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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

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.

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 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.

Organizers have slated the 40^th 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 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.

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

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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President Biden has nominated Elaine Trevino to be the Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the Office of the Unites States Trade Representative (USTR). Trevino is currently the President of the Almond Alliance of California, where she helps advocate on regulatory and legislative issues in areas of international trade, food safety, water quality and availability, crop protection, air quality, worker safety, supply chain, and feed quality.

Previously, Trevino served as Deputy Secretary at the California Department of Food and Agriculture for Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis. In this capacity, she had responsibility for the oversight of the international export and trade programs, specialty crop block grant funding, division of marketing services, plant health and pest prevention, and the statewide county fair network. Trevino was appointed by former Secretary Sonny Perdue to serve on USDA’s Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC).

Fourth-annual AgSharks Competition will provide agtech startups exclusive access to produce leaders and funding to advance innovative solutions for the agriculture sector 

Western Growers (WG) and S2G Ventures are now accepting applications for the 2021 AgSharks Competition, a unique event where start-up companies pitch their innovations in front of a live audience of the world’s largest specialty crop producers to win a $250,000 minimum investment. Impact-driven entrepreneurs and startups developing technologies that promote a more healthy and sustainable food and agriculture system can apply for the AgSharks Competition at 2021agsharks.splashthat.com. Applications close on Monday, October 11, 2021. 

Five startups will be selected to pitch their inventions to a panel of growers, shippers, processors and venture capitalists in front of more than 300 fresh produce farmers and industry leaders during the WG Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, on November 9, 2021. In addition to investment capital, the winner(s) will receive international recognition, mentoring from S2G and WG, potential access to farm acreage to pilot their technologies and access to WG’s expansive network of leading fresh produce companies.

AgSharks was first held in 2017, and through the competition, three early-stage companies have earned seed money to elevate their businesses to the next level. In fact, past winners Hazel Technologies and Burro, formerly known as Augean Robotics, have since brought their products from development to market. Hazel Technologies recently closed a Series C financing round and is now advancing the industry with sachets that extend the shelf life of fresh produce by as much as three times. Burro is helping solve farmers’ labor woes with the expansion of its fleet of autonomous robots to farms across the west.