Sept-Oct 2020 edition of Gulf Agriculture

ISSN 1751-8407 SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

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

20

RDI Establishes its New Regional Hub for R&D and Production in Abu Dhabi

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At Lambert Peat Moss, Quality is a Priority

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UAE’s Adoption of Drones in Agriculture

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Al Ain Farms, First UAE Farm to Pledge Commitment to Animal Welfare

THE WORLD’S FIRST PLANT-RESPONSIVE WATER & NUTRIENT DELIVERY SYSTEM

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 ORGANIC WATERMELONS: PORTUGAL Grower produced a SECOND commercial-grade harvest

BITTER GOURD: PAKISTAN Increased Yield: 50% Harvest: 1-week earlier

• • • • • • •

increases crop yield and grade 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

VERTICAL FARM: ABUJA, NIGERIA Increased Yield: 35% Reduced Energy Use: 95%

RDI OPENS NEW FACILITY IN ABU DHABI Production & Distribution for MENA Region See page #20 for more info

Visit www.responsivedrip.com/gulfag and learn more about our technology, distributor opportunities, and our global efforts to create a more sustainable future. ©2020 Responsive Drip Irrigation, LLC All rights reserved.

info@responsivedrip.com | +1 (941) 792-9788

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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.

20 Cover Photo Courtesy: Visser Horti Systems, The Netherlands

News Irrigation Seedling Trays Vertical Farming Hydroponics Peat Moss Fertilizers Growth Management

04 20 23 24 25 26 28 29

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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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Horti Systems 30 Agricultural Drones 32 Agricultural Machinery 34 Farming Equipment 36 Egg Grading 37 Dairy 38 Feed Utilization 39 Poultry 40 September-October 2020

News EVONIK LAUNCHES ITS OWN GAA-PRODUCT GUANAMINO® Evonik has launched GuanAMINO®, its own guanidinoacetic acid-product (GAA) used to enhance energy metabolism in livestock production.

The launch of GuanAMINO® comes almost two years after Evonik’s former supplier

terminated its agreement, although Evonik continued to supply its customers until at least the end of 2018. The end of the previous arrangement opened options for Evonik to further develop the use of GAA in animal nutrition and supply the global market with its own GAA product.

GuanAMINO® provides farm animals with the natural creatine precursor GAA, which

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supplies creatine in the best way to animals, improving their performance, ensuring optimal nutrient utilization and therefore return over feed costs.

“GuanAMINO® is the best supplemental creatine source due to its outstanding stability in feed processing and high bioavailability to the animal.

Adding GuanAMINO® to the feed closes the gap in creatine supply, thereby increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of nutrition and optimizing production costs of farm animals,” says Dr. Torben Madsen, Head of Product Line Sustainable Healthy Nutrition at Evonik Animal Nutrition.

“We are proud to achieve this major milestone on our continuous way to provide our customers the best solutions for their individual needs. With GuanAMINO®, we offer our customers the best creatine source and therefore another performance enhancing solution in our portfolio for sustainable, animal protein free diets,” says Dr. Madsen.

Creatine is vital for vertebrates as it contributes to ensuring that high energy demanding cells (particularly muscles) are supplied sufficiently. With the addition of GuanAMINO® to animal feed, the feed conversion in livestock production can be improved significantly.

In the body, creatine is formed through methylation of GAA, which itself is formed from the amino acids glycine and arginine. However, in fastgrowing animals it is estimated that only around two-thirds of the required daily need for creatine is covered by the body’s own synthesis. The rest must be supplied via addition to the feed.

September-October 2020

News

DISPLAY

FLOWMETERS

PRESSURE AND ONE-WAY VALVES

BALL VALVES

FITTINGS

News GuanAMINOÂŽ is granulated, virtually dust free, free flowing and has handling characteristics which make for easy usage in daily operations.

EIMA DIGITAL PREVIEW WARMS UP ITS ENGINES The registration procedures continue for the EIMA Digital Preview of EIMA International, the world exhibition of agricultural machinery, to be held from 11 to 15 November in its virtual version and from 3 to 7 February 2021 in its physical version at the Bologna exhibition centre. In just three days from opening registrations, more than a thousand businesspeople from all over the world have

signed up on the platform, a number that will definitely grow exponentially in the coming weeks. Also, more than 400 exhibiting companies, out of the 1,600 reserved, have already finished setting up their virtual rooms. The EIMA exhibition event was the central topic of the General Meeting of FederUnacoma, the Italian association of agricultural machinery manufacturers, direct organizer of the exhibition, which took place recently in Bologna. "The global exhibition is the first event in the industry after the lockdown last spring, an event that explained the general manager of FederUnacoma, Simona Rapastella - has the task of revitalizing the market, of

once again connecting the demand for agricultural technologies, which is emerging globally, with the technologies produced by the manufacturing companies". It will do this by experimenting with an innovative formula as reiterated during the General Meeting - which provides a virtual reality preview, and the traditional edition, giving businesspeople a very long period of time to work and interact, combining the advantages offered by digital ecosystems with the direct experience made possible by physical review.

