that adding trace aluminum, manganese and copper to a high-magnesium zinc alloy produces a homogeneous fine-grained microstructure that simultaneously boosts strength, ductility, wear resistance and antibacterial performance, with promising results in 24-week rabbit bone implantation.

Yara takes a minority stake in nitrogen intelligence company Stenon with the second close of the latter's Series B. The post Exclusive: Yara Growth Ventures backs soil-sensing startup Stenon as fertilizer prices surge appeared first on AgFunderNews.

Oryza rufipogon is an ordinary-looking wild grass found today in parts of China, India and Southeast Asia. More than 8,000 years ago, people living in the Lower Yangtze Valley began cultivating it.

A new review in Microbial Ecology details how combining biochar with Pseudomonas bacteria boosts crop growth and pollutant breakdown, while warning that success depends on feedstock, pyrolysis temperature and soil conditions.

A two-season Egyptian field trial found that sugar beet residue at 24 tonnes per hectare outperformed molybdenum oxide nanoparticles and proline sprays in sustaining soybean and faba bean yields, water productivity, and profitability under deficit irrigation on calcareous soil.