Nov-Dec 2020 edition of Gulf Agriculture

ISSN 1751-8407

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

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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RDI Growstreamâ„¢ Plantlant-R Responsive System Begins Transformation of Desert Farms

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Slow Release Fertilizer and Vegetal Tannin Extract of Saviolife

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The Tractor of the Future?

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5 Main Benefits of Modern CTRM for Agriculture Industry

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Manufacturing Safe Feed for Livestock and Poultry

GrowStream™ is a globally patented technology based on organic chemistry that interacts with plant root signals to deliver water and fertilizer through a subsurface irrigation system.

THE MOST WATER EFFICIENT IRRIGATION SYSTEM EVER MADE Barley fodder germinated and grown using high-salinity ground water

RDI’S PLANT-RESPONSIVE TECHNOLOGY • • • • • • •

increases yield and higher-grade crops precision irrigation for every plant no complex flow / ET calculations ultra-low pressure system no electricity required works with poor quality water and soil promotes soil regeneration and crop diversity

RDI GrowStream™ now available in the UAE. Projects launched in late summer of 2020, see page #24 for project updates.

©2020 Responsive Drip Irrigation, LLC All rights reserved.

For more information and distributor opportunities, contact us at: www.responsivedrip.com info@responsivedrip.com +1 941-792-9788

WANGARA HORTICULTURAL SUPPLIES: AN INDUSTRY LEADER

DESERT PLANTER BAG™ Innovative Patented Design

Controlled environment agriculture * until January 2019

Recyclable Healthy roots without spiraling Direct control of soil and plant health Save water

Trusted supplier to the Middle East for 25 years!

Climate-smart product; manufactured for all the Middle East Regions

UV stabilized including handle stitching Heavy duty and long lasting Easy to move and relocate plants Increased return on investment Organic friendly agriculture

WHS Australia

Postal Address

General Enquiries

Unit 2 65 Prestige Parade, Wangara WA 6065 Australia

PO Box 1656 Wangara 6947 WA 6947 Australia

Ph: +61 438 834 379 Email: info@whsaustralia.com.au

whsaustralia.com.au

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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 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.

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Cover Photo Courtesy: Fertikal NV, Belgium

News Interview Seedling Trays Irrigation Hydroponics Fertilizers Tractors

04 20 23 24 27 28 30

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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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39 Agricultural Drones

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Agricultural Technologies 34

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Locust Control

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Disinfectants

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Animal Nutrition

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Animal Feeds

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November-December 2020

News GCC AGRI-NUTRIENTS FEED 5% OF WORLD’S POPULATION, FINDS NEW GPCA REPORT The GCC agri-nutrients industry supports the food supply of 5% of the world’s population, or 350 million people across the globe, according to a new report published by the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals

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Association (GPCA). This figure marks the rising importance of agri-nutrients in enhancing global food security in a rapidly changing world, where we will need to produce 70% to 100% more food by 2050 to feed our growing population.

The findings were highlighted in a new report entitled ‘Role of Agri-Nutrients in Food Security’ released on the occasion of World Food

Day organized by the UN. The report further reveals that over the last five decades, a portion of the global population supported by agri-nutrients manufactured by GCC producers has increased 33 times, from about 9 million in 1970 to 350 million currently.

The GCC agri-nutrient industry supports about 12,100 direct jobs in the region, and almost three times as many indirect and induced jobs, which means that every person working in the sector supports enough food production to feed about 30,000 people worldwide, including people in the GCC. Additionally, every person employed by the regional industry supports 17.7 tons of three main crops production per year (rice, wheat and maize), underlying the significance of the Arabian Gulf region in supporting global food security.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put food security and the nutrition of millions of people under threat, with many of the affected populations already suffering from malnutrition.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the number of people joining the ranks of those suffering from malnutrition post the pandemic may range from 14.4 million to 38.2, or even 80.3 million depending on the GDP contraction.

The role of agri-nutrients during the pandemic has been essential in meeting the needs of billions of people across the globe and ensuring the uninterrupted supply of nutrition to the world’s population.

In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, production of agricultural chemicals

November-December 2020

News including fertilizers and crop protection chemicals declined by 5% between January and May 2020 globally. Furthermore, capacity utilization reduced from 81.5% in January to 75.1% in May 2020.

Comparatively, in the GCC, fertilizer producers continued to produce essential fertilizers and supply their global customers without significant production and supply chain disruptions.

e 2021: Guiding them e food chain“ ”Farming in th

ABU DHABI’S AGTECH ECOSYSTEM EXPANDS ACROSS LAND, SEA AND SPACE Three innovative agriculture companies will develop cutting-edge projects in Abu Dhabi to boost the emirate’s agriculture technology (AgTech) capabilities across land, sea and space. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) announced individual partnerships with Pure Harvest Smart Farms (Pure Harvest), FreshToHome and Nanoracks that will see the companies receive financial and non-financial incentives totalling AED 152 million (USD 41 million).

The research and technologies developed by these companies will expand existing capabilities in Abu Dhabi’s AgTech ecosystem and promote innovation in the sector to address global food security challenges.

The new partnerships are a continuation of ADIO’s efforts to accelerate the growth of Abu Dhabi’s AgTech ecosystem through the AgTech Incentive Programme, which was established under Ghadan 21, Abu Dhabi’s accelerator programme. The Programme is open to both local and international AgTech companies. The partnerships follow ADIO’s AED 367 million (USD 100 million) investment earlier this year to bring four AgTech pioneers – AeroFarms, Madar Farms, RNZ and Responsive Drip Irrigation (RDI) – to the emirate to develop next generation agriculture solutions in arid and desert climates.

H.E. Dr. Tariq Bin Hendi, Director General of ADIO, said: “Abu Dhabi is pressing ahead at full steam with our mission to ‘turn the desert green’ and solve longterm global food security issues. We have created an environment where innovative ideas can flourish and this has enabled the rapid expansion of our AgTech sector. Innovations from the companies we partnered with earlier this year are already propelling the growth of Abu Dhabi’s 24,000 farms. Partnering with Pure Harvest, FreshToHome and Nanoracks adds a realm of new capabilities to the ecosystem across land, sea and space.”

Bin Hendi continued: “We are driving innovation across the entire agriculture value chain and this is producing a compounding effect that is benefiting farmers, innovators and companies in our region and beyond.” Pure Harvest, FreshToHome and Nanoracks have been awarded financial and non-

November-December 2020

The world’s leading trade fair > Almost 155.000 highly qualified visitors, interested in new technologies for dairy, poultry and aquaculture > 2,600 international exhibitors on more than 260,000 m² exhibition floor space > The complete programme for animal production – breeding, feeding, housing, processing and marketing > Leading technologies for renewable energies and decentralized energy supply

9 – 12 February 2021 Hanover, Germany Hotline: +49 69 24788-265 | expo@DLG.org www.eurotier.com | facebook.com/eurotier

including

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture RZ_Anzeige_ET_2021_105x297 Arab.indd 1

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News financial incentives to expand operations in Abu Dhabi. The competitive incentive packages include rebates on innovation-linked high-skilled payroll, high-tech CAPEX, as well as land, utility and intellectual property support.

Since the beginning of 2020, ADIO has attracted seven AgTech companies to Abu Dhabi, each bringing a complementary skill to expand the ecosystem. ADIO’s new partnerships with Pure Harvest, FreshToHome and Nanoracks will build on the achievements made by AeroFarms, Madar Farms, RNZ and RDI, the AgTech pioneers ADIO partnered with earlier this year to establish R&D and production facilities in Abu Dhabi.

LOUIS DREYFUS COMPANY TO ENTER INTO STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH ADQ Louis Dreyfus Company Holdings B.V. (LDCH) announced that the Group has signed an agreement to sell an

indirect 45% equity stake in Louis Dreyfus Company B.V. (LDC) to ADQ, a large holding company based in Abu Dhabi.

As part of this transaction, LDC has also signed a longterm commercial supply agreement with ADQ for the sale of agri-commodities to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“The transaction announced constitutes a milestone in a decade-long strategy envisioned by the Supervisory Board, which started with the consolidation of LDC’s parent company’s shareholding,” said Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of LDCH. “We are delighted to welcome ADQ to our shareholder group as longterm partners and investors, with a common vision for LDC’s future, and experience that will bring further value to the business and support the Group’s ambitions.”

ADQ’s broad portfolio of major enterprises spans multiple sectors, among them food and agriculture. As part of its strategy for the sector, the company seeks to

generate financial returns and strengthen the economic cluster in the UAE. “As one of the world’s leading agri-commodities and food companies, LDC represents a strategic investment opportunity for ADQ, in line with our long-term food and agriculture investment strategy.

We share LDC’s vision for future growth of the business, and look forward to partnering with LDC’s existing shareholders and management team to capitalize on the sector’s emerging opportunities, by accelerating LDC’s transformative growth strategy to move towards greater value chain integration from producers to consumers,” said H.E. Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, ADQ’s CEO. Upon completion of the transaction, a portion of the proceeds of the sale amounting to a minimum of US$800 million will be invested into LDC to support the pursuit of the company’s long-term business plan and strategy, including the acceleration of strategic investments.

“Our strategy aims to

EGGSCARGOSYSTEM® INTRODUCES NEW PALLET GI-OVO is expanding its EggsCargoSystem ® with a new pallet. This concerns the EC Pallet Closed Deck which GI-OVO sees as a logical addition to the existing pallets with an open top deck.