Divided into 15 "commodity planets", representing the 14 sectors of specialization of EIMA International, with the addition of the one dedicated

Substrates with highspeed for your plant growth

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September-October 2020

News to services, the Digital Preview platform provides ample space to present new products and conference rooms for Business to Business meetings. "Thanks to the EIMA Digital Preview concluded Rapastella exhibiting industries have the opportunity not only to capture the demand for agricultural technologies from all over the world, but also to select and rationalize business contacts, thereby optimally preparing for the physical event in February. The latter event will take place on the dates set in the calendar, where businesspeople will be offered safety standards that are the highest in the entire international exhibition landscape.

UAE’S NEWEST VERTICAL FARM, SMART ACRES, SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES, PROPELLING THE UAE’S AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT Smart Acres, the UAE’s latest addition to the hydroponic vertical farming industry, has successfully launched recently and is now producing a line of the freshest, most nutrientdense greens for UAE residents and businesses alike. The AgriTech farm launched with a series of tours attended by high-profile individuals, from government officials to ambassadors, allowing for a glimpse into the state-of-the-art modules.

The highly-anticipated launch of the farm was accompanied by the UAE Ambassador of Korea, Kwon Yong-Woo, and the UAE’s Minister of State for Food Security, Mariam Al-Muhairi, who were taken on a tour through the farming containers and given a firsthand experience of Smart Acres; the technology used, the cultivation process of the variety of greens grown. These visits came inline with the company’s collaboration with n.thing, a Korean-based technology company that designed the farm modules using an award-winning IoTbased technology system to grow and monitor their greens, a system that not only consumes less resources but generates ultra-high quality

EIMA INTERNATIONAL changes date and doubles up The Digital Preview

1

2

The Event 44th EIMA BolognaFiere February 3/7, 2021

EIMA Digital Preview November 11/15, 2020

The international trade fair calendar, due to the Covid 19 pandemic, has been completely revised and many events have been cancelled and postponed. EIMA International has also redefined its program, moving the 44th edition from November 2020 to February 2021.

However, in the days in November initially established for EIMA, EIMA Preview comes to life, a great online event that anticipates the traditional exhibition and is the first example in the world of a review of agricultural mechanics entirely accessible on a digital platform.

As of 2022 EIMA will return to the traditional November appointment

A GREAT EIMA, AS USUAL

INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL AND GARDENING MACHINERY EXHIBITION

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News crops. The tours have allowed for key individuals from both countries to witness the growth of Smart Acres, and the future of the UAE. Smart Acres was founded with the mission of improving food security within the United Arab Emirates and developing the country’s farming capabilities, providing a solution to potential socioeconomic threats such as pandemics and climate limitations the Middle East currently endures. The vertical

farming company, developed by a team of experts, CEO Abdulla Al Kaabi, Director Sean Lee, and Lead Project Manager, Aphisith Phongsavanh, is a oneof-a-kind agriculture system which is designed to produce some of the highest yields of crops within the UAE’s vertical farming industry, whilst introducing a new future for clean foods and allowing both B2B and B2C sectors to locally source produce.

"On behalf of the entire Smart Acres team, we are

humbled and proud to be a part of the UAE's growing agricultural landscape. The future of our food security rests in all of our hands and we are excited to be cultivating sustainable produce alongside the region's many other vertical farms. There is a long way to go until we actualize our dreams, but until then we will continue to harvest and deliver ultra-high-quality greens for our community and hopefully the world," says Sean Lee, Director of Smart Acres.

BAGTECH FERTILIZER SOLUTIONS EXPANDS ITS HORIZONS

Bagtech’ success represents more than 35 years of innovation in agribusiness, by developing its own technology through an innovative partnership with Festo. Bagtech has been able to bring high precision, quality machines to the market. Apart from manufacturing, the company offers its expertise in the management of bulk fertilizer and warehousing around Africa, as well as consultancy worldwide. Well known in Africa, Bagtech is continuing its journey into the Americas.

The 2020 crisis has brought numerous challenges worldwide and has forced to adapt to the new reality of digitalisation, or the internet of things, where working from distance is the new normal. For food related companies it is vital to be prepared for this new era. Thanks to Bagtech’s

unique automation system that enables clients’ equipment management and the sharing of information, with no interruptions from anywhere in the world, the company was able to remain compliant to new legislation while maintaining its services to clients.

Through its success in ensuring clients equipment was fully functional during this trying time, Bagtech strengthen its relationship with the customers, while expanding brand awareness in the North of Africa and the Americas. “Our team keeps a close relationship with clients in order to improve the experiences daily to deliver their needs” – Fred Coelho, CEO of Bagtech.

The pandemic created a first-time opportunity for Bagtech to commission one of their flagship NPK plants completely online. “Every challenge brings us a new opportunity to do things differently”Fred Coelho CEO of Bagtech quoted by saying on the completion of the

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commissioning. While busy innovating in IT, the company still found time to reach new regions delivering NPK plants to both Angola and Brazil, a first-time in these countries for Bagtech.

Furthermore, Bagtech has been focusing on improving product performance, increasing the productivity of its clients. The latest development is a mixer screw allowing for a more gentle mix and lower rotation of the product to deliver a higher quality fertilizer. It runs off a smaller motor lowering energy consumption and making the plant more sustainable. This new concept has also been designed to run at ground level, eliminating the need for civil engineering (pits) resulting in a further cost reduction for the project.

