March-April 2020 edition of Gulf Agriculture magazine

ISSN 1751-8407 MARCH

APRIL

2020

Y O U R G AT E WAY T O T H E M I D D L E E A S T A G R I B U S I N E S S

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Wangara Horticultural Supplies “NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH”

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Contents Editor Megha Mary Matt Associate Editor Jessie Jorge Graphic Design Elizabeth John Contributors Dr. Hansel Geo Thomas Neville J. Chandler Shakeeb Kolakadan Registered Office Matt Media Intl. Ltd. 12 Gateway Mews London N11 2UT United Kingdom US Office Matt Media (USA) LLC. 1713 E. Morgan Court Gilbert, Arizona 85295 Middle East Offices Matt Media LLC. Sharjah Media City United Arab Emirates Al Saad Adv. & Publishing LLC P O Box 25694, Sharjah United Arab Emirates info@gulfagriculture.com www.gulfagriculture.com

18 Cover Photo Courtesy: AGCO GMBH

News Agra ME Report Greenhouse Planter Bags Agriculture Machinery Agri-Robotics Humates

Gulf Agriculture is a publication from Matt Media Intl. Ltd. (UK) and is read by agri professionals, farm managers & owners, landscape consultants, contractors, agri-equipment suppliers, horticultural engineers, greenhouse managers, agronomists, veterinary surgeons, ministries, poultry & dairy breeders, importers, distributors, manufacturers and wholesalers of food and agri inputs.

All rights reserved. The opinions and views expressed in the publication are not necessarily those of the publishers.

Readers are requested to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers particular circumstances. The publishers regret that they cannot accept liabilities on any error or emissions contained in this publication.

Printed and published by Matt MediaŠ Intl. Ltd.(U.K.) 2020

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38 Horticulture Lighting 28 Substrates 30 Polish Update 31 Middle East Update 32 UAE Update 34 Forage 35 Egg Grading 36 Animal Health 38 March-April 2020

News ANPARIO SEES TURNOVER AND PROFITS RISE IN A DIFFICULT YEAR FOR GLOBAL AGRICULTURE MARKETS Strong trading in Latin America and the Middle East and a welcome recovery in sales in Asia helped Anparioplc increase sales by 3 percent to £29m and gross profit by 7 percent to £14.5m in its results for the year ended 31 December 2019.

Anpario is a leading international producer and distributor of natural animal feed additives for animal health, nutrition and biosecurity.

“I am pleased we achieved such a solid performance in a difficult year for global agriculture markets challenged by extreme weather conditions, animal diseases and political uncertainty,” commented chief executive Richard Edwards. “We have made a sound start to trading in the current year and our strong balance sheet and cash generation provides us with the confidence that we can grow across our markets and capitalise on any opportunities

which may arise.”

“We are very aware that the outbreak and subsequent spread of Covid-19 (coronavirus) is causing concerns to all industries. And, while we have not yet experienced any material impact on our business, we continue to monitor the situation within our business and with distribution and supply channels very closely. We are taking all necessary safeguards,” added Mr Edwards.

During the year, Anpario Direct’s online channel was launched in the UK to smaller farm customers as well as the equine and pigeon markets. It is the company’s intention to offer Anpario Direct in a number of other geographic markets during 2020. Also completed was the £1m investment in the automated bottling plant at Manton Wood and all previously toll-manufactured products have now been brought in-house.

Anpario’s product development activity continues with new formulations and extensive trial work with leading universities and producers.

These innovations and

developments highlight the company’s ambitions to deliver health, production and performance benefits too. This includes being able to reduce and replace antibiotics responsibly as part of a biosecurity solution.

HUMIC ACID GROWTH AGENT BOOSTS WHEAT YIELDS BY 29% Developed through extensive testing and chelation research, MPXA is known for enhancing stronger growth in crops though stimulating oxygen uptake, increasing chlorophyll content and increasing the availability of macro and micronutrients to plant roots.

However trials have revealed that MXPA is particularly effective with wheat crops.

Manufactured by Californian plant research-based agricultural production company FARMCo Affiliates LLC, MPXA has been producing remarkable results in wheat trials. A study by the Oklahoma Panhandle Research and Extension Centre using MPXA produced an increase in bushels

GERMANY IS MOVING UP TO UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF BUSINESS COOPERATION WITH THE ARAB WORLD.

The Hanseatic Institute for Entrepreneurship and Regional Development at the University of Rostock, Germany, is currently working on a project focused on

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internationalization of German small and medium sized enterprises (SME). The project is financed by the Ministry of Economics, Employment and Health of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

The project aims at unlocking a potential for cooperation between German companies and business in the Arab countries.

One of the current activities addresses strengthening potential of agriculture by development of a Smart Green House (SGH). A combination of new construction materials and advanced technology creates a unique innovative concept, tailor-made for specific weather conditions i.e. high temperature, limited access to water and suitable ground for agriculture activities.

March-April 2020

MARTEX® PLANTING BAGS AND CONTAINERS THE COMPANY FROM POLAND OFFERING PRODUCTS FOR NURSERY SECTOR, AND FOR ORNAMENTAL, FRUIT, FOREST PLANT RAISING OR RECULTIVATION

Parking and transportation of planting bags, other types of containers, mulch mats and rings

Mulch mats for weed protection

Small mulch mats

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Packing and transportation

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MARTEX® - TEXTILE PRODUCTS FOR RAISING OF ORNAMENTAL, FRUIT, AND FOREST SEEDLINGS, OR FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECULTIVATION Products commonly applied at nurseries, both in temperate and hot climate Used for raising trees in the forest, idle land, semi-desert area, steppe …….

Excellent for tree planting by the road and highway, useful for the purpose of general cleaning works, composting, and in any similar applications…….

Our representatives: D-Hermann Meyer KG: e-mail: mail@hermann-meyer.de NL/GB-B&P Co., www.b-en-p.nl Scandinavia: OY Urban natural Ab, www.natural.fi Russia: Landscape Design Ltd., www.garden-center.ru Ukraine: Demetra Ltd., e-mail: demetra@com.ua Bulgaria-Romania: Hermann-Meyer, www.meyer-shop.com Abu Dhabi: Arid Land Co., LLC., www.aridlanddevelopment.com e-mail: aridland@emirates.net.ae

News per acre of 18% over the control site. And a study by Kansas State University yielded an average increase of 29% over the control.

“FARMCo’s proprietary process creates a unique, high performing humic acid which is producing significant increases in both root growth and yields acrossa range of crops, including wheat”, says Henry Johnson, Sales Manager at ExNonProfit Consulting Ltd, the distributor for MPXA.“ The fact that MPXA is 100% soluble means that it can easily be applied via standard watering, fertigation and foliar spraying practices. And its low cost per acre is driving significant returns on investment for agricultural holdings. The majority of our customer base is in the US and Canada. However we already have a major wheat trials going on in the Ukraine and Estonia, and we are looking forward to getting more going internationally”.

MPXA is different in that it chelates micronutrients at much higher rates (94% – 100%) compared to other nonenvironmental products such as EDTA. Formulated from

Leonardite Ore, MPXA’s humic and fulvic acids contain millions of bonding sites that capture micronutrients in either acid or alkaline environments. This makes for an extremely effective chelating agent that improves plants ability for micronutrient uptake. The resulting increase in metabolism produces significantly more new root tissue, creating a stronger base for crops. MPXA also supports the mycorrhizal zone where symbiotic plant biologicals can thrive and support plant growth.

FARMERS ACROSS AFRICA BENEFIT FROM DIRECT MARKET ACCESS AS SELINA WAMUCII OPENS UP PLATFORM TO GROUPS & COOPERATIVES Selina Wamucii, the platform that helps businesses from anywhere in the world to buy and import food & agricultural produce from any African country has announced that it is opening up its platform to organized farmers groups and cooperatives to sell or export directly to markets worldwide.

“Selina Wamucii now welcomes farmer groups, associations, processors and cooperatives based in any African country to sign up by visiting selinawamucii.com and start selling their produce directly to a large selection of interested buyers from around the world who are already using our platform”, said John Oroko, the company’s CEO. Farmers can sell directly on the Selina Wamucii platform as registered, organized groups. The platform enables farmers to control the entire process from growing, harvesting to supplying directly to local markets right in their countries, within Africa (intra-Africa) or even export directly by themselves to any market worldwide.

Among the requirements for farmers to sign up is that the farmers need to be organized in groups of active members with the group having a clear leadership structure in place.

"At Selina Wamucii, we believe all farmers and other producers should be seamlessly connected to markets anywhere in the world regardless of geographical limitations, size of

CRA-VAC INDUSTRIES TO INTRODUCE HALAL VERSION OF PROTEIN-PLUS® PELLET BINDER

Protein-Plus® Halal will be available in 2020, the halal-appropriate version of the popular Protein-Plus® pellet binder, which is the strongest, and

lowest inclusion pellet binder in the Cra-Vac Industries’ product line.

Protein-Plus Halal is specially designed for feed manufacturers in regions where halal products are desirable, if not mandatory, according to Ann-Marie Anderson, President, Cra-Vac Industries Inc. In 2020, feed manufacturers in Southeast Asia and the Middle East can benefit from this powerful, high-protein pellet binder the same way feed producers in the USA have for years.

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The new Protein-Plus Halal has an excellent amino acid profile, one that will appeal to the nutritionist. The pricing will be very competitive to other inert binders such as ureaformaldehyde. A chance to get away from synthetic binders for animal feeds without a reduction in pellet quality. Watch for Protein-Plus Halal coming in 2020 and ask how this excellent binder can make a difference in your feed production.

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News farm, facilities or resources.

That’s why we’re building the first truly Pan-African platform for food and agricultural produce. The platform uses technologies including artificial intelligence, data, and algorithms to streamline the extremely fragmented agricultural supply chains across entire Africa," says John Oroko, CEO of Selina Wamucii.