Especially in situations where eggs with a bad shell are transported, this new pallet can be of excellent service. After all, the closed top deck prevents contamination of the truck and

the floors. The EC Pallet Closed Deck can be provided with a so-called logo print on both sides.

The pallet can also be placed in

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racks without having to be provided with steel reinforcement.

For more information, visit www.gi-ovo.com

November-December 2020

News leverage global consumption trends through investments in new business opportunities, as the company embraces more of the agricultural value chain to become an increasingly integrated food, feed, fibers and ingredients company,” said Michael Gelchie, LDC’s Group CEO. “With a shared ambition for investment in innovations and technologies that can transform food and agricultural production, the investment potential created by the long-term partnership with ADQ brings additional strength to the pursuit of LDC’s strategic growth plans, building on the strong performance delivered in the first half of 2020.”

LDC remains focused on putting its strategy into action, while fulfilling its key role to keep essential food and feed supply chains moving, helping to ensure global access to food.

“LDC will continue to leverage its core historic capabilities to efficiently analyze and capture opportunities in a rapidly changing context, while pursuing our vision to shape resilient food supply chains, guided by our purpose to create fair and sustainable value for the benefit of current and future generations,” added Margarita Louis-Dreyfus. “As we embark on the next stage of LDC’s development, we look forward to working with ADQ toward the realization of that shared vision.”

MOSCOW STUDENTS DEVELOP A ROBOT TO DIAGNOSE PLANT DISEASES Students from Moscow universities have presented a mobile robotic platform at Robofest, which identifies plant disease hotspots at an early stage and reduces the risk of crop loss. Robofest is Europe’s largest technology competition and festival. This year it is held online between 26 October and 1 November.

The robotic platform, developed by a team of Robofest participants aged 18 to 20, analyses the condition of plants by taking photographs of them. The photos are then uploaded to a special server, where the neural network processes the images of plants and classifies them by disease. Farmers then receive information from a chat room bot about the location of the disease hotspot and the problems’ cause as well as recommendations on how to treat infected plants.

The platform presented at Robofest identifies fungal diseases and microelement deficiency in plants.

Diseases can be eliminated locally, so farmers will not have to cultivate the entire field, but only 10-15% of it.

This will reduce costs for medicines, herbicides and fertilisers.

The robot's size is 172 by 172 centimetres. It can work for up to 16 hours without recharging. The device has already passed field tests in pilot fields at the Timiryazev Academy and has shown good results. The project won prizes in the Engineering Project and the Agroindustrial

November-December 2020

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

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News Complex divisions of the Robofest.

The robot received the highest accolade from the jury and experts of the Robofest.

Among experts were representatives of Progress Agro – an agricultural holding based in the South of Russia – who expressed interest in testing the technology.

The world loses USD 75 billion worth of harvest each year due to late processing.

Wide-scale use of the robot presented at the Robofest could significantly improve the situation, cut costs for farmers and increase crop yield.

Robofest is the largest technology festival for young people in Europe and one of the biggest in the world. This year Robofest is held online for the first time. A competition area has been set up in Moscow, with participants from all over Russia connecting to take part remotely. Challenges for the competition are developed by the largest industrial enterprises based on real needs.

You can follow the online broadcast of XII Robofest and communicate with participants and guests of the festival, as well as view the programme at http://online.robofest.ru/.

FARMLANDFINDER LAUNCHES OFFERS PLATFORM FarmlandFinder Inc, a technology provider that helps farmland companies and lending institutions digitize farmland transactions, launches the first online marketplace for farmland.

Now at FarmlandFinder.com landowners are able to buy and sell farmland, entirely online. “Farmland is a highly fragmented and opaque

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market,” says Steven Brockshus, Founder and CEO of FarmlandFinder. “There are more absentee landowners today than ever before, farmers are looking for optionality when it comes to expanding their land base and getting access to reliable information about the farmland market is difficult.

We’ve seen books, cars and houses start to transact online… why not farmland?”

Through the FarmlandFinder Offers Platform, a landowner can request an offer on their land and receive offers from a private network of verified buyers in as little as a week.

Once an offer is accepted, FarmlandFinder helps to navigate the rest of the process to ensure a seamless and stress-free transaction.

“Farmland is the foundation for 5% of America’s annual GDP,” says Amanda DonohueHansen, Managing Director at Cultivian Sandbox and FarmlandFinder Board Member. “Farmland is valued in excess of $2.5 trillion with a staggering 10% -- $250 billion transferring hands in the past 5 years, most of it offline and private. Even more of America’s farmland is projected to change hands in the coming years with generational turnover and growing interest in farmland as a financial and environmental investment.”

By digitizing the farmland transaction process, FarmlandFinder Offers can provide unique optionality to expanding farmers. Not only can they privately buy farms through the platform, but they can also expand their land base without taking on additional debt by partnering with an investor through the FarmlandFinder buyer network. This decreases the

barrier of entry for beginning farmers and creates optionality for seasoned growers who are looking for unique ways to strengthen their balance sheets.

“At Cultivian Sandbox, we believe that if there was ever a time for a digital revolution in farmland, the time is now and FarmlandFinder is its pioneer platform,” says DonohueHansen. “We align with FarmlandFinder’s values to make farmland real estate transparent and accessible to all. We’re proud to support its launch of the Offers Platform to make farmland sales simple, instant and online.”

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY RESEARCH IDENTIFIES WHAT’S HOLDING THE UK BACK IN THE MOVE TO PEAT-FREE HORTICULTURE A new report from Coventry University has assessed the UK’s progress towards peatfree horticulture and identified what factors are holding back further progression.

Protecting peat bogs is not just a matter of protecting wild habitats, peatlands are also key to the prevention of global warming as they store a lot of carbon. By harvesting peat and disturbing or destroying this land, harmful gasses are released into the atmosphere.

However, because of its water-retaining properties and consistency, peat is a popular growing media for professional horticulturists and casual gardeners alike.

In line with global targets of the United Nations (UN) Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals, the UK government is pressing for significant reductions in the amount of peat used for

November-December 2020

News commercial and domestic horticultural purposes.

However, Coventry University researchers have been investigating exactly what has changed in the last decade, in terms of the availability and usage of alternatives to peat, to identify the opportunities and barriers to further increases in the uptake of peat-free products.

The report illustrates how progress towards the government’s targets has fallen short, with peat currently constituting around 50 per cent of all growing media by volume, down from 70 per cent in 2009.

Dr David Bek, Co-Lead for the Sustainable Production and Consumption research theme in the Centre for

Business in Society, said: “Early efforts to promote peatfree alternatives were hindered by the inconsistency and poor quality of products, which had long term impacts on consumer perceptions.

However, considerable research and trialling has transformed the quality of alternative mixes to the extent that these can successfully match the performance of peat-based products.”

The report concludes with a set of recommendations for continuing the drive towards meeting the targets set by the UK government and ensuring that all growing media can be justifiably labelled as ‘responsibly sourced’, including: • Continuing the research and development of peat free

alternatives.

• Continued technology and knowledge transfer with commercial growers to increase confidence in, and use of, peat-free media.

• The development of clear messaging around the environmental impacts to communicate with the public how they can make positive choices concerning growing media.

POULTRY INDUSTRY ACCESSES COBB RESOURCES MORE THAN 30,000 TIMES GLOBALLY Cobb continues its tradition of providing tools and expertise to help the poultry industry succeed. In only

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www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

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News one year, professionals world-wide accessed Cobb’s online resources more than 30,000 times. This impressive milestone includes just a snapshot of page views and downloads of topic-driven guides, videos, technical articles, white papers and more.

“At Cobb, we work hard every day to give customers the support they deserve and the guidance they need to help support the best outcomes for every single flock,” said Cody Polley, director of world tech support at Cobb-Vantress.

“This impressive snapshot demonstrates the value our technical experts bring and

the quality of resources Cobb shares with the industry.”

Of note, industry professionals downloaded or viewed Cobb’s management guides nearly 25,000 times within the year. The guides cover a wide-range of topics including hatchery, vaccination, brooding fundamentals, grandparent management, processing procedures, and more. They provide the latest u pdates to help deliver on Cobb’s commitment to provide customers with tools to help make quality protein accessible, healthy, and affordable worldwide.

“Customers know they can

depend on us,” said Polley.

“We will continue to provide them with the relevant technical expertise they deserve with these easily accessible resources available on our website and mobile application, Cobb Connection.”

LA NIÑA BEHIND UPWARD PRESSURE ON PERUVIAN MANGO PRICES Peruvian mango exports this year are expected to drop by at least 15% compared to the previous year, even with an early start to the harvest season. The harvest season for the Mid-Year (MY) 2020-2021

NEW HOLLAND AGRICULTURE WIDENS EXTENSIVE T6 TRACTOR RANGE WITH UNIQUE 6-CYLINDER T6.160 DYNAMIC COMMAND

New Holland Agriculture extends its acclaimed all-purpose T6 tractor range with a new 6-cylinder model, the T6.160 Dynamic Command™. This unique tractor combines the high performance of the proven NEF 6-cylinder engine with New Holland’s exclusive Dual Clutch and CVT technology to deliver high efficiency and productivity. This comes in a compact package with a 2.6-metre

wheelbase and 10.5 tonnes Gross Vehicle Weight.

Benjamin Davies, T6 Series Global Product Marketing Manager, explains: “New Holland has a proud legacy in this segment that started more than 30 years ago, when we launched the first compact 6-cylinder tractor on the market, the 7810. It was a true game changer, and the new T6.160 Dynamic Command

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builds on this rich heritage to offer farmers a compact low power Stage V 6-cylinder tractor with embedded technology for operator efficiency.”