However, even with this pandemic the world still needs feeding, and quickly. And considering that up to 50% of the food we eat would not be available without fertilizers, this industry will remain robust and be deemed as essential, meaning that, the more high-tech and innovator the industry becomes, the higher rate of results will be achieved, leading to a continuous supplying to the end consumers.

September-October 2020

News LINDSAY UNLOCKS CUSTOMIZED CROP WATER USAGE INSIGHTS FOR ALL FIELDNET™ CUSTOMERS Lindsay Corporation, a leading global manufacturer and distributor of irrigation and infrastructure equipment and technology, announced the launch of FieldNET with WaterTrend, a powerful new feature that gives growers critical crop water usage insights to aid in effective and efficient irrigation decisionmaking.

FieldNET, Lindsay’s awardwinning irrigation management platform, provides growers the ability to remotely monitor and control all aspects of their

existing pivot and lateral irrigation systems, regardless of the equipment’s age or brand. The platform delivers information so growers can monitor the operational status of their irrigation systems and control them quickly and easily from a smartphone, tablet or computer 24-hours a day from anywhere.

“FieldNET users are accustomed to getting new, software-enabled features and enhancements added to their service throughout the year – these are features driven by their requests and needs,” said Brian Magnusson, Vice President of The Americas at Lindsay. “FieldNET with WaterTrend is the latest example of this customerfocused innovation that is now

included with every FieldNET subscription, at no additional cost. This new feature addresses our customers’ desire to have better data available to help them make more informed irrigation decisions. It’s a feature that isn’t available through any remote irrigation monitor and control platform outside of FieldNET, further differentiating FieldNET in the marketplace.”

Using advanced data, science and modeling technology, the new WaterTrend feature provides a 7-day water outlook on forecasted crop water usage and precipitation amounts. This is based on field-specific forecasted rainfall amounts, crop growth models and crop

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News water usage information.

Growers can see trends in how their crops will use water over the coming week, enabling them to make better, datadriven decisions on when and how much to irrigate. Another added benefit of the new feature is the ability for growers to view field-specific weather data, including the current field conditions plus hourly and daily forecasts.

Available globally to subscribers for FieldNETequipped center pivots, WaterTrend can be accessed

via the FieldNET app – no additional subscription or equipment is needed.

The global release of FieldNET with WaterTrend furthers Lindsay’s commitment to creating a more sustainable future by equipping growers with data and insights to run their irrigation system with precision to conserve resources. The company has a goal to help growers save more than 700 billion gallons of water and more than one billion kilowatt hours of energy by the year 2022.

HOTRACO AGRI LAUNCHES NEW VERSATILE MULTIWINCH GEARMOTOR Hotraco Agri launches the MultiWinch gearmotor, a new winch motor for opening and closing air inlets in poultry and cattle houses. This new, powerful 24 VDC winch motor replaces the SmartWinch gearmotor.

The advanced electronics and compact design of the MultiWinch makes it the most

CHILE TO CRACK THE UAE’S WALNUT MARKET FOLLOWING COVID-19 Chile is doubling its efforts to become the UAE's exporter of choice regarding dried fruits, particularly walnuts, with the launch of a new campaign to showcase the superior quality and ultimate health benefits the nut offers.

The popularity of Chilean walnuts has surged in recent years, with the country the leading exporter in the southern hemisphere, and now the second-largest exporter in the world behind Australia, exporting over 111 million tonnes in 2019.

In the UAE, the value of exported dry fruits from Chile increased by 75% from US$25 million in 2018 to US$43.8 million in 2019, primarily attributed to walnuts, which made up 76% of the total dried fruit exports to the UAE. According to yield estimates based on the planted area and average performance, production in Chile is expected to increase to 163 million tonnes in 2021 and 200 million tonnes in 2024. Over 95% of all production is exported to 75 countries, with the Middle East accounting for 54% in 2019.

Carlos Salas, Trade Commissioner of Chile in Dubai, said: “Our new

campaign has been developed to reinforce our reputation for producing the best walnuts in the world, a result of their superior quality due to the appearance, flavour, colour, pulp, and size.

“The UAE, and the wider GCC region, is an incredibly important market for Chilean walnut exporters. The melting pot of ethnicities and growing demand for sustainable and quality healthy foods as a result of COVID-19 means the region is ripe for exporters to reconnect with the country and underscore the attributes that make Chilean walnuts so popular.”

In a recent report by the World Health Organisation, they highlighted the importance of good nutrition for health, particularly when the immune system is vulnerable as a result of COVID-19, and the importance of eating foods with high nutritional values such as nuts, for their healthy, unsaturated fats.

“As the pandemic continues, a healthy balanced diet, regular exercise, and quality sleep are

10 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

integral factors to remaining fit and well. It has also been scientifically proven that adding tree nuts such as walnuts to your diet can help boost the immune system thanks to the various vitamins and minerals found within them. Quality walnuts from Chile substantially increase these benefits,” added Salas.

Ensuring the sustainable development of the walnut is the responsibility of Chilenut, the Chilean Trade Association of Walnut Growers and Exporters. They are responsible for strengthening best practices in production processes, promoting Chilean walnut growers and exporters' technical soundness, pooling knowledge, and fostering the technological development of the industry.