"Our platform is now accessible to farmers in every

corner of the African continent who will now be able to easily take to market a wide range of Africa’s food & agricultural produce. From Cape Verde's mackerel sourced by local fishermen to Madagascar's vanilla grown by family farmers, we are building a marketplace that connects producers to market opportunities regionally and globally, ultimately unlocking opportunities that fuel economic prosperity for millions

of farmers and other food producers across the African continent.", adds Oroko.

LANDSCAPE LAUNCHES #GROWHAPPY INITIATIVE With all the uncertainty during these challenging times, the team at the LANDSCAPE Show has been hugely motivated by the huge display of community

ZOETIS ACQUIRES PERFORMANCE LIVESTOCK ANALYTICS TO EXPAND ITS DIGITAL AND DATA ANALYTICS OFFERING TO LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS

Zoetis recently announced the acquisition of Performance Livestock Analytics to enhance its animal health solutions across the continuum of care for beef producers. The addition of Performance Livestock Analytics, a technology company that simplifies data and analytics for the livestock industry, will help Zoetis to accelerate progress in precision livestock farming and improve sustainability of producers’ operations. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

Performance Livestock Analytics was the first company to offer cloudbased data management to beef producers. Today, its innovative Performance Beef solution combines cloud-based technology with automated on-farm data collection to

provide powerful analytics that help feedlot managers make better decisions across financials, nutrition and animal health. Simplifying feeding to financials, Performance Beef makes it easy to change rations; create accurate invoices and closeout reports; and analyze trends in feed efficiencies, costs and performance.

New animal health inputs can automatically be captured at the chute, providing insights into individual animal performance and health protocol compliance. Cattle Krush is a complementary tool to Performance Beef, using real-time market data to give producers instant breakeven, market analytics and profit alerts to help in buying and selling cattle.

“The addition of Performance Livestock Analytics is an important part of our strategy to bring precision livestock farming to our customers to help improve the health of their animals and the sustainability of their operations,” said Mike McFarland, DVM, DABVP, Executive Vice President and Group President of Accelerated Growth Businesses for Zoetis. “The team at Performance Livestock Analytics has successfully applied Silicon Valley technology learnings to the needs of livestock producers, and

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we are thrilled to have them join us at Zoetis to continue leading the way in digital and data analytics for livestock.”

“Our digital platform changes how livestock producers manage their business. Real-time, accurate data allows producers to make better management decisions to help boost efficiency and profitability,” said Dane Kuper, co-founder and CEO, Performance Livestock Analytics.

“Both our culture and vision align well with Zoetis. Now as part of Zoetis, we will be better positioned to provide practical technology solutions to improve livestock health and sustainability for our customers.”

Precision livestock farming can help improve producers’ decision-making, right down to the level of each individual animal, to maximize health and well-being, performance, and efficiency across livestock operations.

Digital platforms and technology can help integrate information that a producer has available from multiple sources and turn that information into useful insights that inform health and management decisions. On-farm data also may be meaningful if shared throughout the supply chain in response to consumers’ growing interest in how food-producing animals are raised.

March-April 2020

News spirit in recent weeks and are eager to play their part in helping everyone through the difficult weeks ahead. Inspired by this, the #GrowHappy initiative was born, in conjunction with the Landscape Institute, The London College of Garden Design and Davies White Landscape Architects to create a fun and exciting challenge for all the family. It goes without saying that we all need a ray of sunshine in our lives right now and what better way than with a Giant Sunflower!

It’s really easy to be involved in #GrowHappy and don’t worry if you don’t have any sunflower seeds to hand, LANDSCAPE will send you some. Simply email info@landscapeshow.co.uk with your name, address and social media details (so LANDSCAPE can help you share your progress!) and you’re on your way! Be really inventive in how you start out, where can you plant the seeds? An old shoe, a teapot, a small bowl or perhaps just an actual pot! Remember, after about 7 to 10 days once the

leaves start to appear, you’ll have to plant them in something larger to give the sunflower the chance to grow bigger.

Why not challenge your friends, neighbours, family and work colleagues too? Tag all of the people you would like to nominate to take part with you; they can then nominate and so on and so on to keep the chain going! Who can share the best pictures, tallest sunflower or the most impressive nomination chain? Remember to share your progress along the way on social

MADAR FARMS TO SELL ITS UAE-GROWN VEGETABLES ONLINE DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS FOR THE FIRST TIME As part of its commitment to support the UAE communities during the current situation, Madar Farms’ locally grown produce can now be purchased online for the first time through three online platforms.

Madar Farms, a UAE-based AgTech company, has partnered with FreshOnTable, Narinport and Barakat to deliver its high-quality microgreens directly to consumers across the country.

The announcement comes at a significant time with Madar Farms using innovative and safe ways to cope with the high demands of local food given the present global health challenges.

Madar Farms also plans to launch more of its products online in the coming weeks.

The seven varieties that can be ordered include Pea Shoots (which pairs well with fish and chicken), Arugula (ideal for salads and sandwiches) and Bull’s Blood, that is tender, crunchy and sweet with a beet-like flavour. Also available are Tendril Peas – a versatile ingredient that can be added to salads, sandwiches, soups and summer fruits and Daikon Radish that can be used in Asian cuisine dishes, salads, soups and with many sandwich varieties.

Customers can also try Amaranth

(which is mild in flavour, similar to spinach) as well as Shiso Britton (a delicious, mild, mint-basil aroma microgreen that adds flavour to salads, Asian dishes and fish).

By working with FreshOnTable, Narinport and Barakat, it gives the people the opportunity to try Madar Farms produce in the comfort of their own home and support local suppliers in the UAE. Now in its third year of operation, Madar Farms has been leading an agricultural revolution in the region by using Controlled Environment Agriculture methods to produce a wide variety of fresh produce. As well as growing local produce, part of Madar Farms’ mission is to help solve food and water security challenges in the region.

Abdulaziz AlMulla, CEO and co-founder of Madar Farms, said: “In these challenging times, it is more important than ever to eat and shop local - and across the UAE we are seeing an increasing move towards this. By working with FreshOnTable, Narinport and Barakat, we will be able to make our produce available directly to consumers for the first time and reach out to even more people across the UAE. “We are responding to this current demand that we’re facing today,

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partnering with our online ordering and delivery partners to service people across the Emirates. When our customers receive their produce, it will be clean, safe and fresh as all our products are delivered within 24 hours of harvesting.

“This is just the beginning of offering directly to consumers as we plan to launch more products in the coming weeks.

“We look forward to hearing about some of the delicious recipes people are cooking up at home using our microgreens!”

Madar Farms recently announced the company will quadruple the quantity of its microgreens when its new facility begins operating at Khalifa Industrial Abu Dhabi Zone (KIZAD) by the end of this year. The facility will also include the world’s first commercial indoor tomato farm using LED lights.

March-April 2020

News media from planting your seeds all the way to measuring your sunflower! The measure-up date of the sunflowers is on the 31st August and the winner will be announced one week afterwards.

Make sure you get ahead of the competition today and plant your seeds today.

AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY: ITALIAN INDUSTRY DOES NOT STOP The risks associated with the spread of Covid-19 impose special prevention rules, but agricultural machinery companies are maintaining good production rates, also to satisfy foreign demand, which accounts for 70% of the sector's turnover.

The organization of EIMA International, the world exhibition to be held in Bologna from 11 to 15 November, is running at full capacity.

The emergency caused by the spread of Covid-19 imposed safety restrictions and procedures, but did not stop the manufacturing sectors from operating. The Italian agricultural machinery industries have their own production lines in operation to meet the demand, mostly from foreign countries, for "made in Italy" machinery and components.

The association of Italian manufacturers FederUnacoma highlights the international scope of this mechanical sector, which exports over 70% of its production (the total turnover is around 11 billion euros) with very substantial shares in valuable markets such as those of Germany, France and the United States. The association also warns of the risk that incorrect information relating to an alleged suspension of production and a difficulty in the movement of goods may damage normal

March-April 2020

commercial relations.

The factories - FederUnacoma reassures - continue their activity, albeit on the basis of new organizational criteria and scrupulous compliance with the prevention rules established by the Government and the scientific community.

Once the critical phase is over, specialized international exhibitions will return to the foreground, with all the product innovations and futuristic technologies that this sector of the industry is able to achieve.

First among them, EIMA International, the great agricultural machinery exhibition that FederUnacoma organizes in Bologna, which will celebrate its 44th edition from 11 to 15 November. The Federation announces that the organizational machine is running at full speed, so that EIMA 2020 will be a formidable event, to be experienced by everyone as a symbol of rebirth for the economy and for the communities of citizens.

K+S POSTPONES ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING DUE TO CORONA PANDEMIC As a result of the rapid spread of the coronavirus in Germany, K+S will not be able to hold the Annual General Meeting of the Company planned for 12 May 2020 in Kassel. The protection of the health of employees, shareholders and the service providers involved is of the utmost importance. The decision is also based on the current prohibition of the State of Hesse on attending events with 100 or more participants.

In accordance with the statutory period of notice, the Annual General Meeting must be held in person at the latest by the end of the eighth month of

the financial year. The new date for the Annual General Meeting of K+S Aktiengesellschaft will be announced once it is determined.

CASE IH APPOINTS TECHNO PLANT AS DISTRIBUTOR FOR JORDANIAN TRACTOR MARKET Case IH has signed Techno Plant to distribute its tractors in Jordan, with the new partner firm already having taken delivery of a fleet of six units, spanning three different models, for demonstration to farmers across the country – and more are on the way.

While Jordan has a relatively small market for new tractor sales, it is one which Case IH – a brand of CNH Industrial with a more than 175-year history and a wide range of models – has committed to with its new partner. Together with Techno Plant, it plans to focus on the popular 55-110hp sector in particular, but also has larger models for which market development is planned.