The T6 range now offers two six-cylinder models with Dynamic Command: the existing 145-hp T6.180 and the new 135-hp T6.160 – the only compact 6-cylinder tractor on the market with rated power below 140 hp.

Christel Diebolt, Product Marketing Manager, Europe, adds: “The T6.160 Dynamic Command delivers all the benefits of the exclusive Dual Clutch technology, which made its debut in motorsports in 1980, winning races thanks to the fastest gear changes on the track.

Customers will enjoy a full drive without loss of torque during the gear change at the lowest fuel consumption rate.”

The T6.160 Dynamic Command will be available in the second half of 2021.

November-December 2020

News campaign started at the end of October, which is two weeks earlier compared to the previous two seasons and expected to last until March 2021. Yet, reduced rainfalls associated with the La Niña phenomenon is causing the reservoirs not to reach the levels necessary to irrigate the plantations, especially in these key months. This is when mango plants in the area require continuous irrigation so that the fruit reaches the size demanded in the international market.

According to a Peru-based Tridge engagement manager, some companies have decided to advance harvests and shipments of the product as early as September.

Additionally, Peruvian companies are allegedly trying to cope with the lack of rain and capitalise on the good prices in the international market.

A similar situation was observed just two years ago, during the 2018/19 season, when the exported volume of mango suffered a 10% drop.

During this time, the lower volume caused a price increase, which reached USD 1.30 per kilogram, the highest in the five previous years.

Faced with a similar scenario, Peruvian exporters expect a similar performance in prices during 2020/21.

ADM, INNOVAFEED ANNOUNCE CONSTRUCTION OF WORLD’S LARGEST INSECT PROTEIN FACILITY ADM, one of the world’s leading human and animal nutrition providers, and InnovaFeed, the world leader in producing premium insect

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ingredients for animal feed, announced plans to collaborate on the construction and operation of the world’s largest insect protein production site, in Decatur, Illinois. The facility will be owned and operated by InnovaFeed and will co-locate with ADM’s Decatur corn processing complex, with ADM supplying feedstocks, waste heat and more. Together, these investments will bolster economic growth and job creation in Decatur and central Illinois while continuing to strengthen the state’s position as a center of innovative, sustainable agriculture.

“We are very pleased to launch this ambitious project, working alongside ADM and Illinois state partners as InnovaFeed expands to provide sustainable solutions to meet the fast growing demand for insect feed in the US and worldwide,” said Clement Ray, CEO and co-founder of InnovaFeed.

“Around the world, InnovaFeed is contributing to the emergence of sustainable food systems by developing a pioneering and sustainable industry. Our new operations in Illinois, a global leader and destination for agriculture, will allow us to take the next steps to innovate and grow our business.”

“At a time when the demand for animal feed protein is steadily increasing, insect farming stands out as a true solution for the future,” said Chris Cuddy, ADM senior vice president and president of the company’s Carbohydrate Solutions business. “We’re excited to work with InnovaFeed on this ambitious project, which further expands our participation in the growing market for animal

food and feed that comes from responsible, sustainable sources. It’s a great demonstration of how ADM is expanding its value chain by offering opportunities for collaboration to leading, innovative startups. It’s yet another example of how we’re constantly identifying new ways to create value from corn, oilseeds and more. And of course, we’re extremely proud that we can help bring this new, job-creating project to Decatur, the home of our North American headquarters.”

Insect feed has become an increasingly popular protein ingredient for the agriculture and aquaculture industries, as demand for animal feed has now reached an all-time high and consumers look for food that is sustainably and responsibly grown. InnovaFeed already operates two insect production facilities in France, including what is today the world’s largest. The Decatur facility represents InnovaFeed’s first international project.

DIGITAL AG GIVES FARM MANAGERS A COMPETITIVE EDGE Farmers Edge™, a global leader in digital agriculture, and Farmers National Company (FNC), the nation's largest landowner services company, announced a partnership to help boost crop production and establish longterm land value across leased acres. The partnership equips landowners and operators with access to a wealth of digital and agronomic resources designed to support daily operations, improve sustainability, and create a seamless digital connection between stakeholders.

In October, FNC reported

November-December 2020

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News land is selling at near-record levels; the company and its agents actively marketed and sold farmland worth US$2 billion over the last five years.

This increase in prices and competition has put more pressure on landowners, operators, and investors to ensure quality conservation and management for current income and future economic value. Farmers Edge solutions bridge the gap between stakeholders to establish more transparency and trust. The company’s high-tech tools are powered by robust, field-centric data sets and Artificial Intelligence to help collect, curate, and execute on farm data quickly, resulting in better control of disease, improved soil fertility, and increased yields. Stakeholders gain an acute view of field activities, crop performance, and management practices verifying sustainability commitments and conservation measures on the farm.

"Leasing land is a highstakes investment for everyone involved," says Wade Barnes, Farmers Edge CEO and co-founder. "Landowners want to ensure their assets are protected for generations to come, and operators need to be able to demonstrate their commitment to the land while also turning a profit. By working together with FNC, we're equipping their clients with innovative solutions that improve land value while also bringing a new level of connectivity and decisionsupport for sustainable crop production. Digital agriculture is reshaping the industry, and farm real estate is no exception; I predict we will see a significant shift in the importance it plays in operator selection, conservation

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requirements, and land prices in years to come."

"At Farmers National Company, we're committed to providing landowners and their operators with the highest level of service and support to get the most value from farmland," says David Englund, AFM, FNC President and CEO. "It's a competitive market, and this partnership provides our farm managers with the tools they need to ensure they're making the best possible decisions for each client's land in the most sustainable, cost-effective way.

With direct connectivity to the farm, we can provide our clients with a clear understanding of productivity, yield potential, management practices, and operational challenges to support real estate and rental decisions."

CARGILL PARTNERS WITH BINSENTRY TO HELP ANIMAL PRODUCERS AND FEED MILLS ACCURATELY AND SAFELY TRACK FEED INVENTORY Hitting the side of a feed bin with a mallet, using load scales or installing vibration sensors to guestimate feed levels is a thing of the past. To make feed bin monitoring safer and more efficient for animal producers and feed mills, Cargill is now an exclusive distributor of BinSentry, an easy-to-install feed management solution that accurately tracks feed inventory.

Sensors from BinSentry use LiDAR sensors, the same advanced technology used in self-driving cars, to read bins every four hours. BinSentry installs in 10 minutes or less,

requires no bin modification and is solar/battery powered. It also has self-cleaning sensors that wipe dust before each reading to ensure better accuracy. Users can confirm the correct feed is in their bins with an easy to use dashboard that they can view on any mobile device or computer.

“Integrating BinSentry sensors with our Cargill Nutrition Cloud Platform helps animal producers, feed mills and their customers get the right feed for specific animal groupings in their operations,” said Scott Ainslie, Cargill’s regional managing director of animal nutrition. “This also opens up opportunities for truck route optimization and better production scheduling in feed mills.”

BinSentry leverages lowpower, long-range networks such as NB-IoT and LTE-M, so even remotely located feed bins can be monitored, regardless of whether internet connectivity is available. Feed mills can plan delivery routes more efficiently and can ensure that farmers have the right amount of feed when they need it. Other benefits include fewer costly ordering errors, reduction in late or unexpected feed orders and increased safety by eliminating the need for producers or feed mill employees to climb into a bin to check inventory levels.

With BinSentry, Cargill customers get intuitive software that provides powerful on-farm insights.

“BinSentry is proud to partner with Cargill to eliminate costly inefficiencies and enhance operational sustainability for those working hard to feed the world,” said BinSentry CEO Randall Schwartzentruber.

“Together, our relentless

November-December 2020

News pursuit of agricultural innovation combined with Cargill’s feed expertise and extensive supply chain footprint will allow us to scale our solution quickly, helping producers and feed mill operators be more successful.”

BOSCH AND BASF ESTABLISH JOINT VENTURE FOR DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

UAE’S 20BY2020 INITIATIVE BRINGS LIFE-CHANGING WATER SOLUTION TO THOUSANDS IN CAMBODIAN VILLAGES Thousands of people across three Cambodian villages can now live safer, healthier lives following the deployment of new water purifying technology as part of the Zayed Sustainability Prize’s UAE-driven humanitarian initiative, 20by2020.

After the most recent installation of solar powered light systems in vulnerable communities in Egypt and Jordan, the initiative has progressed with five water fountains, benefiting the 4,400 residents of the Chhnok Trou, Kampong Phrah and Ses Salab villages.

Due to the instalment of the water ultra-filtration solution, organised by the 20by2020 initiative, the village communities, along with the Chhnok Trou school and clinic, have access to clean and safe water for the first time. Not only does this gives residents an option for avoiding many of the waterborne diseases and other health issues stemming from dirty water, it will offer new opportunities for better hygiene, an essential requirement given the importance of handwashing in preventing the spread of coronavirus.

Over time it is intended that

November-December 2020

Bosch and BASF Digital Farming have signed a 50:50 joint venture (JV) agreement to globally market and sell smart farming solutions from a single source in the future. The JV agreement was signed on November 10, 2020 and will be followed by the founding of a new company based in Cologne, which will be established in the first quarter of 2021. The foundation is subject to the approval of the relevant antitrust authorities. Both parties have agreed not to disclose financial details.

Bosch brings to the JV significant capability in hardware and software, as well as digital services for planning and decision making in field crops. BASF Digital

Farming with its xarvio™ Digital Farming Solutions provides an automated, real-time, field specific agronomic decisionmaking engine for weed management that is powered by the digital xarvio platform for crop optimization. It provides farmers with field zone specific advice on how to produce crops in the most sustainable way.