September-October 2020

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News versatile gearmotor in this segment. With a pulling force of 340 kg, a torque of 90 Nm and a standard speed of 0.8 rpm, the climate in the barn can be controlled very precisely. The MultiWinch features three soft-touch buttons for easy set up and precise position determination.

The gearmotor housing is made of corrosion-resistant aluminium and has protection class IP65. As a result, MultiWinch is maintenancefree and made for years of carefree use in barns for intensive livestock farming.

The smart design makes it easy to install and commission the gearmotor.

The MultiWinch comes standard with a single capped axle tap. An extensive selection

of available accessories allow it to be made suitable for any application, such as with a belt or winch drum or a chain coupling set.

FOLIAR FERTILIZER GIVING GREAT RESULTS A foliar fertilizer program of OMEX Bio 20, pHortify and CalMax have been used to grow beautiful crop of zucchini in Trinidad.

Bio 20 combines mineral nutrition with the proven growth-promoting qualities of seaweed, this formulation provides the stimulus for healthy, active growth. Plants respond by producing greater root mass and green leaf area, giving improved flower/fruit set

and higher tolerance to environmental stress. Bio 20 is a seaweed-based foliar fertilizer containing macro and chelated micronutrients. pHortify combines the essential nutrients required for enhancing natural plant defence, pHortify promotes both health and growth, leading to greater root and canopy development. In most plants, better flower/fruit set, improved bulking and reduced disease pressure can result from routine applications. pHortify improves plant nutrient health and disease resistance. pHortify improves rooting action and increases fruit set.

Higher solids content. Increases yield and post harvest quality enhancements. Improves foliar uptake of cations (i.e. K, Ca, Mg, Mn).

GEA OPENS NEW R&D CENTER TO DRIVE INNOVATION IN PET FOOD PRODUCTION GEA has recently opened the doors to its new GEA Pet Food Experience Center (PEX) in Galliera Veneta, Italy. The role of the new center is to drive innovation in cooperation with customers and industry partners and to function as a locus for sharing latest know-how, where partners can anticipate a high level of technological development support.

Learning and hands-on education play animportant role at the new GEA Pet Food Experience Center.

This includes learning about, and understanding how, dry pet food extrusion-cooking technology works; what the main process requirements are; how to operate and maintain the equipment, what role digitalization plays and how to use it in processes, and many other important topics.

The R&D center can also be used as a training ground for customer employees, where they can learn about efficient processing and best practice. Workshops provide the participants with an introduction to the basics of extrusion-cooking technology, focusing on preconditioning, energy consumption, as well as the importance of moisture and mass flow balance. The

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primary aim is to help attendees learn how to be efficient at every step of the dry pet food production process, which includes: selection of raw materials, raw material intake, handling, weighing and dosing, mixing, grinding, conditioning, extrusion-cooking, forming, drying, coating and storage/packaging.

Pet food customers are increasingly looking for products that mirror those available to humans, not only from a nutritional and production quality standpoint, but also in terms of the variety of formats. Thanks to its long history and experience in developing food processing technologies, GEA can offer advanced solutions that are capable of setting new standards in the market.

Innovative machines and systems from GEA produce dry pet food of the highest precision and quality.

September-October 2020

News CalMax corrects calcium deficiency, improves fruit set, increases yield and helps improve firmness, storability, colour and finish in a wide range of fruits and vegetables.

Calcium is a primary constituent of all cell walls and membranes. Restrictions in the availability of calcium will adversely affect cell division, impair the structural stability and the permeability of cell walls. Increasing fruit calcium promotes longer storage life and resists a range of physiological break down conditions including water core, bitter pit and internal browning. CalMax is a foliar fertilizer containing 22.5% calcium and a balanced range of micronutrients.

ammonium and the inactive D-glufosinate ammonium. The latter is converted into active L-glufosinate ammonium by the new technology. This makes the new product significantly more efficient.

While weed control is at least on the equivalent level with currently available commercial glufosinate products, farmers can reduce the amount of crop protection they need to

apply by up to 50%. This change will reduce operating costs for both farmers and the channel significantly and make the distribution and application of the product even more sustainable than today’s solutions. The comprehensive patent protection for this new technology puts BASF in a strong competitive position for the coming years. The new

BASF ACQUIRES PROPRIETARY TECHNOLOGY FOR L-GLUFOSINATE AMMONIUM FROM AGRIMETIS™ BASF has acquired the proprietary Glu-L™ technology for L-glufosinate ammonium from AgriMetis™, an industry leader for the development of biotechnological innovations for crop protection, with this BASF Agricultural Solutions will offer its customers an even more efficient product to protect against unwanted weeds with an improved formulation.

The global market for crop protection and seeds is growing as are population numbers and it is becoming increasingly important to conserve natural resources and meet consumer demand for transparency and food safety.

Glu-L™ makes a decisive contribution here. Today’s glufosinate products consist of the active L-glufosinate

September-October 2020

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News product is currently in the registration process in the United States and will be launched there in the next few years. It is also planned to be launched in other relevant regions.

“This step enables us to further develop our glufosinate ammonium portfolio and is an important part of our future offering to best support our customers in combating the increasingly rapid development of weed resistance,” said Vincent Gros, President BASF Agricultural Solutions.

BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division is continuously investing in its portfolio and researching new solutions that benefit farmers, the environment and society.