Techno Plant, which is based in Amman, employs ten staff and was founded in 2002. The business has already placed its first stock order for Case IH tractors, comprising a 45hp JX45T, two 55hp JX55T models and three 110hp Farmall JX 110 units, and the machines are available for demonstration to interested farmers and agricultural businesses across the country. In the near future, Case IH and Techno Plant plan to expand the product offering for Jordan’s farm businesses. A particular focus will be larger tractors of up to 225hp and both small and big square balers, for use in large-scale farming projects in the south of the country.

With a distinctive red-andblack livery, Case IH is well-

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News known across much of the world for its range of tractors, harvesters and other farm equipment. The brand traces its heritage back as far as the foundation of the original JI Case business in 1842. Case and the agricultural equipment arm of International Harvester came together in 1985 to create the Case IH brand. Since 1999, Case IH has been part of CNH Global, which later became CNH Industrial.

JIANGSU ACADEMY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES JOINS FORCES WITH FAO TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL ECONOMIES The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) have signed a

partnership agreement which foresees joint efforts to support smallholder farmers through technological innovation.

The collaboration will focus on developing sustainable, resilient and efficient food systems across urban and rural areas, and sharing knowledge and technologies with developing countries through FAO's South-South and triangular cooperation framework.

INTRODUCING: LIQUID FERTILIZERS & AMINO+ Ferm O Feed is constantly looking for new, innovative ways to preserve and improve the fertility of the earth. They have been doing this for years through their high-quality organic fertilizers. Their search for the best available products for the soil and the crop has not stopped. To help the farmer improve the quality and yield of their harvest, new products have been added to the product range: FERTIPLUS® Liquid Organic Fertilizers and FERTIPLUS® Amino+.

The liquid fertilizers are composed of 100% natural components and are applicable by spraying and drip irrigation. Thereby they are immediately absorbable for the crop and very economical in use. Low doses can be applied accurately to the crop when mixed with water. By applying the liquid fertilizers, the balance in the soil will be maintained

or restored. The high content of trace elements and sugars contributes to a healthy and effective soil life and therefore to healthy plants. The liquid fertilizers strengthen the vitality of the plant, making it more resistant to diseases and reducing the amount of pesticides. The use of liquid fertilizers increases production per hectare, while less nitrogen and phosphate is required. Applying Fertiplus© Liquid Fertilizers will result in a yield increase of 10% on average.

In addition to three compositions of liquid fertilizers, Ferm O Feed is introducing Amino+. Amino+ is a high-quality bio-stimulant that provides the plant with a considerable amount of amino acids to become stronger and more resilient. Amino+

by Ferm O Feed has a broad spectrum of enzymatically hydrolysed amino acids in a biological active form and

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the lowest percentages of salt, chlorine and ash. A plant needs 20 essential amino acids in a wellbalanced ratio and this is exactly what Amino+ provides. By applying the product the plant will save the energy that it normally needs to produce its own amino acids and can use it for other vital processes.

Ferm O Feed advises to use Amino+ during critical, yielddetermining moments in the cultivation cycle. It has a great added value in the growth phase and during fruit development, but also during periods of drought, heavy rainfall, strong winds or high temperatures.

By applying Amino+ just before or during a stressful period, the plant becomes stronger and more resilient.

Tests of the product in various circumstances have shown positive results.

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News "The Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences has a long experience in working in China to help modernize and develop agriculture through science and technological innovation," said JAAS President Yi Zhongyi.

"Cooperation with FAO will open a window of opportunity for JAAS to learn from and contribute to FAO's South-South and Triangular Cooperation framework."

"Innovation and technology transfer are key to paving the way for healthy and sustainable food systems," said FAO Deputy Director-General, Laurent Thomas. "The partnership between JAAS and FAO will allow sharing of knowledge and expertise to support solutions and develop capacities for strengthening sustainable agriculture development in China, Southeast Asia and Africa."

JAAS is a comprehensive agricultural and veterinary medicine research institution in Jiangsu, China. Through its work, JAAS aims to address a broad range of challenges which currently impact agricultural development and local rural economies. The academy comprises 17 specialized institutes and 11 regional institutes, with research interests covering from crop sciences, animal sciences, food safety and nutrition, agricultural resources and environment to agricultural mechanization.

During the past decades, China has undergone a successful urban and rural revitalization. In the Yangtze River Delta region, an area which accounts for nearly 25 percent of China's GDP, JAAS has been active in implementing sustainable agriculture through innovation and digitalization, including in the region's Jiangsu Province.

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The partnership will focus on activities which promote rural revitalization and stronger urban-rural linkages, paying special attention to rural areas and to marginalized farmers.

The aim is ensuring food safety, achieving food security, and reducing poverty in both urban and rural areas.

BDB AND IPM ESSEN CONTINUE COOPERATION The world’s leading fair for horticulture, IPM ESSEN, and the Federation of German Nurseries (BdB) are extending their partnership until the end of 2023. The CEO of Messe Essen, Oliver P. Kuhrt, the BdB Managing Director, Markus Guhl, and the BdB President, Helmut Selders, met up during IPM ESSEN 2020 in order to sign the contract. In the future, too, trade visitors will profit from the prominent presence of the nurseries and an excellent accompanying program in the form of a meeting of international networks, a seminar and guided tours. Thus, IPM ESSEN will consolidate its position as a top-class platform on which questions about the future will be discussed in the context of climate change and sustainability and solutions will be presented.

Nurseries are traditionally well-represented at IPM ESSEN. They account for 45 percent of the exhibitors in the Plants area and 16 percent of these are German companies. As the leading association in the sector, the Federation of German Nurseries represents their interests. The BdB Managing Director, Markus Guhl: “IPM ESSEN is extremely significant for the German and international nursery industries.

Therefore, it is a matter of

course that we as BdB are looking for a close alliance with Messe Essen and are happy to be available as a cooperation partner.”

“BdB organizes a top-class supporting program and has at its disposal a network extending across different countries. No matter whether the European Nursery Reception or the seminar about the EU campaign entitled ‘Green Cities for a Sustainable Europe’ – the high participation level has shown how important the exchange of specialist ideas is,” Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen, was pleased about the continuation of the cooperation. For the first time, a guided tour on the subject of climate trees was offered on the occasion of IPM ESSEN 2020. Tours of the fair are once again being planned for next year. “The contract extension is the foundation stone in order to expand these activities even further,” continued Kuhrt. Moreover, the Urban Green Areas Seminar as well as the Nursery Reception will take place as accustomed in 2021.

TRADITIONAL FARMING SYSTEM IN BRAZIL ADDED TO GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE LIST Farmers known as Semprevivas flower gatherers from Espinhaço Mountain Range won recognition for their crucial role in enhancing biodiversity and preserving traditional knowledge.

A traditional farming system in the Southern Espinhaço Mountain Range of the Minas Gerais State in Brazil has been recognized as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), managed by

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News the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It is the first time a Brazilian site has won the GIAHS recognition.

Rooted in mountainous areas, the Espinhaço’s unique mosaic of landscapes and ecosystems where the Sempre-Vivas flowers are picked is the most biodiverse savannah on the planet and plays a crucial role in regulating the region’s rainfall.

Local farmers also known as Sempre-vivas flower gatherers have developed an effective agricultural system combining flower gathering, agroforestry gardening, livestock grazing and crop cultivation – all performed at various altitudes of up to 1400 meters. Such complex system is based on a wide range of traditional knowledge and practices

passed on from generation to generation helping people achieve harmony with the environment while ensuring their food and livelihood security.

“Thanks to their profound understanding of natural cycles and ecosystems, and their vast knowledge of native flora, the local communities manage all kinds of

FARMERP ON THE AGTECH INDUSTRY’S CONTRIBUTION DURING THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK:

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the way a lot of businesses function. It has affected various sectors within the agricultural industry as well. Daily wage earners and labourers working in farms are essentially out of jobs and are migrating back to their hometowns.

The supply chain has been disturbed on a massive level and steps are being taken to appropriately rectify them. The prices of agricultural produce has dropped by 20% which is a major cause for concern.

The AgTech industry has also been hit to an extent, due to less business coming in and declined demand for their services in the coming month.

AgTech is a vast field and will be able to assist their clients and farmers as well in the approaching months to streamline processes and enable the smooth functioning of the agricultural

supply chain. A few ways in which the AgTech industry can be a key player post-COVID-19 are listed below: • Due to ‘work from home’ being an adaptable situation for companies in the AgTech sector, they will be able to assist their clients in keeping their systems working 24/7 and ensuring regular updates on all platforms.

Using front running techniques like satellite imagery they will be able to assist individuals looking for specificities of crops, i.e, how much, where, conditions, etc. They may also use this technique to enable the tracking of transportation to ensure the people who require the products receive it.

• An online supply chain would be the most ideal platform to be established, which the AgTech sector is working towards at a fast pace. This would backtrack most of the losses faced by the agricultural industry due to the disruptions witnessed in the agricultural supply chain. This would include the supply of products through varied online portals, which would be a boon for individuals who require groceries delivered directly to their homes, without the need to venture outside. The reality of individuals not venturing outdoors will increase the demand for products being supplied via online portals. This can be observed through the growth

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of E-Commerce websites such as Big Basket and Grofers. Food delivery apps like Zomato and Dominos (in collaboration with ITC) have also set up ‘essential’ columns where essential and daily groceries can be delivered directly to consumers.

• In times of uncertainty, where individuals are extremely wary of the products which are entering their homes, technology establishes a sense of transparency due to traceable features. A software like FarmERP, a smart agriculture management ERP software platform, works towards establishing traceability and food safety among its various other goals. Similar organizations work tirelessly toward guiding their workflow in similar directions to ensure every entity comes out of COVID-19 with the minimal possible losses.

These are just a few ways in which the AgTech industry can help in certain scenarios related to the losses incurred due to this pandemic. Apart from these, in the broader picture, there can be many other ways in which they will be able to contribute effectively, including contribution to sustainability, food safety, traceability and climate resilience as well. These factors are still at large when it comes to the agricultural industry, not solely in India, but across the world.