Combining the expertise of both companies, with state-of-the-art hardware and software solutions, will make it easier and more convenient for farmers to benefit from digital solutions.

The first two products to be launched will be a version of the Intelligent Planting Solution (IPS) system, with enhanced digital intelligence for seeding and fertilizer

this access will improve the outlooks for residents through better hydration and the prevention of illness, which has been statistically proven to

prescriptions, and Smart Spraying. The Smart Spraying solution combines Bosch’s camera sensor technology and software with xarvio’ s crop optimization platform.

Both products have been tested extensively in real growing conditions. Such innovative precision farming practices enable resource efficiencies supporting farmers and the environment.

Depending on the local conditions this may lead to a reduced need for crop protection products in specific applications.

Smart Spraying shows up to 70 % herbicide volumes reduction in experimental stage. The solution is expected to be launched with a limited number of machines in 2021.

have significant, positive effects on the overall health and wellbeing of communities alongside individual growth and development.

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News 20by2020’s support has seen yet another community benefit from life-saving technology. In Cambodia, the solution deployed has been developed

by Safe Water Cube, a French company that was a Zayed Sustainability Prize finalist in 2019 under the Water Category.

The technology deployment in

Cambodia makes surface water drinkable (river, pond) by removing viruses and bacteria that cause diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera and hepatitis, from up to 1,000 litres of water per hour with no energy or maintenance required, and no chemicals used.

SYNGENTA GROUP ACQUIRES LEADING BIOLOGICALS COMPANY, VALAGRO Syngenta Group announces the acquisition of Valagro, a leading Biologicals company, by its business unit Syngenta Crop Protection. The investment

BAYER HELPING TRANSFORM THE FOOD SYSTEM THROUGH INNOVATION IN AGRICULTURE As part of the company’s Future of Farming Dialogue virtual event series, Liam Condon, President of the Crop Science division of Bayer, emphasized the importance of the company’s sustainability commitments it set in 2019. Condon addressed how the impact of COVID-19 and the resulting economic instability reinforced the need to intensify the focus on agricultural innovation and help make agriculture part of the solution to climate change, while continuing to ensure food security for all.

“The agricultural industry is no stranger to adversity – from flooding to drought to pest infestations – and COVID-19 is yet another stark reminder of the need to create a more sustainable and resilient food system to ensure food security,” said Condon. “Innovation, science and collaboration are key to not only solving the pandemic but also necessary in agriculture to solve the present and future challenges facing farmers.”

The Future of Farming Dialogue features a variety of internationally renowned speakers and stakeholders from academia, industry and media. The focus of discussion is how to build more resilient food systems, accelerate sustainable-driven innovations and develop new business models that can reward farmers for their services to the ecosystem.

Condon commented on Bayer’s sustainability commitments: “Especially in challenging times, it’s our responsibility to help ensure food security and reduce our environmental footprint. We also need to help farmers do the same by providing the products, services and technologies needed to produce enough food while using less resources and caring for the environment. The key to this is innovation and this is what we continue to drive forward.”

To underscore this, the company recently launched products and initiatives that highlight its commitment to agricultural innovation and digitalization, critical levers in driving a more sustainable food system. This includes: • An industry-first, externally developed model that can measure the

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environmental impact of any crop protection product in any crop around the world. So far, the company has used this model to screen its entire portfolio and its uses around the world to understand the sustainability implications.

• The launch of the Bayer Carbon Initiative to help growers generate revenue for adopting specific climate-smart practices. Bayer is paving the way towards a carbonzero future for agriculture through this innovative, science-based and collaborative pilot program with the potential to deliver unmatched value to many more farmers through expansion in the U.S. and Brazil and other world regions.

• The recent introduction of a new short stature corn product in Mexico, known as VITALA. The VITALA system consists of a new hybrid maize and best practices in agronomy to help farmers in Mexico grow more using less resources.

Bayer is continuing to research and conduct trials with the goal of introducing region-specific varieties in other markets that will allow farmers around the world to experience the same benefits.

• The ‘Better Life Farming Alliance’, an initiative led by Bayer to empower smallholder farming communities. Together with partners, this alliance provides, know-how, inputs, financial solutions and market access to them.

November-December 2020

News positions Syngenta Crop Protection as one of the key global companies poised to shape the rapidly growing Biologicals market, which is set to nearly double in size over the next five years.

Valagro will continue to operate as an independent brand in the market within the Syngenta Crop Protection business.

Valagro is a market-leading producer of innovative Biologicals, with a ~10% CAGR from 2009-2019 and an approximate revenue of $175m in 2019. The company has excelled by harnessing the power of nature to provide innovative and effective solutions for plant nutrition and care. With 40 years of experience, it offers its customers a comprehensive crop portfolio in Biologicals with a market-leading position in biostimulants and speciality nutrients. Headquartered in Atessa, Italy, Valagro serves customers around the world with a strong presence in Europe and North America, as well as a growing footprint in Asia, including China, and LATAM. Valagro has over 700 employees, 13 subsidiaries and 8 production sites around the world, with a portfolio backed by best-in-class biological R&D, production and commercialization capabilities.

This strategic acquisition enables Syngenta Crop Protection to build a worldleading Biologicals business.

Valagro has a strong commercial and production standing, as well as an industry-leading technology and research capacity.

Valagro's well-established portfolio in biostimulants and specialty nutrients will complement both Syngenta

November-December 2020

Crop Protection's current range of biostimulants and biocontrols, as well as its future pipeline of biological solutions. Biocontrols and biostimulants, natural solutions for pest, disease control and crop improvement, are increasingly important for farmers worldwide in their efforts for sustainable agricultural production. This acquisition is fully in-line with Syngenta Crop Protection’s strategy to provide growers with additional complementary choices of products and technologies in order to effectively and sustainably care for their crops by managing resistance, enhancing soil health, reducing residues in crops, and addressing consumer demands.

Erik Fyrwald, CEO of Syngenta Group stated: “We are looking forward to welcoming the Valagro team to Syngenta Group. This acquisition underlines our growth ambitions in this area and positions us as one of the strongest players in the global biologicals market. The investment also forms part of our $2 billion commitment to help farmers address the effects of climate change and improve agricultural sustainability as part of our Good Growth Plan.”

TOP QUALITY LISIANTHUS WITH HYBRID LIGHTING INSTALLATION FROM SIGNIFY AT LUGT LISIANTHUS Lugt Lisianthus achieves the best quality and a longer shelf life for its lisianthus using a hybrid light installation with LED grow lights from Signify the world leader in lighting

(Euronext: LIGHT). With a combination of HPS and 25% LED lights with a light level of 364 µmol/m2/s on 5.8 hectares in Monster, the Netherlands, Lugt Lisianthus is able to grow more flowers and firmer stems with a shelf life of 14 days.

“We chose Signify because of the quality and reliability they provide. In addition, we believe that the Philips GreenPower LED is the most beautiful fixture. It is compact and also offers a long service life," says Marcel van der Lugt of Lugt Lisianthus.

Lugt Lisianthus is a family business that is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Originally producing vegetables and later freesias, the company has been growing lisianthus since 1992.

In recent years, Lugt Lisianthus has successfully worked to improve the image and quality of the lisianthus.

“Where we used to be able to grow 5 flowers per branch, we are now at 15 flowers per branch. We have also been able to shorten the cultivation period to 8 weeks and have almost doubled the shelf life to 14 days,” says Van der Lugt.

Lugt Lisianthus represents the best that ornamental floriculture has to offer. The most beautiful flowers, the strongest stems, and the highest number of buds per stem. The company is the first to cultivate Lisianthus according to Next Generation Growing (Dutch: "Het Nieuwe Telen"). In winter, the air in the greenhouse is refreshed and brought up to temperature with outside air, reducing humidity and keeping the crop more active. As a result, the climate in the greenhouse remains the same all year round. Growing Lisianthus

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News requires a lot of energy, but with Next Generation Growing, Lugt Lisianthus tries to be as sustainable as possible. Lugt Lisiantus chose the Philips GreenPower LEDs, which give less radiant heat, use 40% less energy and have a payback time of 5 years.

PRIVA’S OPEN PLATFORM TAKES CROP CONTROL TO THE NEXT LEVEL Priva is going to change the way growers manage their crops. The company’s new open platform, based on new

and exciting technologies such as cloud technology, seamlessly connects every aspect of the growing process. A suite of online applications and services makes it easier to grow a profitable crop, even autonomously.

NEW SEASON OF ‘COMMUNITY FARM’ AT DUBAI SILICON OASIS Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), the regulatory body of Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), an integrated free zone technology park, announced the commencement of this year’s community farm. The farm, providing DSO residents with a total area of 8,000 square meters, aims to instill sustainability values and encourage environmentally friendly practices.

The community farm introduces families living in DSO to the standards of organic farming and drip irrigation, enhances biodiversity, raises awareness on food security through providing residents with 400 plots in a bid to test the sustainable organic community farming model, in a useful and enjoyable experience.

DSOA provides fertilized soil and smart irrigation for the project at regular intervals twice per day, as well as supports the farmers in combating common agricultural pests in environmentally friendly ways by adopting world-class technologies. Children will have the chance to spend enjoyable hours learning the values of manual labor, environmental protection and explore new applications and technologies that support sustainability.

Engineer Khalil Odeh Shalan, Senior Vice President of Operations and Facilities at DSOA, said: “In line with the DSOA Strategy, the community farm initiative at DSO strengthens bonds among

community members, and instills the values of sustainability in the younger generation. The farm also helps the youth in learning about the values of cooperation, as well as preservation of the environment and natural resources.”