SKRETTING TO TEST NOVONUTRIENTS NOVEL PROTEIN INGREDIENTS NovoNutrients, a Silicon Valley based innovator making protein through carbon

capture and utilisation, has been selected to test at Skretting’s Aquaculture Research Centre facilities, bringing ever closer their shared objective of removing barriers to sustainably fed, affordable food by 2025.

NovoNutrients is among a handful of sustainable innovations given a pioneering level of support within Skretting. The explicit goal is striking a procurement contract through which Skretting would commit to purchases of NovoNutrients’ feed ingredients.

“Through cooperation with industry leader, Skretting, NovoNutrients’ path to largescale manufacturing and adoption is greatly smoothed and shortened. We are thrilled to see this deep push for nutrition innovation. We can feed fish and also push quickly to offer our protein to plantbased meat companies, supplementing or replacing their use of soy and peas,” said NovoNutrients CEO, David Tze.

Now, NovoNutrients is progressing forward with the testing of their protein product within Skretting’s ingredient development process. In September 2020, the first product sample of bacterial protein meal is being shipped to Skretting from NovoNutrients’ Silicon Valley lab. In 2021, samples will originate from one or both of NovoNutrients’ emissions pilot projects, which are planned for the US and Japan, in the value chains for energy, steel, and concrete.

NovoNutrients transforms industrial emissions that are primarily carbon dioxide (CO2) into additives and highperformance protein ingredients, initially for fast-growing fish and shrimp feed markets.

Brian Sefton, CTO and founder, explains. “Aquaculture often relies on feeding fish to fish, in the form of fish meal and fish oil ingredients. That supply is limited, volatile, and expensive.

To keep aqua feed production from being undersupplied with the nutrients it needs and

JOHN DEERE NAMED A SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE LEADER By showing farmers in India alternatives to traditional farming methods we're helping them achieve a better living while also making the world around them sustainably better.

Our Samruddhi Project, a joint initiative with the Centre for Advanced Research & Development (CARD), which shows India's farmers updated farming methods, was featured by Bloomberg as it recognized John Deere as one of 50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders.

A video about the project features some of the farmers we've worked with. Samruddhi — now in its sixth year — has been

implemented around the cities of Dewas, Sirhind, Nagpur and Pune — all of which are communities with a John Deere facility.

The new agronomic methods shown to farmers not only produce significantly bigger yields but also save water. The increased income has made it possible for farmers to provide schooling for their children.

Arun Pandey, John Deere's Citizenship Program director for

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Asia, said the Samruddhi Project's success is about delivering lasting results.

"When a community starts sustaining the benefit of interventions even without the support of John Deere and CARD. That's when we'll know it has made a difference," Pandey said.

September-October 2020

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News potentially limiting growth in the aquaculture sector, less costly additives and proteins are needed to make fish feed.

Our gas fermentation process is anchored by low blendedcost, massive-scale feedstocks: waste CO2, as well as mixed gas containing hydrogen. The gases grow up our fastdoubling bacterial meal strains, which are natural, have 70%+ protein, and, optionally, integrated additives.”

SPACE 2020: AN ADAPTED EDITION TO THE CONTEXT For its 34th edition, from September 15 to 18, SPACE

2020 was held in an unprecedented and essentially digital version. The Show could not take place in its usual form due to the Covid-19 pandemic. After the decision of its cancellation in its physical form announced in May, the organizers have implemented and strengthened many digital tools to maintain the link between members of its community, exhibitors and visitors.

SPACE traditionally brings together more than 1,400 exhibitors, a third of whom are international, and more than 100,000 visitors, including 15,000 from 120 different countries. These participants

were able and still can stay in touch by organizing B2B meetings thanks to the platform available on the "SPACE 2020 Rennes" mobile app and on www.space.fr. The functionalities of this mobile app and of the website have been developed consequently to offer many services to their users: the presentation of nearly 1,000 exhibiting companies registered for this edition with more than 800 products featured, a program of 85 conferences, the description of the 26 products awarded by Innov'Space this year, the top 100 of the most memorable award-winning innovations over the past 25 years, replays

TORO LAUNCHES FLEX CONNECT™ LAYFLAT CONNECTION SYSTEM Toro is pleased to announce the Flex Connect Layflat Connection System, a differentiated line of fittings and tools to connect drip tape to layflat hose. This exciting new fitting line from Toro’s agricultural business makes installing layflat fittings easier and more flexible.

“Ordinary layflat fittings can be cumbersome and time consuming to install and reuse in the field,” says Sky Anderson, Toro product manager. “But thanks to an

incredibly innovative fitting design, Toro’s new Flex Connect fittings make installation and reuse fast and easy, with less labor and maintenance. Plus, the handy installation tool creates a firm seal every time, and significantly reduces leaking.”

Flex Connect is also an excellent alternative to hose with preinstalled fittings. Flex Connect fittings come equipped with a removable layflat eye connection and an optional seal cap, so growers can choose any spacing – or even change the spacing later – while ensuring the layflat can be re-rolled flat for easy moving and storage.

Hose with pre-installed fittings force growers into one specific spacing, which can be challenging for non-square or irregular-shaped fields.