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News agricultural activities well adapted to each soil type, geographic and climatic characteristics to sustain their lives,” said FAO GIAHS Coordinator Yoshihide Endo.

“These activities also contribute to preserving valuable crop varieties, native vegetation and landscapes in the area.”

The local people’s activities vary from gathering, processing and conservation of native flowers in the commonuse highlands; traditional herding of livestock along centuries-old migration routes; collection of fruits, seeds, medicinal plants in the natural environment at lower altitudes, to maintaining traditional home gardens and larger crop fields along the foothills.

PERU TARGETS INDONESIA VIA ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ROADSHOW IN ASIA For the second year running, Peru has resumed its role as Official Partner Country at the biggest fresh fruit and vegetable trade fair in Asia, ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA. The next edition will be held in Singapore on 16-18 September. A series of roadshow promotional activities have been scheduled in five cities in Asia. The events, which focus on fruit and vegetable exporters and traders in the leading Southeast Asian markets, present the perfect platform to showcase the importance and potential of trade in fresh produce in the entire region, and how ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA can complement the market development of these diverse and emerging markets.

The upcoming informative

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session in Jakarta will analyze the growing demand for fresh produce in the Indonesian market, one of the countries that is showing the biggest surge in fruit and vegetable exports, according to the latest figures published by PROMPERU. Peru, whose average annual increase of 4.9% in its GDP makes it one of the Latin American countries with the highest growth rates, has seen its agricultural exports represent an increasingly growing proportion of its total exports. The Latin American nation is the world leader in exports of asparagus and quinoa; second in blueberries, avocados and mandarins; and third in grapes. In the case of Indonesia, Peru is already exporting fresh grapes, pomegranates and processed maca and camu camu to the Asian nation.

Asia is one of Peru’s top trading partners and Peru seeks to consolidate by expanding existing trade agreements and firming up trade negotiations currently underway with different countries in the region. Peru has placed a high priority on growing its trade with the region. Peru’s presence at highcaliber events, such as ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA, which it has been attending since its first edition, are a key factor in the country’s international trade promotional strategy. Business deals concluded in ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA 2019 were estimated to be US$180 million.

WEBINAR: DEVELOPING A LIGHT SPECTRUM – A BALANCING ACT In an ocean of LED companies with conflicting claims, which one can be

trusted for their horticultural lighting expertise? How can a grower understand which spectrum his/her plants would mostly benefit from?

In this free webinar we will breakdown the spectrum development process so as to enable growers and researchers to better understand what kind of light is best for them.

Valoya, the research driven LED manufacturer from Finland, has conducted over 600 plant trials in the past decade in search for the highest quality light for cultivation and research purposes. In this process it has amassed over 100 patents and developed over 60 spectra of which only 5 were commercialized.

Choosing wavelengths such as blue, red, far red, UV and manipulating ratios such as red:far red and blue:green are some of the factors that go into account in the spectrum development process. In the plant trials conducted we observe parameters that are of importance to growers such as plant biomass and morphology, secondary metabolite accumulation etc. Additionally, growers need lights that achieve their cultivation targets efficiently, so spectrum development always includes economic considerations so that the minimal amount of Watts gets the desired output.

The webinar is free-ofcharge and will be held on May 27 th at 15.00 EET. It will be presented by Ms. Stefanie Linzer, Plant R&D Director and Mr. Harri Ekdahl, Product Manager at Valoya.

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

15

News

MORINGA SEEDS RELIEVE FATIGUE AND REDUCE BACK PAIN, STUDY FINDS

A recently published study conducted by the Ueno-Asagao Clinic in Tokyo, Japan, has shown that specific highly concentrated Moringa seed extract S can effectively alleviate the symptoms associated with computer work in healthy middle-aged adults: fatigue, back pain, stiff shoulders and strained eyes. After four weeks of daily supplementation with 120 mg of Moringa seed extract S, the severity of these stress- and posture-related symptoms among the study participants was significantly reduced.

Brave New Work? Even if the on-trend and much praised New Work model actually impacts current job practices —whether in the office or on the beach — most employees will still sit at their computers with their backs bent. Of the 86% of staff who use a computer, for example, 78% experience physical fatigue and related symptoms. It not only affects quality of life, but also, in the longterm, employee health and the ability to work. At the same time, more and more people are looking for alternatives to conventional medicine and commonly used painkillers.

Herbal Moringa olifeira, part of the fast-growing Moringaceae tree family, is a particularly suitable replacement because of its nutrient profile. Many parts of the tree, including its roots, have found their way into the food chain in tropical and subtropical regions. Moreover,

Moringa is said to have 300 medicinal effects in Ayurvedic medicine.

Recent in vivo and in vitro studies have already demonstrated the pharmacological benefits of the phytochemical moringine, an isothiocyanate that affects or inhibits key signaling pathways that are upregulated in cancer and immune disorders. In addition, effects on chemoprotection and its antitumoral, antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties have also been shown.

A four-week study conducted by a team of scientists at the Ueno-Asagao Clinic in Tokyo has now examined these effects in humans. The study was designed as a randomized, parallel, double-blind and placebocontrolled investigation. Among the randomly selected healthy subjects were 18 middle-aged men and 22 women with somewhat severe symptoms.The compressed 120 mg tablets, which contained 12 mg of glucomoringin, the main glycosinolate, ensured that the active ingredient was only absorbed in the intestine via delayed release where glucomoringin is enzymatically converted to moringin.

The findings evaluated the effect of the moringa seed extract on daily fatigue and lower back pain, and showed a significant decrease in fatigue, lower back pain, shoulder stiffness and eye strain. The effect measured by the visual analog scale (VAS) pain score was significantly better than in the control group after only two weeks. Before that, the antifatigue effect of moringa leaves was documented in an experiment with rats. The tablets were provided by plant-based ingredient expert, Taiyo, who also commissioned the study.

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FRESH-CUT SALADS AND OTHER VEGETABLES, ARRIGONI'S TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS FOR QUALITY PRODUCTIONS Fresh-cut salads and other vegetables now have an extra ally to grow and develop at their best throughout their life cycle. Arrigoni, a leading international company in the production of technical fabrics for agriculture, has in fact presented new tests on the effectiveness of the PRISMA® thermo-reflective screens and BIORETE AIR PLUS® for this type of crop.

A large audience of agronomist technicians met in Battipaglia (SA), in southern Italy. Over the years, this area of the Province of Salerno (i.e. the Piana del Sele) has become the true European center of baby leaf vegetables with the emergence of numerous innovative companies.

Here, Arrigoni is successfully proposing the most advanced technical solutions for safe and quality production. Among these, PRISMA® – white protective screens that guarantees temperature control – were the main topic of the meeting.

The shading systems used so far, such as the nets in black color, have proven to operate by "cutting" the useful radiation, but with little reduction in temperature. This is explained by the fact that colors other than white absorb short infrared (heat) then transferred inside. Furthermore, to these effects it is added that the filtered light in that case is direct.

For total protection from insects, Arrigoni recommends BIORETE® AIR PLUS also for “baby leaf” producers. BIORETE® AIR PLUS are the innovative insect screens with monofilament of low denier (thickness) and high resistance, for greater ventilation and safe production. There are several advantages that this solution ensures: better ventilation with the same level of protection, further

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News reduced temperatures inside greenhouses, reduced occurrence of cryptogamic diseases, better plant development, better quality and sensorial properties of production.

SANITAB – MULTIPLE USES AS A DISINFECTANT CAN COME HANDY ON FARMS DURING COVID-19 Artevet is annoucing the production of Sanitab – multipurpose water disinfectant.

During these times, this tablet’s various uses can help the users at the farm and otherwise.

The easy to use tablet – which once dropped in water disintegrates rapidly to create a disinfected solution or a concentration solution, can be used for: cleaning public areas, hand wash, household public spaces, sprayed as a disinfectant among many others.

FDA APPROVES USE OF CHROMIUM PROPIONATE IN HORSE DIETS Based on extensive research conducted by Kemin Industries, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine has approved the use of chromium propionate as a source of chromium in horse diets. With this new approval, chromium propionate is now approved for use in broiler chickens, cattle and horses. KemTRACE® Chromium from Kemin is the only FDAreviewed source of chromium propionate on the market today and has been fed to millions of animals around the globe.

KemTRACE Chromium is a highly bioavailable, organic source of chromium propionate that helps stabilize insulin receptors in

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animals, improving glucose use and reducing the negative impacts of stress. Every cell in the horse relies on glucose to fuel its function and growth. Therefore, maximizing cells’ utilization of glucose may result in improved immune response, and overall health and performance.

“We are thrilled to introduce KemTRACE Chromium into the horse market,” said Kristi Krafka, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance for Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health – North America.

“Chromium supplementation is one way that Kemin has advanced nutrition and performance in livestock and poultry in recent decades, and we are proud to now offer the same quality, safe, efficacious product to horse owners, nutritionists and veterinarians.”

With more than 20 years of research and 50 peer-reviewed chromium research studies, Kemin established chromium propionate as safe and efficacious. Published research across many species has shown chromium may have the ability to reduce cortisol, which is a hormone secreted in response to stress. The reduction in cortisol during times of stress may decrease negative impacts from stress events – such as extreme heat or cold, diet changes, changes in routine and more.

KemTRACE Chromium is manufactured at Kemin in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. This facility has the Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) 22000, which is recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) as a rigorous food safety management system, certified by approved third-party organizations. The certification covers the manufacturing of food ingredients used for further processing and is designed to deliver greater confidence in food, reduce health risks, lower audit costs, improve

brand protection and improve supply chain management.

KemTRACE Chromium is available for use in more than 35 countries around the world for a variety of species.