Shalan emphasized DSOA’s commitment in following strict precautionary measures to protect the community from the spread of the coronavirus.

Shalan commended the massive turnout by DSO residents to participate this year, as the farm welcomed more than 1000 participants from different nationalities. The community farm this year will include a friendly competition between participants to win the titles of Best Plot and Best Organic Products.

The community farm aids the community in leading a selfsufficient lifestyle, as they can grow multiple types of vegetables and plants that are consumed almost daily during the agricultural season.

Green spaces in DSO, including the Community Farm, public parks, green roofs, and interior vertical gardens, cover 1.2 million square meters, in addition to

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the jogging and cycling paths, urban beautification and open public spaces, that welcomes residents, visitors and employees alike.

DSOA’s has obtained a series of certifications, 4 LEED Platinum and 1 LEED Earth, for sustainable green buildings that span over 4,000 square meters, 3,000 square meters of green roofs, and 100 square meters of green walls.

The centralized smart irrigation system, controlled through the wireless networks across DSO, saves more than half a million dirhams in yearly operational costs.

The hybrid solar irrigation system analyzes the weather to calculate how much water needs to be dripped across its 100,000-squaremeter subsurface irrigation network. This effectively reduces the amount of water that is evaporated by the sun’s heat, saving up to 55 percent of irrigation water.

November-December 2020

News As soon as growers connect their greenhouses to the platform, they can start using online applications and services and manage their crops from anywhere, at any time. Anomalies are detected automatically and comparing crops by variety, greenhouse and geographic locations is becoming reality. The open platform enables growers to have crystal clear insight in their key processes and steers them timely and precisely.

The Priva Open Platform is not just a new product. It is the foundation of a new way of working. And the best thing is, growers don’t need to make investments to get started. All they need is a subscription.

Priva process computers are already prepared to connect with the platform.

The internet of things, cloud services, data science, artificial intelligence and robotics. In the past five years Priva has invested heavily in these technologies and built a future proof platform based on Microsoft Azure cloud technology. To help growers worldwide with any challenge they may have, Priva connects products and services of partners to the open platform.

The first online applications and services are available, and this is just the beginning.

Plantonomy is Priva’s unique technology for autonomous growing. It can steer crops according to the natural biorhythm of the plant. Meiny Prins (CEO of Priva): “Plantonomy is not a trial or a challenge. The application is already cultivating many hectares autonomously within large production greenhouses in Mexico, the UK, The Netherlands, the US and Australia.” Plantonomy is

November-December 2020

FARNEK TO CREATE EXTENSIVE ROOFTOP VERTICAL GARDEN AT NEW DUBAI STAFF ACCOMMODATION CENTRE Leading UAE-based smart and green facilities management (FM) company Farnek, has signed a contract with Dutch green-tech projects specialist developer Urban Ponics, to design and help create a 240sqm rooftop vertical garden at Farnek’s brand new staff accommodation centre in Dubai South – Farnek Village.

Dominating the rooftop garden will be a 200sqm ‘shade house’, a structure which provides a mix of shade and light to create suitable conditions for shadeloving plants. Urban Ponics will transport this in parts from Holland to Dubai and together with Farnek’s in-house engineering team, assemble the metal tube framework for the 3m high structure onsite. It

designed to simplify consistent crop development and allows individual growers

will come complete with shade netting, grow pods, lava buckets, misters, pumps, water tanks, irrigation and drainage pipes.

Farnek decided to embrace this novel concept, not only to repurpose the bare concreted space on the Village roof, but to grow fresh vegetables and other produce for its 5,000 staff, living at the AED 200 million complex.

“Farnek is an innovative sustainable company and we are always trying to identify new ways of managing our business in a cost and energy-efficient manner. Farnek Village will soon be home to thousands of our employees and we wanted to create a project that would be symbolic of our purpose

and our values.

“Due to its sustainable design, space is at a premium in the Village and this initiative makes perfect use of an aspect that is generally under utilised at best and completely ignored at worst,” said Markus Oberlin, CEO, Farnek.

The garden, which will be complete in midJanuary 2021, will be used to produce over 3,000 leafy greens such as lettuce, kale, and spinach, as well as tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, capsicums and chillis. The first harvest should be ready in around six weeks from seeding and will be used in Farnek’s own kitchens and promises to be cleaner, tastier and more nutritious, than ordinary salad plants.

to easily and automatically steer the growth of an entire crop – not just a compartment.

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

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Interview

“Sören Affeld has been appointed Managing Director of the leading, Germany-based soil and substrate producer Stender GmbH. Mr. Affeld holds a Master of Business Administration and Economics. Before joining Stender, Mr Affeld worked at the global young plant company, Syngenta Flowers as Country Manager for Germany and Eastern Europe.

In an interview with Gulf Agriculture, Mr. Affeld shares his view on the industry challenges, how Stender intends to tackle them and why 'fulfilling consumer needs' and 'sustainability' are set as key priorities in Stender's strategy for Europe and Middle East."

Sören Affeld, new Managing Director Stender GmbH

STENDER SETS G COURSE FOR GROWTH WITH NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR

A: Congratulations to your appointment.

Have you already acquainted yourself with the business?

Thank you, and yes, I received a very warm welcome by all employees, and I feel grateful and honored to be given the chance to lead such a successful and passionate team. Due to my previous assignment at Syngenta Flowers I know well the industry dynamics and the challenges that our customers face in their daily business. The famous first

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November-December 2020

Interview 100 days have already passed and I got a very good overview on Stenders’ strengths and opportunities.

As we are active in both the professional and consumer segment of the substrate industry and in more than 50 countries across the globe, one of my first take-aways is that each segment, each country and each customer has different challenges and needs, and has to be looked at and served individually.

and distribution of premium quality peat and substrates.

I am impressed by the experience and passion of our employees. Also, coming from a global, multi-billion corporate in which speed sometimes was a struggle, I am fascinated by the pace and responsiveness of our team at Stender. Everyone is truly dedicated to satisfy our customer’s needs – for me the key to success in any business.

GA: Stender is known well beyond Germany and has a large customer base in the Gulf region. What are your first impressions?

Stender is a traditional, family-owned company with deep roots in the production

GA: Where do you see opportunities?

The substrate industry faces major changes which sometimes are very different by country and segment. In general consumers become more and more conscious of

November-December 2020

M. Adel Zaraa, Sales Manager North Africa & Middle East for Stender GmbH our global societal challenges like sustainability, climate change and protection of the environment. Hobby gardeners increasingly ask for biological, vegan, peat-free or peat-reduced substrates. A completely new product

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Interview

I AM FASCINATED BY THE PACE AND RESPONSIVENESS OF OUR TEAM AT STENDER. EVERYONE IS TRULY DEDICATED TO SATISFY OUR CUSTOMER’S NEEDS – FOR ME THE KEY TO SUCCESS IN ANY BUSINESS.

segment has developed – and it is growing fast! Intensive marketing support and innovative product solutions are key demands of our customers. Where some people might consider this radical change as a risk, I see huge opportunity for Stender.

The critical topics in the professional segment are different: Producing consistent, high quality substrates, shipping reliably and on time while offering competitive conditions.

Keeping this promise with every shipment led Stender to the strong position we are in today. Said that, so far the focus of our oversee business has been on products for the nutrition industry, namely propagating substrates for fruits and vegetables. In Europe however, our core business is mainly with the horticultural industry. It is a logical step to leverage our vast experience and deep technical knowledge in this area and also offer it to our international customers.

Especially as more and more nurseries heavily invest in automation technologies and seek for advice how to drive efficiency and enhance quality. It creates a Win-Win: Our customers receive firsthand expertise from their trusted partner, and we can tap into a new growth potential and thrive together with our clients.

GA: What is your strategy to exploit the potential?

Stender is a well renowned soil and substrate company in the world. We might not be among the very largest companies, but we definitely are one of the top suppliers when it comes to service, reliability and product quality.

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The Stender Export team (from left to right): Antonia Wesche, Simone Drees, Regina Hans, Kevin Mularczyk

We will further focus on product development and innovation to continue strengthening our portfolio and offer worry-free solutions that simply work. Just recently we decided to build a new, modern production facility in Germany to support our growth strategy.

We will also invest in digital solutions to pave the path into more convenience for our customers and higher efficiency for Stender. Finally we acknowledge our accountability to preserve Mother Nature and will put ‘sustainability’ at the top of our agenda. A lot has been done already i.e. all our peat fields are RPP™ (Responsibly Produced Peat) certified, so we guarantee to re-cultivate all land according to very strict regulations after it was harvested.

indeed that make me feel

GA: Sounds like an ambitious plan. What makes you confident that you will succeed?

There are a lot of aspects

extra mile. With such a team

very confident about our growth ambitions. But let me focus on the single most important one: People!

The Stender team that takes care of the business outside of Europe is highly dedicated and has tons of experience. Antonia Wesche leads the Export team consisting of 3 employees that deal with offer development, order planning and freight management.

M. Adel Zaraa represents Stender in the North Africa & Middle East region. He has spent his entire career in this industry and speaks the language of our customers in every sense. The whole team is full of passion and commitment, truly breathes and lives this business and is definitely ready to go the you can only be successful.