Advantages of Flex Connect include: • More spacing flexibility than hose with pre-installed

16 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

fittings • Perfect for non-square fields or reused layflat • Fast and easy installation * • Less leaking * • Flexible and convenient • Removable fitting and seal cap enable layflat to be easily re-rolled • Wide range of configurations • Includes valves, multiple tape nut connection options, and 5/8” and 7/8” drip tape IDs * compared to ordinary layflat fittings “As an innovator in the irrigation industry, Toro provides a full line of creative, innovative, and valueadded solutions,” says Ralf San Jose, marketing director for Toro Ag. “Toro’s new Flex Connect Layflat Connection System is another example of our commitment to innovation. This new line of layflat fittings and tools is truly inventive and helps growers maximize performance, flexibility and profitability.”

September-October 2020

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

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

Mulch mats for weed protection

Small mulch mats

Elastic mulch mat

Packing and transportation

Arrangement and transportation

Arrangement and transportation

Packing and transportation

Metal trunk shaping rings

ARBO®-STRONG

ARBO®-SAUNA

100% jute container in 270-360 g/m2 density

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

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

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

News of animations and programs, a showcase of the breeds announced in the spotlight this year: the Normande and the Blonde d'Aquitaine, SPACE TV video reports by Web-agri...

SPACE was also the first Agricultural Show to launch its Podcast platform. These programs are available on the website, on the mobile app and on the major podcast platforms

to discover programs on employment in agriculture, the history of the changing farming practices in cattle, and poultry livestock, but also in agromachinery with a particular focus on the tractor.

This digital version have been set up thanks to the adaptability of its organization to deal with this crisis in a reactive and anticipated way.

Digital allows us to maintain a link but it does not replace the wealth of exchanges that can take place in the showground.

This digital package will be complementary for the years to come. The organizers will meet you from September 14 to 17, 2021 to share it again together at the Parc-Expo exhibition centre in Rennes, France.

VDL TAKES OVER JANSEN POULTRY EQUIPMENT

VDL Groep strengthens its position in the agricultural sector. The industrial family business with its head office in Eindhoven has taken over Jansen Poultry Equipment.

JPE is one of the world's largest manufacturers of high-quality poultry systems for the laying, breeding and broiler sectors. The profitable family business from Barneveld (Province of Gelderland) has about 125 employees and its 2019 annual turnover was more than 50 million euros.

Jansen specialises in the development and manufacturing of systems that are vital to the poultry sector, from housing systems, egg transport systems, unloading systems, air washers and heat exchangers to manure drying systems. These sophisticated systems, manufactured in-house from design to finished product, including service and maintenance,

aim to improve the chickens' wellbeing and health, leading to better production results for the business owner. JPE has a global dealer network and operates in more than 80 countries.

VDL considers JPE a welcome addition to the products of VDL Agrotech, a specialist in automated feeding systems for livestock and poultry farmers, as well as a supplier of entire livestock systems.

With JPE among its ranks, VDL will be a more complete provider for the international poultry market, a highly promising sector. The market is increasingly looking for a broadly oriented partner who can supply systems for both the egg and meat sectors.

VDL Agrotech and Jansen Poultry Equipment have been working together for years now. This takeover will further intensify the strength through cooperation

18 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

between VDL Agrotech and Jansen Poultry Equipment. ‘Despite the many challenges due to the current conditions, this takeover is just right for us. We're convinced JPE and VDL will reinforce each other,’ says President and CEO of VDL Groep, Willem van der Leegte.

Ab Jansen, founder of JPE: ‘I'm proud and thrilled about the fact that this takeover allows my employees to continue to work for a family business. It also offers long-term continuity for the business in Barneveld. I'm looking forward to intensifying the collaboration with VDL, which will largely hold on to our existing policy.’ Ab Jansen will continue to use his extensive knowledge and expertise in an advisory role. Brian van Hooff, Managing Director of VDL Agrotech, will also be managing JPE.

September-October 2020

News BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM ANIMAL HEALTH LAUNCHES VACCINE TO PROTECT POULTRY FROM THREE DISEASES Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health launched an innovative, first-of-its-kind vaccine in the United States to protect poultry from three diseases.

VAXXITEK® HVT+IBD+ILT is the first vaccine to offer protection in one shot from Infectious Laryngotracheitis, Marek’s Disease and Infectious Bursal Disease (classic and variant types).

“This new trivalent vaccine provides a strong immune foundation, optimizes protection for flocks and offers reliable protection,” said Matt Nelson, who leads Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health’s U.S. poultry business.

The three-in-one vaccine is the latest addition in the VAXXITEK® family of vaccines for poultry. It uses the same bioengineering platform as VAXXITEK® HVT+IBD, which has protected more than 100 billion birds from Marek’s Disease and Infectious Bursal Disease in more than 75 countries since its introduction in 2006.

Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT) is an acute viral respiratory disease in poultry caused by Gallid herpesvirus type 1. There is no effective treatment for ILT, and the virus persists in affected birds for life. The disease can cause major economic losses.

An existing, non-vectored vaccine from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health protects against ILT. The new trivalent is a vectored vaccine that provides protection against ILT along with two other health threats for

September-October 2020

URBAN FRESH FARMS LAUNCHES NEW ZIPGROW FACILITY IN DUBAI With more than 80% of food being imported into the UAE, Urban Fresh Farms, Dubai’s newest indoor vertical hydroponic farm from ZipGrow™, is doing its part to contribute to a more sustainable local food system.