SWEET PEPPER GROWERS BENEFIT FROM MULTI-TARGET MACROLOPHUSSYSTEM While Macrolophus eats the eggs and larvae of greenhouse and tobacco whiteflies, it also loves aphids, spider mites and moth eggs. The bright green Macrolophus-System predatory bug is greedy and can be of great value to sweet pepper growers.

However, timing and supplementation are crucial to its success, explains Biobest advisor, John van Eijk.

Most sweet pepper growers begin with a chemical spray programme after which they introduce predatory mites. With the imminent loss of more chemical actives, it is set to become increasingly challenging to control aphids, tobacco whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and caterpillars.

John says: “The Macrolophus predatory bug is polyphagous, which means it eats almost everything, making it ideal for keeping a number of pests under control. In tomato crops, for example, growers are already achieving great success with this bug.”

The right timing is important, explains John. “This predatory bug is extremely sensitive to chemical crop protection products, so it is important to take spray residues into account.

Growers should not introduce Macrolophus-System too soon after the start of the growing season, or too late - as they need time to build up a population: between week 7 and week 15 is ideal.”

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

17

Agra ME Report

LEADING AGRICULTURE PLAYERS ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

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ndustry hails AgraME as ‘perfect platform’ for amplifying their products, solutions and partnerships to improve food security in the Middle East and Africa.

Officially inaugurated by His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Majid Sultan Al Qassimi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Food Diversity Sector and Director of Animal Development & Health Department at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, AgraME, the region’s only event dedicated to the full value chain of agribusiness, aquaculture and animal

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health, recently concluded its latest edition at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Government Ministers, C- Level industry professionals, investors, farmers, veterinarians and suppliers spanning 90 countries, assembled over three days to network, trade, share knowledge and set the agenda for the future of the agriculture sector. A key theme that ran throughout the event this year was a number of trade announcements made from regional investment body AAAID, Agthia Group and global heavy machinery player, Massey Ferguson.

AgraME, for the first time ever, hosted 40 businesses of the ‘AAAID’s Affiliate Company Programme’ who attended the conference - in addition to AAAID’s strategic partners. Business meetings were held between companies that discovered ongoing areas of cooperation between in the field of Agriculture Business. To kick off day two’s conference agenda, a total of six agreements and Memorandum of Understandings were signed in the presence AAAID Chairman H.E Mohammed Bin Obaid Al Mazrooei, and H.E Mariam AlMheiri, Minister of State who is responsible for future food security and other key industry figures.

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Greenhouse

EXPERT SOLUTIONS FOR EFFICIENT UTILIZATION OF MODERN HORTICULTURE

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stablished in 2016, Ningxia Ke Da PV Agricultural Research Institute Co. Ltd., is the first research and service institute with top research capacity directly oriented to photovoltaic agriculture in northwest China.

Technical support comes from Ningxia University, Ningxia Facility Horticulture Technology Innovation Center, and Beijing Rongkun Agricultural Technology Co. Ltd., and the company is the technical strategic partner of REM (new

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energy) company in Italy.

The company has special technology research and development center, professional technical team and a sophisticated team of agricultural experts.

"We focus on research and construction of the new photovoltaic intelligent greenhouse and semiunderground energy-saving greenhouse, moreover we provide technology and solution of substrate culture in sand base, soilless cultivation and efficient utilization of modern

greenhouse," said a company release.

"In 2017, the company invested in a ecological agriculture comprehensive project with construction area of more than 160,000 square meters and participated in operation of the project. Our business service includes: consulting and planning, research and design, installation and construction, project operation, gardening and cultivation services, fresh fruit and vegetable trade," it added.

"Our business service includes: consulting and planning, research and design, installation and construction, project operation, gardening and cultivation services, fresh fruit and vegetable trade".

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

19

Planter Bags

WANGARA HORTICULTURAL SUPPLIES “NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH”

W

HS Australia is debuting its World Wide Launch in the Gulf Countries with a product specifically designed with the MENA region’s climate in mind.

Introducing the Innovative and Patented Desert Bag™. This new product is exclusively available through WHS Australia and is the product of engineering and manufacturing advances that allow for a Grow Bag that is produced specifically for the Middle East growers and tree farms.

This new and exciting product will allow growers to keep their trees in Grow Bags for a longer period of time.

It will also allow for safer transportation of trees and inspection of the root ball at all stages of the plants life. The design includes: Sun protected handles that are wrapped in a fabric that will break down over time, but will keep the integrity of the handle intact.

An extra band at the top diameter ensure the handles do not come away from the Grow Bag. A double layer material around the entire bag ensures that Sun Damage is limited to the outer layer,

while leaving the structure of the bag untouched.

A new perimeter belt ensures the bag stands up solidly and supports the root ball.

One model of the Desert Bag™ includes a side opening that allows for inspection of the root ball, easy removal of the tree from the Grow Bag as well as

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the opportunity to Re-Use the Grow Bag. The company has announced that existing customers will be receiving sample Desert Bags™ in the next few weeks to begin growing Better Trees and Bigger Profits. There is also an opportunity to register your interest for a sample by sending your details to info@whsaustralia.com.au

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Agriculture Machinery

NEW GENERATION FOR ALL MODELS OF THE FENDT 300 VARIO SERIES

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he greater need for clear controls and a larger functional scope now extends to other tractors, including the Fendt 300 Vario series. As a result, after the topend model Fendt 314 Vario was introduced at Agritechnica 2019, you can now order the new operating concept FendtONE for the entire Fendt 300 Vario series.

The Fendt 300 Vario series includes four models (Fendt 311 Vario, Fendt 312 Vario, Fendt 313 Vario, Fendt 314 Vario) with outputs ranging from 113 to 142 hp (ECE R120). With the DynamicPerformance power boost concept, the Fendt 314 Vario reaches 152 hp. The AGCO Power engine meets Emissions Stage V with a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), diesel particulate filter (DPF) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) but without exhaust gas recirculation. There are also maintenance-free

hydraulic valve lifters built into the engine.

The Fendt 300 Vario Power concept was completely reworked, with an emphasis on comfortable and intuitive tractor use. These include the new control armrest, which is mounted on the driver's seat itself, the new multifunction joystick and electric valves.

The Fendt 300 Vario Profi model has an optional 12" terminal on the armrest as well as the 10" digital dashboard.

All the displays work in unison, so the panes can show the various features in the terminal at the same time. Depending on your personal needs, you can have one terminal show ISOBUS applications and tractor functions at the same time. As an option, another 12" terminal can be fitted into the roof, to display a camera system, for example, in full screen.

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Track guidance is becoming increasingly important for other tractors. The Fendt 300 Vario Profi+ (formerly ProfiPlus) comes with Fendt Guide (formerly VarioGuide) as standard. This includes the field data management feature. You can manage the run-outs from home then send the job to the machine.

This means orders including the field boundaries and track lines can be carried out with Fendt Guide on the tractor. All the fields are then worked based on the same data record used across the entire fleet. Fendt TI (Teach In) Auto and the Fendt Guide Contour Assistant are optional extras.

All models are available to order from February 2020 in the upgraded variants Power, Profi and Profi+. From September 2020, the Fendt 300 Vario will be delivered in its Profi and Profi+ versions. Power models will roll out from January 2021.

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Agriculture Machinery

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www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

23

Agri-Robotics

AGRI-ROBOTICS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FARMING FUTURE A

griculture in the future will see increasing use of scientifically precise farming techniques, where automated ‘agro-bots’ monitor, treat and work the land, using advanced technology designed to help maximise yields and minimise disease. With its extensive experience in automation and agricultural mechanisation, Yanmar is now showing the way in advanced field robotics research.

Time for change in our changing times?

It’s hard to think of a more important economic sector than agriculture. This is an industry that directly affects the lives of everyone the world over, despite being beset by challenges from

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all sides. Changes in temperature and precipitation are influencing crop yields; farmers and agricultural workers are directly exposed to the effects of weather extremes, while millions more in foodrelated jobs are already feeling the impact of our changing climate.

Furthermore, consumers today are increasingly aware of the issue of chemicals used in producing their food and demand sustainable production of ever tastier, higher quality produce. Finding the best way to deal with these issues and while meeting environmental pressures is causing many governments to turn to automation specialists and technology experts to try and

improve the lot of the farmer, meet consumer demands, and tackle the myriad challenges confronting the industry.

Smart farming research with SMASH in Italy Increased automation and technology within agriculture is nothing new in itself of course – in fact, it’s been happening ever since the Industrial Revolution.

But what is new is how technology is being used to tackle problems related to food disease control and unstable weather patterns. The focus is now on achieving desired yields in an environmentally sustainable way, with a continuous focus on reducing the amount and type of chemicals used.

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Agri-Robotics

Drought, flooding and the appearance of new pests and diseases are, however, now a threat on all continents. Even Europe faces a challenge right across its farming systems. This is especially true of countries such as Italy, which faced a 57% plunge in its 2018 olive harvest – the worst in 25 years – as a result of climate change, according to scientists.

With its European research facility nestled in the hills above Florence, Italy, Yanmar R&D Europe (YRE) is well placed to focus on a variety of fieldbased studies to bring added value to the agriculture industry – and possibly even attract a new generation of workers to the land. These include the two-year, four-million Euros ‘SMASH’ project being carried out in cooperation with 10 technology partners to develop a mobile agricultural ‘eco-system’ to monitor, analyse and manage agricultural crops.

The acronym stands for ‘Smart Machine for Agricultural Solutions Hightech’, and this project was co-financed by the Tuscany local government. It consists of the development of a modular robotic platform that employs the latest information communications technology to examine crops and soils, analyse gathered information and provide clear, actionable information to farmers to support crop management.

One of Yanmar’s many roles was to develop control systems for the multipurpose robotic arm for mobile

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manipulation (including precision spraying), sensor integration for positioning technologies, and autonomous navigation and software development for the control of the system’s mobile base (in collaboration with other partners).