For more information, visit www.stender.de

November-December 2020

Seedling Trays

WANGARA HORTICULTURAL SUPPLIES NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH

W

HS Australia is debuting its worldwide launch in the Gulf Countries with a product specifically designed for the MENA region: Date Palm Propagation Tubes and Tray This innovation in Date Palm propagation has been developed together with the expert knowledge and research help of Abdelouahhab Zaid, Chief Technical Advisor/ Director, UNOPS - Date Palm Research & Development Programme United Arab Emirates.

Each tube has vertical ribs (root trainers) to promote healthy root development & avoid circular root growth plus a superior drainage system to prevent root rot while holding the substrate firmly inside.

The 426cc volume is the ideal capacity for date palm seedlings

November-December 2020

as its greater depth allows the seedling to develop robust roots that will convert to a higher degree of success rate when they are transplanted to an Easy-Fill™ grow bag or similar.

The innovative tube design also allows for greater air circulation to promote secondary root development and features a singular cell system for easier grading & spacing.

A flexible tube permits easy seedling plug out when the date palms are ready to be transplanted.

The tubes and frames are stackable for efficient storage and transport and can be sold separately. Wangara Horticultural develops environmentally conscious products and the trays and tubes are re-usable season after season and are also 100% recyclable.

Dimensions in (cm): 29 x 36 x 8

Contact Wangara Horticultural on: info@whsaustralia.com.au or +614 38 834 379 to discuss how this product can help increase your Date Palm production.

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

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Irrigation

RDI GROWSTREAM™ PLANTRESPONSIVE SYSTEM BEGINS TRANSFORMATION OF DESERT FARMS Author: Tam Le

R

DI has begun its plan to transform the desert into verdant green lands. Along with the launch of RDI's new hub in Abu Dhabi, numerous exhibition installations of RDI's plantresponsive GrowStream™ system have begun in farms throughout the emirate. After only 1-2 months of installing the RDI system, the plants are demonstrating excellent growth and development.

Conventional irrigation systems have struggled to be

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water-efficient in these regions.

Hyper-arid climates, evaporation and percolation through sandy soil, quickly contribute to water loss. RDI's plantresponsive innovation is the first system to ever interact directly with plant roots, releasing water only when each individual plant needs it.

This revolutionary method of water and nutrient delivery demonstrate water-use efficiency unlike any other irrigation system.

RDI's team began the

exhibition projects alongside their new UAE distributor, Radoom Agricultural Company.

Ali Almazrouei, CEO of Radoom, has awaited the establishment of RDI’s business in Abu Dhabi for the opportunity to work with RDI’s staff from the U.S. and begin projects using GrowStream™ in Liwa, Madinat Zayed and Al Ain. As a farmer himself, Ali Almazrouei can envision the benefits that this technology can provide for his country: "The water savings are going

November-December 2020

Irrigation

Al Khatim fig trees to change everything. These projects are going very well.

Farmers are calling me every day for projects, and we will have a store next year to support all the work."

With the vision and

assistance of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office to promote new AgTech, alongside Ali Almazrouei’s wisdom, agriculture experience, and strong desire to offer a greener future for Abu Dhabi,

Responsive Drip Irrigation has been able to initiate further research and development of its plant-responsive technology in desert climates and also establish its new production and distribution

Recycling camel-wash water for date palms using the RDI system

November-December 2020

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Irrigation

Mixed vegetables on a single gravity fed system in Madinat Zayed

facility in KIZAD. RDI is now producing GrowStream™ tubing in Abu Dhabi and the system is available for the MENA region. RDI’s recent project installations in Abu Dhabi are certainly capturing the attention and interest of landowners throughout the region.

RDI's first project in Abu Dhabi focused on demonstrating the versatility

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of its plant-responsive technology. The farmer in Madinat Zayed planted a mix of crops: tomatoes, chili peppers, figs, lemon trees, carrots, aloe, and more, with RDI GrowStream™; all using the same irrigation line (no separate zones or water scheduling). Such a diverse crop mix and water requirements needs a sophisticated system to manage the irrigation schedules, but RDI allows each plant to take as much, or as little water as it needs. This versatility and ease of crop diversity will be essential as Abu Dhabi continues its shift to a variety of locallyproduced food.

RDI GrowStream™ was installed at a farm nearby a camel racetrack. Water runoff from the camel washing has been collected and recycled, but has been challenging to use for irrigation. Previously, the farm manager would have to manually turn on the highpressure system every few days to irrigate a section of date palms. RDI's unique delivery method meant they could automate the irrigation schedule and reduce their labor. By using a simple solar pump to move water from the collection reservoir into an elevated tank, the RDI system makes the recycling process extremely efficient. The slightly elevated tank provides the low-pressure required by the RDI system to deliver water to all the trees when it’s needed.

The farmer plans to expand irrigation with the RDI system and use the recycled water for alfalfa production.

In another innovative project in Al Khatim, a tilapia farmer installed RDI GrowStream™ for his fig trees. RDI's low energy requirements allowed

for a simple setup for the aquaponic system. Utilizing the fish waste in the water creates a nutrient-rich, organic solution that is ideal for plants.

With RDI's minimal water requirements, this project is an excellent example of how sustainable agriculture will help shape the future of food production.

Though it's currently the cooler months in Abu Dhabi, the test of extreme summers will arrive soon. With RDI’s system, plants will be able to manage their water intake as temperatures rise. When plants struggle to grow and thrive, GrowStream™ can deliver what they need, minute-by-minute, through even the hottest days. “The power of our plant-responsive technology and our new innovation to help plants adapt to extreme temperatures will clearly establish the impact of RDI’s disruptive technology, which will forever change crop production in the desert," says Jan Gould, CEO of RDI. “For generations, the people living in water-scarce, desert regions have had to diligently work and strive to create productive farmland in the harshest of environments. It remains RDI’s mission to work with people from every country to introduce GrowStreamTM to meet increasing food production demands and conserve water, the planet’s precious resource that’s essential to all life.”

Contact Radoom Agricultural Company, RDI’s UAE distributor at www.radoom.com For more information on RDI and distribution opportunities in your region, visit www.responsivedrip.com

November-December 2020

Hydroponics

APONIX UPGRADES 3D-NFT VERTICAL BARRELS COMPONENTS INTO ‘VERSION 3’ MAKING IT COMMERCIAL READY

T

he aponix vertical barrel is a vertical NFT solution from Germany that can be used as alternative to rack systems in order to use vertical space more efficiently in hydroponic setups and use natural sunlight. The system maximizes the number of possible grow spaces per level arranged in a given 3D room by increasing the diameter from a ‘Tower’ to a ‘Barrel’.

The whole system is based on lego-like pieces that provide inserts for standard 2-inch netpots. Assembling these ring segment pieces results in stackable ring segments or barrel levels with the total height and thus number of grow spaces being variable.

By the end of 2020 aponix will have developed the new

November-December 2020

‘Version 3’ that will incorporate all collected improvements from the existing global user base from the last 3 years and adding a few more features and changes: • Liquid will be guided more precisely inside. It will also have a new more robust and tight connection mechanism and air traps to keep liquid inside also on high flow rates.

• There will be a reusable grow plug insert, that is supposed to replace 2-inch one-time use plastic netpots in any such system. It also has an optional plant trellis insert to grow larger flowers and fruiting dwarf varieties.

• There will be a new lidbase that speeds up setup of lines of vertical barrels or make them rotate.

• There will also be a dedicated sprinkler dome lid and also the own existing pressure-less irrigation option using the waterbuffer being backwards compatible.

• Vertical barrels will be more stable and can be built higher.

• There will only be a single ring segment piece in ‘Version 3’ with 2 grow pod inserts that only allow 2 stacking positions instead of 4. If spaces are unused they can be capped with a green rubber plug.

As of 2020 aponix already changed their global market strategy from looking for distributors to starting to work with product partners who create more complete solutions from the components adding other external pieces and services and market them independently under their own brand or product name.

Author: Marco Tidona

More details see www.aponix.eu or follow aponix.eu on www.facebook.com/aponix.eu Contact: Marco Tidona hello@aponix.eu

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

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Fertilizers

SAZOLENE AND SAVIOTAN, THE RHYTHMS OF NATURE SLOW RELEASE FERTILIZER AND VEGETAL TANNIN EXTRACT OF SAVIOLIFE

S

aviolife is part of the Italian Saviola Group, the Eco-ethical Company, for which sustainability and environmental friendly products have been a guiding light for over sixty years. Infact, the core business of our Group is recycling wood products and in this way we created circular economy well before it was so called recently. Saviolife is the

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last legal entity of the Group (founded in 2019), dedicated to Life Science products. Actually is focused in technical products for the fertilizer industry, including specialty fertilizers and vegetal extract for Agriculture and Turf & Ornamental markets. This products are real Eco-friendly alternatives, more respectful of the environment. We do this without compromising quality

and performance in any way.

Saviolife has a wide range of products, splitted in two main groups: Sazolene, a real Slow Release Nitrogen (SRN) and Saviotan, a natural plant extract useful to increase resistance to biotic and abiotic stress.

Sazolene, is a unique and innovative Nitrogen source and is available in liquid and granular formulations. The slow

November-December 2020

Fertilizers

release method of action is thanks to the interaction with soil bacteria and plant leaves enzymes. This ensure slow release of Nitrogen in synchrony with plant demand, to avoid dangerous lost in the underground water and ammonia volatilization and feeding the plants with a much better cost-efficacy balance.

Saviotan, in liquid and granular formulation is a totally organic and solvent free extract of high concentration hydrolysable polyphenols, with unique properties able to stimulate the plant roots growth and endogenous defense.

