Category: Industry News

  • Ports To Run 24/7 In Effort to Ease Congestion

    Ports To Run 24/7 In Effort to Ease Congestion

    The port of Los Angeles will soon be operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week in an effort to ease shipping delays. The port of Long Beach made the move to 24/7 in September.

    In addition, major shippers and retailers, including Walmart, UPS, Home Depot and Target, will expand nighttime hours to meet the need.

    The International Longshore and Warehouse Union says its members are willing to work extra shifts at the ports.

    According to a press release from the White House on this new President Biden plan, moving goods during off-peak hours can help move goods out of ports faster.

    For example, at the Port of L.A., goods move 25 percent faster at night than during the day. These commitments will help unlock capacity in the rest of the system—including highways, railroads and warehouses—by reducing congestion during the day.

  • Would You Lease Your Water Rights? The Devil is in the Details

    Would You Lease Your Water Rights? The Devil is in the Details

    A new Washington State University (WSU) article focuses on water markets, or the transfer or leasing of water and water rights from one user to another.

    These markets provide a tool that could potentially help reallocate water to where it is critically needed during times of shortage. However, there are many factors to consider.

    READ ARTICLE

  • Novozymes and Anuvia Plant Nutrients Join Forces To Bring Sustainable Bio-Based Nutrients to Commercial Agriculture

    Novozymes and Anuvia Plant Nutrients Join Forces To Bring Sustainable Bio-Based Nutrients to Commercial Agriculture

    New biosolutions will reduce the amount of synthetic fertilizer needed while maintaining or improving crop performance

    Novozymes, and Anuvia Plant Nutrients, an innovative plant nutrient company, today announced that they have joined forces to develop a range of combined biotechnologies that will reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers in commercial agriculture.

    The resulting products, which could be available as early as next year, mean farmers will require less synthetic fertilizer per acre, while achieving equivalent or better crop performance, and will reduce environmental impact through lower nutrient loss and greenhouse gas emissions. There will be no incremental cost to the grower, nor will they require changes to current farming practices.

    Partnership Envisions Additional Advances in Nutrient Technology
    Novozymes and Anuvia will continue to work together to innovate on future generations of bio-fertilizers:

    • The companies will work together to identify additional microbes and enzymes that could improve the nutritional efficiency of crops and are dedicated to innovations in the nutritional efficiency and health of crops.
    • As a first step, the partnership will combine Novozymes’ phosphate solubilizing microbial solutions with Anuvia’s sustainable bio-based fertilizer products to enhance macro-nutrient efficiency with a focus on phosphate.
    • The partnership envisions several generations of the new technology. The first generation is anticipated to add up to 10 units of phosphorous. Subsequent generations will target the replacement of additional units of macro and micronutrients, such as N, P and K.

    SOURCE: PR NEWSWIRE

  • USDA Announces Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee Virtual Meeting

    USDA Announces Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee Virtual Meeting

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC) will hold a virtual meeting Nov. 3-4, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET each day.

    The meeting is open to the public, but registration is required. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

    Register in advance for this webinar:
    https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_UGOoi1p_RFKDpp1vzcYKZg

    Meeting details and an opportunity for public comment on issues affecting the fruit and vegetable industry are available in a Federal Register notice published on Oct. 4, 2021.

    The deadline to submit written comments, sign up for oral comments and request special accommodations is 11:59 p.m. ET, Oct. 22, 2021.

    Information about the meeting and the committee is available on the AMS Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee webpage.

  • Idaho Association of Plant Protection Meeting Nov. 3-4

    Idaho Association of Plant Protection Meeting Nov. 3-4

    The 2021 annual meeting of the Idaho Association of Plant Protection will be held in Burley, ID, at the Best Western Inn & Convention Center on November 3rd and 4th.

    The conference will cover all aspects of plant protection including entomology, nematology, weed science, and plant pathology. ISDA pesticide recertification credits and CCA Pest Management credits have been requested.

    Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday and the program will begin at 1:00 p.m. Registration costs $15.00 and can only be made by check or cash. Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) and Pesticide Recertification credits (ISDA) will be available.

    Special hotel rates have been negotiated for the participants: $89.00 per night for the Burley Inn (www.burleyinn.com or 208-678-3501) and $65.00 for the Budget Motel nearby (www.burleybudgetmotel.com or 208-678-2200).

    CLICK FOR MORE DETAILS

    SEE FULL AGENDA

  • Corteva Agriscience Among First to Leverage Agile Mobile Robots to Walk Row Crops

    Corteva Agriscience Among First to Leverage Agile Mobile Robots to Walk Row Crops

    Corteva Agriscience is working to take agricultural robotics to new heights using a Spot robot from Boston Dynamics. The company is among the first in agriculture to use this agile and cutting-edge platform to ‘walk’ between rows of corn, sunflowers and more. The robot has potential applications in field testing of both new seed and crop protection solutions with its ability to collect copious amounts of data, support the application of new crop protection discovery molecules, and inspect operations. Spot’s many capabilities can help Corteva more fully understand complex phenotypes to support its research and development selection processes.