For YRE’s Modelling and Control Engineer Manuel Pencelli, developing a prototype agro-bot that could be used to monitor and control crops, take soil samples for analysis and accurately target agricultural chemicals for precision application, required many different areas of expertise from the beginning of the project.

“There have been many partners involved throughout. We needed mechanical expertise for developing the structure of the vehicle, and many ‘communications’ experts because we have a lot of devices that need to ‘talk’ to each other. Our starting point was in fact a tracked vehicle that was originally built for moving along a beach and cleaning the shoreline!”

There are two working SMASH prototypes – one for grapevines and the other for spinach – to cover the two different types of crops that were originally slated for research. The former has already undergone significant testing at a vineyard farm in the Pisa province, where Manuel has been instrumental in demonstrating the possibilities that this robotic eco-system could offer farmers.

“SMASH is not a single machine, but a series of different devices including a

robot, base station, drones and field sensors that together provide vital information to help farmers. A farmer could programme the task that he wants SMASH to carry out, and while he is involved in other activities, this machine could move autonomously, monitoring crops, detecting and treating diseases, and saving the farmer or his workers significant time out in the fields manually checking crops.”

Mapping and monitoring, weeding and feeding SMASH consists of a mobile base, a robotic arm featuring manipulators and vision systems, a drone and an ancillary ground station. Imagine a system that is designed to function across a range of precision agriculture technologies, offering specific insights on geomatics, robotics, data mining, machine learning etc, while taking into account the environmental and social issues facing farmers.

For Manuel, the possibilities for SMASH are endless: “In addition to all the functions that can be performed by the robotic arm, we also have some attachments that can be mounted on the back of the vehicle for mechanical weeding, or working the soil, as it moves. This work can be done simultaneously, together with the monitoring and detection.”

For more information, please visit www.yanmar.com

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

25

Humates

HOW HUMIC ACIDS HELP TO RAISE THE HUMUS CONTENT ON ARABLE LAND

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oil is the most important factor in global agriculture: it forms the basis for 90 percent of any food on our tables but the fertility of our soils, and thus the supply of food to a growing world population, is at risk: Worldwide, humus levels are falling, while the amount of degraded, salinized and deserted soil is increasing.

Today, mankind is faced with the important task of preserving and increasing the existing humus content with the help of a well planned humus economy.

But what exactly is humus?

What function does it have and what can we do to counteract its loss?

Humus – from life, of life, for life Humus is generally understood to be the totality of finely decomposed organic matter in the soil. It is mainly formed as a result of the tireless metabolic activity of

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microorganisms. A handful of soil contains more of these soil organisms than there are people in the world.

Not all humus is the same In soil science, humus is also distinguished according to its longevity in the soil. The so-called nutritive humus consists of organic substances that are rapidly consumed by soil organisms. Permanent humus, on the other hand, consists of humic substances that are difficult to break down, is decomposed very slowly and

remains in the soil for a long time. It binds nutrients and water, gives the soil structure and makes up about 90 percent of the organic mass of a fertile humus soil.

No plant growth without humus – why?

The phenomenon of fertility is ultimately the visible interaction between soil and plant life. The humus content plays an outstanding role in this. Permanent humus-rich soil is rich in clay-humus complexes; compounds

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Humates existing humus mass in our fields. Many arable soils all over the world are already poor in humus with a low (1 to 2 percent) or very low (< 1 percent) humus content. It requires intelligent humus management and a deep understanding of the living soil system in order to sustainably rebuild global humus levels.

The simplest method of obtaining humus, for example for your own garden, is to compost organic waste. Humusforming methods for agricultural land include the cultivation of catch crops and nurse crops, the appropriate distribution of organic fertilizer and the avoidance of bare fallow. The use of humic acids can be particularly helpful in the creation of permanent humus.

between humic substances and clay minerals. They are formed by the activity of soil organisms and keep water and nutrients available to plants in the rhizosphere.

In humus-less soil, however, these complexes are mostly absent. Nutrients that are added to the soil by fertilization seep into the groundwater largely unused, making the plants weaker and more susceptible to disease. The lack of stable clay-humus complexes also exposes the soil crumb to erosion. It is

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easily swept away by storms or heavy rain â&#x20AC;&#x201C; leaving a desert behind.

Loss of humus â&#x20AC;&#x201C; what to do?

With every plant that grows on the soil and is subsequently harvested, the soil loses nutrients and its humus content decreases. Of all plant communities, only forests are able to build up more humus than they consume. All other soils constantly lose humus.

It is therefore no longer sufficient to preserve the

More soil life with humic acids Humic acids are the biological center of humic substances.

They are found in humus soils, peat, seawater and in soft lignite called Leonardite. Humic acids from highly oxidized Leonardite are up to five times more bioactive than humic acids from conventional sources.

In the soil, humic acids drive humus formation by promoting plant and root growth of the crops and stimulating the proliferation of desired soil microorganisms. They actively support the formation of the essential clay-humus complexes, which bind water and nutrients and release them to the plants as needed over long periods of time.

Within the framework of a healthy humus economy, the use of humic acids is a valuable measure to maintain the fertility of our soils in the long term.

For more information, please visit www.humintech.com

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

27

Horticulture Lighting

SIGNIFY INSTALLS POLAND’S FIRST FULL LED LIGHTING IN APINK TOMATO GREENHOUSE

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ignify(formerly Philips Lighting), (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, has installed LED lamps in a Tomimaru Muchoo pink tomato greenhouse for the first time in Poland. This innovative full LED system was implemented on a 2ha plantation belonging to Łukasz Budyta Greenhouse Complex, which was fitted with Philips GreenPower LED toplighting modules and Philips GreenPower LED interlighting modules. Electrical installation design works on the project were carried out by Philips Horti LED Partner – company Lek/Habo.

Modern greenhouse lighting Signify provides growers horticulture LEDs, which allow them to increase growth predictability, quality and yield, and which allows growers to grow fruit and

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Horticulture Lighting

vegetables in their greenhouses all year round. As LEDs are more energyefficient than high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps, it also helps growers to reduce electricity consumption.

“When designing the greenhouse lighting, we wanted to minimize the installed grid power while maintaining levels of light that are appropriate for the plants need. LED lighting is the most energy-efficient, and at the same time – which is equally important to us – the most environmentally friendly solution,” said Łukasz Budyta, owner of Łukasz Budyta Greenhouse Complex.

Compared to 1000W HPS lights, Philips GreenPower LED lighting produces the same amount of light while consuming 50% less energy and producing little radiation heat. This allows growers to independently control the temperature and amount of light deployed, and thus more effectively control climate conditions in their greenhouse. The use of LED modules can shorten production

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cycles, increase yields and allow better use of growing space. Modern lighting ensures economical and at the same time eco-friendly greenhouse cultivation.

“Philips GreenPower LED lighting is an innovative approach to year-round cultivation of vegetables and fruit in greenhouses. We are constantly following the trends and trying to meet the requirements of our business partners, and our technology for grow light with LEDs in greenhouses is perfectly in line with the eco-friendly approach of modern farms,”said Maciej Król, Horti LED C&EE Business Development Expert, Signify.

Pink tomatoes all year round Łukasz Budyta Greenhouse Complex focuses on growing pink tomatoes. As the first farm in Poland, it uses LED lighting in a greenhouse in Piotrowice near Karczew.

The greenhouse is illuminated with a full LED system, providing a light

intensity of 140 µmol/s/m2 from toplighting modules and 60 µmol/s/m2 from interlighting modules, which allows intensive and energy-efficient winter cultivation.

The setup of their lighting installationis the result of successful trials carried out in 2015-2017 at the micro-greenhouses of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW). In their own full-size production facility located in Piotrowice, Łukasz Budyta Greenhouse Complex wanted to repeat the results achieved in the test installation. Łukasz Budyta Greenhouse Complex is located near Warsaw, providing easy, direct access to the vast market of the Polish capital and the rest of the country. The first pink tomatoes grown using Signify’s Philips LED fixtures are now available in stores in Warsaw.

For more information, please visit www.philips.com/horti

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

29

Substrates

STENDER OFFERS PEAT AND SUBSTRATES

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tender AG is a leading producer and supplier of peat and substrates. The company has two factories in Germany (Schermbeck, Papenburg) and in the Baltics.

Based on these operations and a sophisticated logistic network, the company ensures the supply of its customers with Stender products.

The decision Stender AG made to consequently develop further approved products and to modulate culture specific soils, gives our clients certainty and time. Stender AG's long standing

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know-how makes up the base on our development of soils.

Stender Bio Vegetable Substrate is a special soil for potting herbs, vegetables in plantings beds or containers. It is peat reduced and has light fertilization. It follows the requirements of an environmentally friendly product.

It is the basis for strong and aromatic herbs and vegetables.

Stender Bio Vegetable Substrate is available in 40 litres bags.

Stender Premium Peat Products are characterised by the high quality of the peat used.

Stender uses first class selected white peat only. The peat is sieved in different fractions and made appropriate for later application. Thus, the fine peat which is especially ideal for propagation has a fraction size of 0-10 mm, the peat with a medium structure has a fraction size of 0-40 mm, and the coarse peat, which for example is used in the cultivation of rhododendron, has a fraction size of 10-22 mm or 20-40 mm. All Premium Peat products are available in bales of 250 litres, 300 litres and Big Bales of 6m3.

March-April 2020

Polish Update

M

POLISH PLANTER BAGS

March-April 2020

ARTEX速-Jerzy Marek Strenkowski, is a family owned company from Poland engaged in the production and supply of textile products for nurseries, including those can be effectively used in the temperate, dry or even hot climate.

The company offers different kinds of products including a series of containers under the common name of ARBO速. Also there are nursery and transportation bags, bags for general purpose and for the collection of small plastic items (plastic bottles, cans, AL), household waste utilization, and many others.