The concept behind all Saviolife products, is to grow crops, fruits, turf and ornamental plants with very high efficiency, reducing cost and with minimum environmental impact. Saviolife is part of Saviola Group and thanks to his large economy

November-December 2020

scale is able to produce and offer competitive solutions for the fertilizer industry. Saviolife planned large investments in the next 3-5 years to expand his offer in different areas in line with the ecological global trend and demand of sustainable products.

The biological products and all type of solution more ecofriendly developed from the Industry are a must for the future of Agriculture sector.

Saviolife, as a company with a sustainable vocation, based on circular economy processes, is already offering high efficiency solution with minimal impact.

Our company facilities are located in Italy and Belgium, but our presence is global: from North America to Asia Pacific.

Europe is our domestic market.

Today we are very dedicated to expand our presence in several markets like LatAm,

Middle East, Africa and other markets that represent a strategical development for the next future.

We’re extending the registration of our products in many of these markets and looking for new partnerships and strategic alliances. Saviolife is growing strongly and we are very interested to meet new partners to promote our liquid and granular fertilizer and make available our technologies and high efficiency fertilizer in new emerging markets to help them create a better future for Agriculture.

For more information, contact: Mr. Marco Sgarioto, Export Manager, Viale Lombardia, 29 Viadana (MN) 46019 – Italy Mobile: +39 334 7927518 marco.sgarioto@saviolife.com www.saviolife.com

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

29

Tractors

THE TRACTOR OF THE FUTURE?

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jury judges of course, and also assesses and analyses. This is the work being undertaken by the 26 journalists who are experts in agricultural mechanisation and who will have to assign the Tractor of the Year (TotY) award to the best European tractor.

All the details and innovations provided by the main European vehicle manufacturers are being studied and the jury's analysis is forming the identikit of the perfect tractor: a vehicle which, given its characteristics, might be imagined as some way off, but which, on the contrary, many operators have already turned into a reality.

Data connectivity and digitalization Connectivity means the possibility of transferring significant quantities of data

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quickly and in a standard way; better control over the data will mean a better outcome and of course higher efficiency. Today, thanks to the growth in digital technologies, we have access to data which brings together environmental, climatic, and land-related factors. This allows farmers to intervene in a targeted way, making work processes more effective, complying with the due timeframes. The software systems installed on machines in the field return data with which it is possible to track and certify produce from the field through to the processing industry.

Connectivity will be a valuable support also for the technical management of machines, forecasting their wear and tear for example and so planning the necessary

maintenance, and hence a costsaving process.

Safety There is also a focus on safety as well as on comfort for the driver, through details which are essential for people working in difficult environments. These details are connected to digital mapping of the environment, climate, and type of terrain.

Data on which the perfect machine will have to be capable of providing a response in real time, to protect the well-being of the driver.

So, a simple unforeseen summer storm can be anticipated by the direct satellite connection to the cabin, thus changing the work schedule. In the same way climate change, through digital information, will show us other useful information, such as the

November-December 2020

Tractors easy to use.

Sustainability At a rate dictated by environmental change, among new generation tractors we can find electric vehicles, tractors powered by alternative energy sources, solar or hydrogen.

Farmers must keep an eye on total costs in managing their cost-effectiveness, in terms of efficiency, consumption, and environmental impact. All stages which, if controlled through the technology, can be planned, and hence offer a better vision in terms of general sustainability.

need to change the pressure in the tires for example, enabling ideal adaptation to changes in terrain. Finally, all the necessary information must be available inside the cabin, so everything is kept under control, and making it very

November-December 2020

Autonomous driving Tractors will not only be connected in order to transfer data, they will be connected to remote consoles also to be able to work autonomously.

Artificial intelligence will collect agronomic data from the sensors positioned directly in the field for example and the tractors can even have no cabin as there will be no driver.

The next innovation we will see are engines which alternate hybrid and electric systems and semi-automatic tractors, which can even be controlled from a smartphone. The self-

driving tractor will incidentally be available in the field before any other conventional vehicle on the road.

And the tires?

In this scenario the tire industry is operating very flexibly thanks to its research, since the tire is one of the fundamental components for vehicle performance, in global terms of environmental and economic sustainability.

The dialogue between the tires and the machines is therefore a crucial point; an example of integration for the new generations of working vehicles are the sensors mounted on the tire which can communicate to the vehicle the consumption of the tread or the compactness of the soil, in order to vary the tire pressure and so avoid wear and tear.

BKT, thanks to its complete willingness to dialogue with its end users and with operators themselves, is now facing up to the change, reassured by its own experience but also with an openness to innovation, and is engaged in and proactive towards the best solutions.

For more information, visit www.bkt-tires.com

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

31

Agricultural Drones

MODERN FIELD RESEARCH TRIALS USE GNSS POSITIONING FOR ACCURATE ASSESSMENT OF PLANT HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE Author: John Stenmark John Stenmark is a writer and consultant working in the geospatial, AEC and associated industries.

A professional surveyor, he has more than 25 years of experience in applying advanced technology to surveying and related disciplines.

A

s part of the effort to maintain and increase the world’s food supply, agrochemical companies conduct ongoing research to develop and improve their products. An essential task is measuring the performance of crops treated with new additives. Once handled by technicians in the field examining individual plants, crop assessment is now implemented with uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV). By using precise GNSS, researchers ensure high accuracy and productivity in collecting and processing the aerial data.

Precision Silver is a Floridabased start-up company providing specialized services for the agriculture industry.

The company is focused on automated ratings for agricultural research and provides plot- and plant-level analysis of test sites scattered across North America. Their clients include some of the world’s largest agrochemical companies.

According to Precision Silver President Taylor Glenn, typical test sites (or “blocks”) comprise multiple trial plots that are treated with differing levels of additives. Each plot is rated multiple times during a test period to quantify the additives’ effects. Glenn said this work is often done manually using measuring sticks and clipboards. The

32 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

tedious work requires skilled scientists to spend hours in the field collecting data; time that could be better spent on analysis and interpretation.

Glenn’s company is replacing the in-field evaluations with aerial imagery and specialized software. Using customized UAVs, Precision Silver can obtain high-resolution imagery over the entire site in minutes.

“With our system, we automate the process to magnify their productivity,” he says. It provides sort of a ‘superpower,’ where they can be out there for a half hour,

instead of all day. Precision Silver then processes the images to obtain more than 20 industry-standard ratings on crop performance on crop types ranging from broadacre crops such as wheat and barley to orchard products including fruit and nut trees.

Precise GNSS in Remote Locations To produce the desired results, the aerial imaging system needs precise ground control points. Glenn uses a GNSS receiver in conjunction with Trimble CenterPoint® RTX

A technician uses Trimble GNSS to establish ground control prior to a UAV flight. Precise control for aerial imagery is essential for highresolution crop assessment

November-December 2020

Agricultural Drones

Supported by precise GNSS, high-resolution imagery enables assessment from field level

positioning service to establish survey-grade accuracy on the control marks. Glenn often works in areas where RTK or VRS is not practical due to coverage or terrain issues, and appreciates the speed and flexibility of RTX, which provides accuracy better than 2cm horizontal and 5cm vertical.

Using Trimble Access software running on a TSC3 controller, field operators can

see the real-time accuracy of their GNSS positions. “We like to get horizontal accuracy of 5 cm or better,” Glenn said.

“Having that kind of accuracy with a system we can ship across the country to different operators is great. They just need the system once when they start up their block; we use those same coordinates throughout the rest of the project.”

Once a flight route is

established, blocks may be reflown 10 to 20 times over a season. “We can do extraordinarily high-resolution images, up to 1 mm per pixel,” Glenn said. “We can really see everything that’s going on in the plots.” The precise ground control ensures that the highresolution imagery is accurately georeferenced and helps ensure reliable ratings over the season.

Glenn added that the local operators are often skilled agricultural scientists but have no background in GNSS positioning. The simplicity of RTX enables them to quickly establish accurate control and then focus on crop assessment.

“Our dealer helped us overcome our lack of deep background in surveying or GNSS,” he said. “They helped us set up a very nice streamlined workflow that works reliably and gets the job done.”

For more information, visit agriculture.trimble.com

November-December 2020

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

33

Agricultural Technologies

5 MAIN BENEFITS OF MODERN CTRM FOR AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY

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ommodity traders in agriculture companies face these 5 main business challenges: 1. Cash management 2. Risk/hedging effectiveness 3. Operational/supply chain efficiencies 4. Accurate & timely market intelligence 5. Regulatory compliance Limitations of traditional commodity management: Using monolithic CTRM systems results in data-siloes with no real-time connection between procurement, logistics and commodity trading. Manually inputting data into spreadsheets takes a long time and often results

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in errors due to human mistakes. With spreadsheets you don't get real-time insights which inhibit you from making on the spot decisions based on market changes.

Capabilities of modern CTRM: Modern CTRM aggregates data from systems across the value chain including CTRM, ERP, accounting and spreadsheets. You can analyze the impact of dynamic market movements quickly, identify areas of opportunity or concern, and plan the next steps accordingly. It uses latest analytics tools, including AI and machine learning.

How modern CTRM benefits agriculture industry: 1. Easier cash flow management - Using all available information about payments – both current and historical data – you can analyze payment history and behavior patterns to determine estimated payment dates. You can predict projected cash flow based on payment terms and analyze

November-December 2020

Agricultural Technologies

scenarios based on shipment start, middle, and end dates to evaluate various possibilities.

2. Effective risk management - Analyze realtime data quickly to stay on top of risk drivers. You can set up alerts to take immediate action when risk limits are breached.