A 1,000 square foot ZipGrow™ ZipFarm™ was recently installed in Urban Fresh Farm’s facility in the Industrial centre of Dubai and will soon be producing pesticide free fresh herbs and leafy greens for the local market.

Urban Fresh Farms is a new company, founded by people who always had an interest in sustainable agriculture but thought they did not have the knowledge or financial backing to get into the industry.

“We, as a group, always found vertical farming really interesting and knew there would be a strong demand for it in the Dubai area”, said Scott Naude, co-founder of Urban Fresh Farms. “We were hesitant to jump in at first, but the combination of ZipGrow’s technology and ongoing training, the increasing demand for higher quality and fresh produce, and the Middle East’s booming tech sector all aligned perfectly for us to begin this venture.”

As with the rest of the world, COVID19’s impact on the local supply chain has also impacted the Dubai area, with food selections being limited in local grocery stores during the peak of lockdowns.

“Around the world we are hearing from all our growers that food retailers are actively looking for local food goods to supply”, explains Eric Lang,

poultry: Marek’s Disease and Infectious Bursal Disease.

The company will manufacture its new vaccine in Gainesville, Georgia, where it makes 60 billion doses of poultry vaccine a year for use in the United

President of ZipGrow Inc. “We are also hearing from government’s around the world, including in the UAE, who want to actively seek out ways to reduce supply chain lengths to ensure a more consistent and high-quality food stream.”

Hydroponic growing, as an industry, is still recently new to the Middle East region. The UAE government is a leader in the Middle East region, and in 2018 launched a National Food Security Strategy 2051, led by the Minister of State for Food and Water Security, Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Al Mheiri. This strategy aims to increase local food production in the UAE, while simultaneously maximizing the use of modern technologies to bring fresh and sustainable food to the region.

“There's also a demand for healthy eating options and this has given rise to a number of excellent meal plan services and all-in-one meal ingredient boxes which in turn is creating a need for the best, freshest vegetables to be readily available” adds Naude. “We’re planning on starting out growing primarily herbs such as basil, parsley and coriander, and hope to have our first crop available in December.”

States and about 60 other countries.

After launching in the United States, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health plans to seek regulatory approval to offer VAXXITEK® HVT+IBD+ILT in other countries.

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

19

Irrigation

RDI ESTABLISHES ITS NEW REGIONAL HUB FOR R&D AND PRODUCTION IN ABU DHABI Author: Tam Le

M

uch has happened, since Responsive Drip Irrigation (RDI) won the "Best Innovation by a Startup" Award at the 2019 Global Forum for Innovation.

A global pandemic has been reshaping our world. This crisis has touched lives in every nation, indiscriminately destroying families, businesses and economies in countries around the world. The disruption in supply chains revealed the fragile nature of our current

20 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

systems and practices. A focus on internal food security and addressing future global threats, like water scarcity, climate change, and increasing food shortages suddenly became more real.

In the past 18 months, RDI was adopted and is now being used in projects in 14 countries.

The question is “Why would RDI, a small company that’s a new player amongst the giants that have dominated the irrigation market, be catapulted

to the forefront during 2020?”

The answer is simple: RDI GrowStream™ is a disruptive technology that diverges from the standard systems that have failed to keep up with growing population demands and that have continued with practices that are depleting and degrading the planet’s natural resources.

RDI GrowStreamTM provides solutions for food security, water scarcity, soil health, and climate change around

September-October 2020

Irrigation the world.

In Africa, the conversion to RDI Growstream™ from hydroponic systems used in vertical farming in greenhouses has resulted in reductions in water use, lower labor and energy costs; while producing earlier harvest and higher yields. (see Abuja, Nigeria vertical trays picture).

GrowStream™ is enabling smallholder farmers and refugees in camps to obtain high yields for diverse crops on 1-2 hectare farms using RDI’s plant-responsive irrigation system that is operated from a raised water tank.

RDI is the solution to increase food production and local food security. In late 2019 and early 2020, comparative vegetable trials in Pakistan, revealed yield increases of more than 300% obtained using GrowStream™ versus standard drip irrigation. Since then, Pakistan’s National Agricultural Research Center and Pakistan’s Agricultural Research Council have begun new field trials using GrowStream™. (see photo of field vegetables in Pakistan).

Regional projects will be started September through

October 2020: Quetta (tunnel vegetables), Mustung (pistachio orchard), Karachi for Peri Urban agriculture, and vegetables in Chulistan desert, Lasbela, and Sindh Province (saline water use).

Responsive Drip Irrigation has established its new regional hub for R&D and production in Abu Dhabi. With the support of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), the R&D center is a monumental step for RDI and its plantresponsive water and nutrient delivery system. Leveraging this incredible technology, RDI's mission is to "facilitate changes to conserve water, eliminate world hunger, and ensure a sustainable future."