Under the brand of MARTEX速, the company offers mats for protection against weed, containers for ground and water perennials, expanding tape for connecting of tree and its support, multicolour marking tape, protective material for draining pipes and trees located near the roads and streets, tunnels/ sleeves for ventilation and weights used in foil tunnels.

Additionally, the company offers the following range of products: jute textile (in bales and KARO type clothing), jute felt, knitted fabric/net for shading, bedding material for application directly on ground, geo-textile, foil and foam with thermoinsulative properties for plants and objects (in bales and variety of formats), capillary mats for tables, wrapping band for trees, stabilizers of ground in the slopy area.

Water saving jute mat, for application in dry and hot climate, which effectively reduces water evaporation and its assimilation by weed; aluminum foil coated container which reflects sunlight, and thermoinsulative inserts, for application inside bags, pots or directly on ground are also included in the product range.

MARTEX速 delivers its products to more than 24 countries in Europe.

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

31

Middle East Update

WAFRA LEADS PUSH FOR GCC FOOD SECURITY WITH $100 MILLION COMMITMENT

W

afra is leading Pure Harvest’s $20.6 million Series A financing round with an initial $10 million capital injection, the first step in a multi-phase regional expansion to deliver sustainably-grown safe, delicious & affordable fresh produce throughout the GCC. Pure Harvest Smart Farms (the “Company”), the region’s leading techenabled agribusiness, announced it has secured amulti-stage investment commitment valued at over $100 million with Wafra International Investment Company (“Wafra”), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Public Institution for Social Security, making it the largest-ever agriculture technology investment in the MENAPT region. In connection with the investment in Pure Harvest Smart Farms, Ghazi Al-Hajeri, CEO of Wafra, will join Pure Harvest’s Board of Directors.

The strategic investment from Wafra will drive the Company’s development and deployment of advanced controlledenvironment agriculture solutions across the region to sustainably grow premium quality fresh fruits

32 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

& vegetables—regardless of outdoor climate conditions.

Pure Harvest designs, builds and operates high-tech, climate-controlled greenhouse systems that convert the region’s abundant natural sunlight into premium quality, pesticide-free fresh fruits & vegetables. With core innovations in climate management solutions to maximize control of humidity and temperature, Pure Harvest has proven that it can create an optimal growing environment anywhere using substantially less water than traditional forms of agriculture.

“The global need for innovation in agriculture has never been greater. The recent COVID-19 crisis and resulting supply chain disruptions further highlight the need for sustainable local-for-local food production capacity, especially for fresh, nutrientrich foods. This visionary multi-phase investment commitment from Wafra has given us the resources needed to secure our foothold as a pioneer in controlled- environment agriculture in the Middle East. Together with structured debt financing that we are simultaneously arranging, we will invest Wafra’s funds in

Ghazi Al-Hajeri, CEO, Wafra

growth, key hires, enhancing our technology portfolio, and ultimately to deliver our solution across the region – including in Wafra’s home market of Kuwait.” said Sky Kurtz, Founder & CEO, Pure Harvest Smart Farms.

"Wafra’s investment into Pure Harvest acknowledges the significant potential of controlled-environment agriculture in solving the food security challenges facing the Arabian Gulf region, including Kuwait" Mr. Al-Hajeri said. “The Arabian Gulf food system is undergoing a monumental shift toward a technology-enabled farming model in order to meet consumer demands for affordable, high quality foods. When you combine the local abundance of sunlight with energy & water-efficient climate management systems, the region makes a compelling case as one of the best places in the world for horticulture – a ‘contrarian’ thesis we believe in and that led us to invest in Pure Harvest. We have earmarked $100 million to support future expansions

March-April 2020

Middle East Update

should the company continue to perform. We look forward to working alongside Pure Harvest to enhance food security, water conservation and economic diversification by building a more sustainable food future for Kuwait and our entire region,” said Ghazi Al-Hajeri, CEO of Wafra International Investment Company.

Wafra is an asset management firm with assets under management of approximately $6 billion across a variety of investment strategies.

David Scott, Pure Harvest's Chairman, added: "We are absolutely delighted to welcome Wafra into the ranks of our international shareholders.

Wafra's investment comes at an exciting time and will allow Pure Harvest to achieve industrial economies of scale as the

March-April 2020

Company roles out its next generation of advanced greenhouse designs optimized for profitability and sustainability with in the MENA region. This investment also demonstrates the caliber and far-sighted acumen of Wafra's leadership, whose actions have placed their institution on the virtuous side of the irresistible macro trends driving explosive growth in technology-enabled agriculture in this region and beyond."

Mahmoud Adi, Cofounder & Director at Pure Harvest and Shorooq Partners added: “We are proud to have backed this venture and its exceptional founding team since inception.

At Shorooq, we fundamentally believed in the thesis early-on.

Pure Harvest is now a recognized leader that is addressing regional food

Sky Kurtz, CEO, Pure Harvest

security at its core. The Company has now grown to such a scale that it is time to seek new investment partners to take it to the next level. Pure Harvest is a unique startup with a massive market opportunity, a proven business model, a capable leadership team, and is quickly becoming a winning story within the region that is so dear to me personally, to Shorooq, and to the UAE. We are extremely pleased to welcome Ghazi and Wafra to the team to support the Company’s next phase of growth.”

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

33

UAE Update

ARMELA FARMS BRINGS A SIMPLY FRESH PERSPECTIVE TO THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

A

rmela Farms, the largest producer of water-grown fresh lettuce in Dubai, is a farm-to-table supplier that produces, packs & distributes water-grown, local, 100%-pesticide-free produce 365 days a year.

Armela Farms is the leading expert in hydroponic farming and largest producer of watergrown lettuce in the United Arab Emirates, with a current production capacity of 1.6 million lettuce heads – the equivalent of 330 tonnes per year. As an innovator in the large-scale commercial production, packing and distribution of lettuce and kale, Armela Farms utilises cuttingedge hydroponic growing technology, on-site storage, packing, and local distribution methods to redefine local food supply. By producing natural, eco-friendly, locally grown, farm-fresh, 100%-pesticide-free products, Armela Farms continuously reaffirms its commitment to feeding people in cities in a way that is positive for the environment.

The United Arab Emirates is globally renowned for blending the core values of its agricultural

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history with the latest innovations and technologies.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has prioritised increasing the use of hydroponic farms, cooling and climate control technologies to overcome the historical problems of scarcity of water resources and arable land, soil salinity, difficult environmental conditions and typically high production costs. Consequently, Armela Farms is striving to perfect the process and become the industry standard in United Arab Emirates.

After launching the company in August 2016, the Armela team has spent more than two years in Research and Development regarding the best techniques, varieties of produce and optimum climate conditions, before celebrating their first harvest in August 2018. Since then, the team has advanced its process to achieve over 250% of an increase in production and is currently finalising the opening of a new facility for Q1 2021, which will boast over 3 hectares of fully automated advanced lettuce farm, making the largest commercial hydroponic project

in the UAE. At Armela Farms, produce is delivered immediately upon harvesting, with no or minimum storage or shipping time, to provide customers with produce that is fresher, tastier and more nutritious, while lasting longer. As the topic of food security becomes more prevalent across the GCC, these fantastic new technologies are going to make access to affordable and nutritious food easier for everyone.

Avir Shah, CEO and Co-Founder of Armela Farms, states, “Our mission is to sell hydroponic produce that is of high quality and high nutritional value, to maximize consumer benefits towards healthy living the in United Arab Emirates.”

Rachana Shah, Director and Co-Founder at Armela Farms, adds, “Most people maybe don’t realise is that locally produced harvest, and, in particular, commercial hydroponics farming, provide not only better quality products, but also a cheaper price tag to benefit the customer, be it retailers or consumers.”

March-April 2020

Forage

BARR-AG

CANADIAN FARM-BASED FORAGE, PROCESSOR AND EXPORTER

B

arr-Ag Ltd is a Canadian Family Farm based operation growing 37,000 acres of forage crops, cereal crops and oil seeds. Barr-Ag Ltd is the largest Canadian farm-based forage, processor and exporter. The ability to grow, harvest, and process allows Barr-Agâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staff to ensure a higher and consistent quality. This begins with the selection and preparation of the fields, rotation of crops, the attention to harvesting equipment, (with our own fleet of cutters, and balers) and then the ability to select the quality product to process and export. Barr-Ag Ltd farms both irrigated and dryland farms.

Barr-Ag Ltd have invested significantly in new state of the art equipment for drying, pressing and processing of their alfalfa, timothy, dehydrated corn silage, plus the wheat, barley, canola, mustard crops.

This includes importing and installing state of the art drying, and re-bailing equipment from the top manufacturers in Europe. This new equipment will provide the ability to increase the quality and consistency of products that are processed and exported.

Barr-Ag Ltd markets are Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Middle East, Europe and USA. Over 90% of products produced are exported from Canada. Over 80% of the product exported is grown on the farms of Barr-Ag Ltd. Barr-Ag Ltd has 2 processing facilities in Alberta.

These are located on the plains in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. As a result of our climate, soil fertility and elevation, the use of Pesticides is very limited, and pests are controlled naturally.

All alfalfa and timothy crops grown are non-GMO.

March-April 2020

Barr-Ag Ltd has experienced farm operators, production staff and export staff who have been with Barr-Ag Ltd for many years. Barr-Ag Ltd has a fleet of their own trucks and have excellent connections with the Rail and Ocean freight companies.

For more information, please visit www.barr-ag.com

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

35

Egg Grading

TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN DATA PROCESSING WITH iMOBA

Y

our egg grader produces a considerable amount of data.

All this data can give insight into the improvements for your operation. But turning the masses of present-day data into valuable information is a tedious job that takes up more and more time in egggrading offices around the globe.

Well, not anymore! iMoba, a cloudbased app, collects and updates all the data from your egg grader in a fully automated manner, and gives you a quick reference dashboard that shows the current status of your operation.