    Corteva has named its robot Anatoly (“Annie”) after Pioneer founder Henry A. Wallace’s beloved Anatolian Shepherd dogs. Annie works continuously in environments with uneven surfaces and high daily temperatures, protecting Corteva Agriscience employees from potentially dangerous situations. This lightweight and portable robot is another example of how Corteva is boldly pushing the frontiers of science to increase safety and sustainability.

    “Annie’s proximal sensing capabilities and ability to execute specific actions at a certain plot or by individual plant will help us challenge assumptions about the way things are done,” said Geoff Graham, leader of seed product development for Corteva Agriscience. “The ability to leverage arobot to navigate row crop fields, while carrying and pulling instruments to collect data or apply chemicals more efficiently, has tremendous potential as we push the boundaries of what we can deliver to farmers.”

    Spot robots automate sensing and inspection, capture limitless data, and explore without boundaries, making operations safer, more efficient and predictable. Corteva is also collaborating with Trimble, a leading provider of advanced location-based solutions that maximize productivity and enhance profitability, for the initial proof-of-concept and to integrate precise GPS guidance technologies with the Spot robot platform. The jointly developed solution between the three companies combines the unique mobility of the Spot robot with Trimble’s autonomous navigation capabilities and Corteva’s innovative approach to helping farmers overcome agriculture’s most pressing challenges.

    To read the full press release click here.

  • 40th International Carrot Conference Coming in 2022

    40th International Carrot Conference Coming in 2022

    Organizers have slated the 40th International Carrot Conference for Aug. 29-30, 2022, in Mt. Vernon, Washington. The event was originally scheduled for October 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The upcoming conference will include a day of presentations, discussion and posters, as well as a day of field tours that will feature conventional and organic cultivar trials, a cavity spot nursery trial and visits to local agricultural operations in the Skagit Valley including carrot producers; ornamental bulb crops; raspberry, blackberry and blueberry operations; and seed conditioning facilities.

    For more information, contact Lindsey du Toit at dutoit@wsu.edu or Sheri Nolan at snolan@agmgt.com.

  • Soiltech Sells All-in-One Crop Sensor

    Soiltech Sells All-in-One Crop Sensor

    Soiltech has developed a versatile sensor to wirelessly monitor the growth, transportation and storage of a wide range of crops. It can be used to track moisture, temperature, humidity, location and impacts on the crop.

    Users bury the sensor where they want to measure moisture and temperature. The sensor takes a reading every 15 minutes and wirelessly sends data to a phone or computer. This recording of irrigation events, soil temperature and other trend lines can be used in making decisions from the start of the growing season through the end of harvest.

    The sensor has a one-year battery life to minimize trips to the field, and batteries are rechargeable.

    Visit www.soiltechwireless.com.

  • PNVA Annual Conference Opens Registration

    PNVA Annual Conference Opens Registration

    The Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association (PNVA) Annual Conference and Trade Show will be back to an in-person event on November 17-18, 2021.

    Per Washington State Mandate – Masks will be required for ALL attendees.

    PNVA Conference General Schedule (subject to change)    
    ​     Tuesday, November 16th – Trade Show Move In.
         Wednesday, November 17th – Sessions/Social.
                         Onion Session and General Vegetable Session (concurrent).
         Thursday, November 18th – Sessions (adjourn at 1:00 p.m.).
    ​                      Pest Management and Organic Sessions (concurrent).
    ​* Lunch seating will be limited due to capacity restraints. 

    Full Agenda

    Register

    Trade Show and Sponsorship Form

  • USDA Invests $700 Million in Grants For Farm Workers Impacted by COVID-19

    USDA Invests $700 Million in Grants For Farm Workers Impacted by COVID-19

    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that $700 million in competitive grant funding will be available through the new Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) grant program to help farmworkers and meatpacking workers with pandemic-related health and safety costs.

    Funds will be awarded through grants to state agencies, Tribal entities, and non-profit organizations serving farmworkers and meatpacking workers ranging from $5,000,000 to $50,000,000.

    The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will offer technical assistance and webinars for applicants to help them understand the application process.

    For more information about upcoming webinars, grant eligibility, and program requirements, visit the FFWR webpage at www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/ffwr, or contact ffwr@usda.gov.

    USDA will also be soon announcing a separate $700 million suite of pandemic safety and response grants for producers, processors, farmers markets, distributors, and seafood processors and vessels impacted by COVID-19.

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