3. Improve operational efficiency - With information available across the value chain, tracking of

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inventory at each location and maintaining the data becomes easier. You can match available time slots for expected deliveries to vehicle availability and reduce wait times and queues.

4. Gain real-time marketing intelligence Create notifications to alert you when market shifts occur.

Having real-time data like weather forecasts from

Accuweather and a Where or market data from Refinitiv and S&P Platts, gives you an edge over the competition.

5. Adhere to compliance Automation makes it easy to comply to regulations of trade repositories. You can take prompt actions based on user defined alerts across geographies and asset classes.

For more information, visit www.eka1.com

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

35

Locust Control

BELL AIRCRAFT USED TO SAFEGUARD FOOD AND AGRICULTURE AMID HISTORIC LOCUST INFESTATION

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n the last 12 months, food security has been under serious threat from devastating swarms of locusts, destroying crops from East Africa to the Arabian Gulf. With experts warning of a “rolling emergency” that could endanger harvests across the regions for the rest of the year, governments and international organizations face a herculean challenge in controlling the

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infestations. Aircrafts from Bell, the U.S.-based helicopter manufacturer, have been playing a key role in the joint efforts to fight this ancient plague.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), desert locusts – whose destructive infestations cause major crop damage – are a species of grasshopper that live largely solitary lives until a

combination of conditions promotes breeding and leads them to form massive swarms.

The region’s current crisis began in October 2019 as swarms formed along the Red Sea coastal plains in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea and Sudan, spreading eastwards across the Arabian peninsula and further south in Africa in the following months.

By January, Kenya, one of

November-December 2020

Locust Control

the countries hardest hit by the crisis, was already experiencing its worst outbreak of desert locusts in 70 years. To target this problem, authorities contracted South African helicopter operator BAC Helicopters, who had recently purchased three Bell 206L-4 helicopters, to carry out the Emergency Desert Locust Survey and Control operation in an effected part of Kenya.

November-December 2020

The helicopters were tasked with surveying vast areas throughout the Marsabit and Turkana counties in Northern Kenya, locating and mapping the locust swarms which were threatening food security through the region. The 206L-4’s were each equipped with specialized Agricultural Survey Equipment, an FDC Barrier Filter and Satellite Tracking System. Essential data

gathered by the survey helicopters was then transferred to both fixed wing and helicopter spraying aircraft, allowing them to accurately target specific areas where the locust swarms were present.

Sameer Rehman, Managing Director of Africa and the Middle East, Bell, commented: “With a number of countries in Eastern Africa and some parts of the Middle East at ongoing risk, the FAO has estimated that a locust control plan would cost $76 million to secure agriculture in the affected region. Bell understands the need to protect the food source of these regions and we’re pleased our products can be essential tools in the collective mission to eradicate the problem.

“When it comes to food security, the stakes are very high so the reliability and capability of every tool used in the fight against locust swarms is paramount. The Bell 206, and newer light aircraft like the Bell 505 have shown time and again that they can be trusted to operate in high temperatures and with heavy payloads, providing a capable defense wherever the swarms may be present.”

In most years, desert locust swarms tend to die out during dry season. However, with unusually high rainfall in 2020 in certain regions, the exponential growth in the populations has not abated, creating the specter of further swarms over the coming months.

The FAO states that countries most affected by the locust situation are Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia in Africa as well as Yemen, Saudi Arabia and parts of the UAE and Oman in the Middle East.

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

37

Disinfectants

HUWA-SAN PROVEN TO REDUCE RISK OF ToBFRV INFECTION

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omato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a mechanically transmitted virus, first described in Jordan in 2016. The virus was already detected in Germany in 2018, and in 2019 in the Netherlands as well. At the end of 2019, the virus was given the status of quarantine organism and since then, a notification requirement has been imposed.

ToBRFV causes deformed and bulging leaves, yellow spots on fruits and yellowed leaf veins (mosaic discoloration) in tomato plants. With non-marketable fruits and loss of yield as a result.

ToBRFV cannot be combated at the moment. There are no resistant tomato varieties. All focus should be on prevention, for which a strict hygiene plan should be the basis. A thorough

38 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

disinfection of the entire greenhouse during crop rotations is an important step in this hygiene plan. Before this greenhouse disinfection process takes place, the

greenhouse should be completely cleaned, and all organic plant material should be removed. This is very important, as the virus is very persistent and easily transferable.

In recent research on the survival of ToBRFV on surfaces (conducted by Fera Ltd with AHDB UK), HuwaSan TR-50 was found to be highly effective against ToBRFV on surfaces within just 60 minutes.

Huwa-San TR-50 is therefore perfectly suitable for the disinfection of surfaces during crop rotations. With Huwa-San TR-50, general hygiene is taken to a higher level. HuwaSan allows you to drastically reduce the risk of infection with viruses and as Huwa-San is also verified for use in Organic food sites, it is classed as a ‘No rinse, leave in place disinfectant’.

For more information, visit www.roamtechnology.com

November-December 2020

Animal Nutrition

EVONIK LAUNCHES PROBIOTIC FOR CHICKENS AS EFFERVESCENT TABLET Ecobiol® Fizz for the stabilization of the intestinal microbiota, particularly in stress phases of animals

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vonik's Animal Nutrition business line is launching Ecobiol® Fizz, the first probiotic for chicken in effervescent tablet form. The product contains a microbial strain of the species Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and is used to stabilize the intestinal microbiota of broilers and chicken reared for laying, especially during stressful periods. It is characterized by its simple and flexible application via the animals' water supply.

"We are continuously working to provide our customers with increasingly comprehensive solutions for efficient, sustainable and healthy animal nutrition," says Torben Madsen, head of the Sustainable Healthy Nutrition product line in Evonik's Animal Nutrition business line.

"Probiotics have proven to be a good alternative to the use of growth-promoting antibiotics

November-December 2020

in the barn."

With Ecobiol® and Ecobiol® Plus, Evonik already has two effective products for chickens based on the bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens that are added to feed or feed premix. However, the feed is used on the farm as a readymix. Fast, situational reaction is hardly possible. Ecobiol® Fizz is different: farmers can apply the product flexibly during periods of stress for animals via the water line or add it as continuous support to their operation.

Stress can be caused by feed changes, infections or vaccinations. In such cases, a resilient immune system is required, based on a balanced intestinal microbiota.

The additional administration of the probiotic via water is then suitable. "Especially when animals are not doing well, they eat less, but drink more,"

says Dr. Stefan Eils, who is responsible for Gut Health Solutions in the Animal Nutrition business line.

The novel formulation of Ecobiol® Fizz as an effervescent tablet has the advantage that bacterial spores are distributed homogeneously in water without stirring. One effervescent tablet is sufficient for 1,000 liters of water. The homogeneity is proven for at least 24 hours. The formulation of the effervescent tablet also does not contain sugar or other additives that promote biofilm formation or clogging in the water line system.

Ecobiol® Fizz can be combined with common feed additives.

The product is now available in Europe. Marketing in other regions is scheduled to follow in spring 2021.

For more information, visit www.evonik.com

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

39

Animal Feeds

MANUFACTURING SAFE FEED FOR LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY

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aintaining highquality standards during livestock and poultry feed manufacturing is not only important to protect the health of the herd or flock, but as the end consumer, the health of people as well. The productivity of livestock and poultry can also be reduced if feed is not manufactured or stored correctly and becomes contaminated with pathogens, biotoxins or chemical residues.

In many countries, feed production has strict compliance guidelines that cover manufacturing as well as workplace safety, environmental, transportation and trade regulations. The feed production regulations provide guidance on various issues including feeding animal protein to animals, the use of antibiotics in feed for non-medicative purposes and feed manufacturing standards.

Having trained and competent personnel is one of the first steps in ensuring feed is manufactured safely and correctly. Training programs should include continuing education opportunities that also keep up to date with the latest recommendations and regulations for feed manufacturing.

Safe feed starts with the raw ingredients, so these should be purchased from reputable suppliers that have proven safety and quality records.

Each load of ingredients should be inspected for integrity, quality and evidence of contaminants. During processing, quality control

40 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

checks should be in place to ensure a consistent and safe final product.

Feed Contamination Issues If feed is not handled, stored and transported correctly, any pathogens in the feed could be passed onto livestock and poultry (and people in some cases). Pelleted feed that has undergone heat treatment with steam can reduce some of the bacterial load, but heat treatment does not make the feed sterile.

Common pathogens and diseases that can be transmitted through feed include E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, Mycotoxins (toxins from fungi), Mycotoxin Issues and Solutions.

If environmental conditions are favorable, mycotoxins can contaminate feed either before harvest or during processing and storage.

Mycotoxins are produced by a variety of fungi species, all of which proliferate under different ambient temperature and moisture or humidity conditions.

Raw ingredients and

finished feed can be tested to determine if it is contaminated with mycotoxins and at what concentration. BioInsights Mycotoxin Diagnostic Services, offered by Amlan International, can test feed on-site and provide an accurate quantitative result within 10 minutes. If the test identifies mycotoxins in the feed, Amlan International’s dose calculator can be used to determine the optimal dose of adsorbents, such as CalibrinŽ-Z, to use in the feed.

Manufacturing safe feed is not only important for the health of livestock and poultry but also productivity. There are many procedures that can be employed to reduce the risk of feed contamination during manufacture. However, if contamination does occur, using products like Calibrin-Z can help reduce the effects of biotoxins on the health and productivity of livestock and poultry. Calibrin-Z can also be used prophylactically to help defend the flock or herd from disease outbreaks.

For more information, visit www.amlan.com

November-December 2020

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