Industry 4.0 Until recently, the industrial revolution was marked as a three-step process. First came the invention of the steam engine, which provided energy and movement that set off industrialization.

Next, electricity became widely available, and enabled mass production. Step three was the introduction of electronics, with programmable devices such as PLCs, to name a powerful example.

However, since recent years scientists have come to agree on a fourth step, which is referred to as Industry 4.0 and takes place in cyberspace. It is all

about the things that can be achieved with large quantities of data (“Big Data”) and the many billion machines and devices that produce and use this data (“The Internet of Things”).

Moba recognized the possibilities that the Industry 4.0 could bring to the egg market in an early stage and therefore introduced iMoba, the next step in data processing. With iMoba, all data produced by egg graders is made available for immediate and future use, and powerful data crunching creates instantaneous and profound insights within milliseconds – a resource that used to require hard

work and a huge investment. With iMoba you can quickly check on duration of stops, quality of eggs, rank suppliers to quality and keep track of the throughput performance

36 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

of your crew to name a few. And that is just the tip of the iceberg of what iMoba can do for your business. And because the app is cloud-based, you have access to all this data on any device from any location as long you have an internet connection.

All the data of your egg grader is securely stored in a private cloud in iMoba. Due to data encryption, your sensitive data is fully protected. All data that traces back to your grading operation is encrypted, and only you are in possession of the encryption key. Moba can see data, but cannot trace it back to iMoba users since all machine numbers, farm and suppliers names, product names, and other details are encrypted.

The first step with iMoba iMoba allows users to subscribe to one or multiple modules. The iMoba service starts with the most frequently demanded module: the Performance Pro module. This service provides insight into the performance of your machine and your production process over time, and in case of machine breakdown, can very easily indicate the underlying cause. The quick-andeasy indicator shows to what extent

March-April 2020

Egg Grading you reached your production targets, and where room exists for process optimization.

The recently added Realtime Dashboard module actually shows the status of your egg grader. You can have live status updates anywhere, with a delay of approximately one minute. So this dashboard provides you with the actual status right at your fingertips. In the current world, with its overload of information, it is essential to be selective. That is why the Realtime Dashboard module is configurable which allows you to select pieces of information that are useful for your own role or situation.

A journey, not a product iMoba is not only a service but it's a journey. The app incorporates a high degree of flexibility, and feedback from our customers is welcomed and used to perfect the service. And with the recently added feedback button in the iMoba app, it has never been easier to let the Moba Service HelpDesk know if bugs occur or to share improvements. On a regular basis, updates will expand the functionality of the app, and more modules will become available in the future. The most frequently requested features will be implemented first. These will generate new requests, again leading to the development of new features â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a never-ending cycle that is called the iMoba-journey.

March-April 2020

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

37

Animal Health

Organic trace minerals are more effectively absorbed and utilised by production animals.

VITAMINS AND TRACE MINERALS FOR OPTIMUM GROWTH

V

itamin and trace minerals are essential micronutrients that have many biological and metabolic functions in common. Even though they are only required in minimal amounts, both vitamins and trace minerals are necessary for optimum growth, reproductive function and health in all stages of poultry production.

Metabolic functions of vitamins and trace minerals are closely related, and it is well known that a deficiency of one can interfere with the utilisation of the other and vice versa. These types of nutrient interrelationships are

38 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

complex. Aside from several vitamin-mineral synergisms (think of the beneficial relationship between vitamin E and selenium), there is also the opportunity for vitaminmineral antagonism (for example, excessive intake of copper can lead to a vitamin C deficiency). Antagonistic relationships are less known than synergistic effects but can have detrimental effects on animal health and performance. Excessive intake of a single vitamin or trace mineral can lead to disturbances by either creating a deficiency or overretention (toxicity) of another (Watts 1990).

Nutritionally induced deficiencies of specific vitamins and/or trace minerals are not uncommon and are usually brought about by over fortification. Over fortification of a single nutrient can potentially interfere with the utilisation of another nutrient, thus becoming an “antivitamin” or “antimineral”.

The tendency to overformulate, especially when it comes to trace minerals, is rooted in the fact that the industry still widely relies on inorganic sources of these essential nutrients. Inorganic trace minerals are known to be less available, and even though we rarely see severe

March-April 2020

Animal Health signs of deficiencies, marginal deficiencies due to antagonistic interactions and/or low availability of inorganic trace minerals are often reflected in poor intake, growth and performance. This can add up to substantial economic losses.

Marginal deficiencies also tend to become more pronounced in situations that demand higher production, or when the animals are under stress.

Furthermore, it is well documented that when inorganic trace minerals are included within the vitamin/ mineral premix, it can have a significant adverse effect on vitamin stability.

According to Coelho (2010), vitamins are quite sensitive to their physical and chemical environment, with oxidationreduction reactions due to contact with trace minerals being the predominant cause of vitamin instability (Fenton type oxidising reactions). The type of trace mineral can have a significant effect on vitamin stability. Free metal ions, sulphates, carbonates and oxides (the primary forms of inorganic trace minerals used) are the most reactive, while chelates (a classification of organic trace minerals) are the least responsive.

Therefore, the current practice of over fortification with inorganic trace minerals can inadvertently have a negative effect on vitamin stability and, thus, negatively impact animal health and performance indirectly. In order to overcompensate for vitamin instability, nutritionists often supplement with even higher levels of vitamins, which typically account for the variance between requirements and commercial recommendations we usually see in poultry

March-April 2020

diets. This approach is not only inefficient and costly but can be detrimental to animal health and the environment as well.

Less is more One approach to overcome this negative effect associated with inorganic trace mineral supplementation and lessen the impact on vitamin stability is to eliminate all sources of inorganic trace minerals and replace with the more bioavailable organic form.

Organic trace minerals are more effectively absorbed and utilised by production animals. It is, therefore, safe to assume that they can be included in lower amounts.

The question as to â&#x20AC;&#x153;how much lowerâ&#x20AC;? has been answered by one company in particular: Alltech. Looking at several trials across different poultry production systems, the company has established guidelines for Total Replacement Technology (TRT), where replacement of inorganic trace minerals with Bioplex trace minerals is recommended at levels up to 30-50% lower than industry standards. This is also supported by the publication of the Brazilian Tables for Poultry and livestock, which distinguish between requirements and recommendations based on the form (inorganic or organic) of the mineral. It is important to note that lower recommendations for organic trace minerals across all stages of poultry production were based on extensive research with Bioplex trace minerals from Alltech.

In a study by the University of Kentucky, broilers were fed organic trace minerals at levels 75% lower than commercial

levels for inorganics. These birds reached a desirable market weight in the standard six-week period and were in good overall health, even though they were fed only onequarter of the mineral ration of their inorganic-fed counterparts (Ao et al., 2009). These relative concentrations are below those traditionally recognised as necessary for meeting the birdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; requirements and emphasise the trend of unnecessary and unjustified overfortification when it comes to commercial poultry diets.

Other well-documented benefits of Bioplex trace mineral supplementation and the TRT approach are optimised growth, feed conversion ratio and meat quality in broilers, as well as improved egg production and eggshell quality in layers.

Bioplex minerals, at these lower recommended levels, thus offer poultry producers a more efficient approach that can maximise utilisation of vitamins in the diet. They also supply the animal with trace minerals in a form and at levels that are safe for the animal, the environment and are, ultimately, in the best interest of the consumer.

For more information, please visit www.alltech.com

In a study by the University of Kentucky, broilers were fed organic trace minerals at levels 75% lower than commercial levels for inorganics.

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

39

Animal Health

EVONIK OFFERS ECOBIOL, A BACILLUS BASED PROBIOTIC

U

nder the category of healthy nutritional solutions, Evonik offers a group of probiotics to help our customers maintain a sustainable animal production process. In the EMEA, Evonik offers Ecobiol, which is a Bacillus based probiotic. Ecobiol is promoted as an effective alternative for antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) having at least the same animal performance but ensuring food safety.

Ecobiol is a unique strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CECT 5940, registered in the EU,

40 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

which means two important things that Ecobiol bacterial strain is not toxigenic and it does not have any antibiotic resistant genes.

As a science-based company, we did a lot of research on Ecobiol in different parts of the world. That helped us to know exactly how Ecobiol works inside the animal and how it adds to the animal performance and the animal protein quality.

It can withstand the pelleting temperature up to 90 degrees and GIT stressors like the stomach acidity and bile salts. It

is also compatible with other feed additives such as coccidiostats, certain antibiotics and organic acids.

Probiotics in general have different modes of action, which make them the best alternatives to replace AGPs. Ecobiol has four identified mechanisms by which it can be differentiated from any other product. It rapidly converted to the vegetative form and starts to propagate inside the intestine. It produces macrolactins and other specific secondary metabolites with a strong inhibitory activity against pathogens. It also produces Lactic acid, which supports the propagation of other beneficial bacteria, enhancing resistance to enteropathogenic bacteria.

Most importantly, EcobiolÂŽ maintains a balanced gut microflora through a mechanism called quorum quenching.

Normally, bacteria communicate among each other through the production of different molecules, a phenomenon termed quorum sensing (QS).

Blocking this communication is the quorum quenching (QQ).

Finally, yet importantly, Ecobiol can modulate the immune response of the animal based on the challenge level. That was very clear by monitoring the level of different proinflamatory cytokines like IL-8 and TNF- .

For the product applications, Ecobiol has different forms where it can be added to the premix, feed or even drinking water.

For more information, please visit www.evonik.com

March-April 2020

LE S A LO N INT E R NATIONAL DES PRODUCTIONS ANIMALES

T H E INT E R NAT IO NA L EX HIB ITION FOR ANIMAL PRODUCTION

15 - 18 SEPT. 2020 RENNES FRANCE

Substrates with highspeed for your plant growth

Stender Agency for Arabic countries

Mohamed Adel Zaraa Tel.: +39 335 716 15 37 Mail.: mozaraa@gmail.com

www.stender.de