And with Abu Dhabi's continued leadership in innovation and vision for global sustainability, the investment and partnership will boldly tackle some of the largest global issues.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) lists 17 countries as experiencing "extremely high" levels of baseline water stress… 12 are located in the MENA region. RDI GrowStream™ responds to plant root signals, delivering water and nutrients on-demand to each and every

Vertical farming in greenhouse in Abuja, Nigeria: Produced 30-40% increase in yield versus hydroponic methods

September-October 2020

plant. This incredible new system has even more benefits for hyper-arid climates like Abu Dhabi (sandy soil + extreme heat = some the toughest environments to efficiently grow crops).

Water is easily and quickly lost either to percolation (through the sandy soil) or evaporation (from the high temps). By delivering water only when the plant calls for it and directly to the roots, RDI GrowStream™ provides water-efficiency that no other technology can match.

The pandemic has revealed the challenges of a globalized food system and highlighted the need for sustainable, healthy, and locally produced food. RDI has launched projects throughout the USA, Europe, Africa, and western Asia, and recently begun work with a major supplier to NGO’s.

Australia is launching the RDI system this Fall, as they start their growing season.

Globally, RDI is demonstrating another major benefit: crop diversity. Any farmer can now easily grow a variety of diverse crops because of GrowStream’s™ nature-driven water delivery

RESPONSIVE DRIP IRRIGATION IS COMMITTED TO BUILDING A GREENER TOMORROW FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, THERE IS HOPE FOR RECOVERY FROM THIS GLOBAL CRISIS. WE JUST NEED TO PLANT THE SEED.

Capsicum in Kenya

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

21

Irrigation system. Expert knowledge of flow rates and crop water requirements are no longer needed to grow high-quality, commercial-grade produce.

This crop diversity builds resilience for growers and gives the ability to meet shifting market demands. RDI’s new R&D center will focus on studying regional crop varieties, as well as, new crops not typically grown locally, establishing best practices for RDI GrowStream™ in hyperarid climates.

In just the last 40 years, onethird of the planet's arable land has been lost due to erosion or pollution. RDI’s technology promotes regenerative agriculture - a holistic approach to farming that seeks to build healthy soil, increase biodiversity, and ensure the land can be farmed by future generations. RDI GrowStream™ works in the rhizosphere and can uniquely deliver a new breed of organic, natural soil amendments and enhancements.

With many regional initiatives

Pakistan bitter gourd field trial: 1-week earlier harvest & 50% higher yield with less water – Trial ongoing into Fall

22 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

to convert desert landscapes into green cities, RDI will help drive the sustainable development of these cities and their green living spaces, in addition to improving soil health to develop new areas suitable for crop production.

To help achieve Abu Dhabi’s vision for 2030, Responsive Drip Irrigation also plans to build the RDI Abu Dhabi Center for Global Sustainability.

Set to launch in 2021, this new state-of-the-art center will not only showcase RDI’s plantresponsive system, but will serve as an exhibition center for AgTech innovations and will provide educational programs and seminars on the latest methods and best practices for implementing plant-responsive technology, regenerative farming, utilization of reclaimed water, sustainable building materials, energy conservation, carbon sequestering, and factors to address climate change.

Ongoing plant and crop studies and research programs

will be performed, which will be open to the general public for touring and presentations.

The RDI Abu Dhabi Center for Global Sustainability will provide information and demonstrate the broad impact on water conservation, soil regeneration, and climate change that RDI’s plantresponsive technology will have across various sectors from crop production to landscape management, and even to eco-friendly buildings… all contributing to the global effort to create a future that is livable for generations to come.

Responsive Drip Irrigation is committed to building a greener tomorrow for generations to come.

Jan Gould, RDI's owner, believes "If we all work together, there is hope for recovery from this global crisis. We just need to plant the seed."

To learn more about RDI’s efforts in Abu Dhabi and how we can work together for a sustainable future, visit www.responsivedrip.com

Portugal: RDI produced a second commercial-grade watermelon harvest

September-October 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

September-October 2020

seedlings 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.

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

23

Vertical Farming

SCOTTISH TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE ONE OF EUROPE’S LARGEST VERTICAL FARMS

I

GS has recently announced a significant export deal with experienced French urban agriculturalists, Jungle.

The multi-million-pound deal will introduce IGS indoor growing platforms to Jungle’s operations, initially outside Paris, to grow a variety of crops to supply major French retailers.

The first growth towers will be in production by early 2021, scaling incrementally to a minimum of 17 towers by the end of 2021. Jungle will grow a range of herbs and salads to supply select retailers across France. The company will utilise the patented IGS plug-and-play vertical farming platform to widen its portfolio and produce new varieties through an ongoing programme of crop trials.

Jungle’s indoor growing operations will also develop a

24 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

variety of botanicals to provide natural ingredients to a world-leading flavour and fragrance business.

Jungle’s ethos is focused on sustainable food production, with superior quality of crops grown through a more efficient model, re-localising the supply chain, considerably reducing waste and using no chemicals. With extensive experience in the indoor growing space, the company has achieved recognition in the highly competitive retail market in France for the quality of its produce.

To increase the scale of production sustainably, while maintaining its commitment to high-quality, delicious and pesticide-free produce, the company conducted an extensive search to identify the best technology partner.

After a thorough and

competitive review of the market, IGS was selected as the most economically viable and environmentally friendly system capable of meeting Jungle’s requirements to reach the industrial scale required by its customers. IGS offers its customers a highly controllable platform, designed to maximise productivity whilst minimising energy and water consumption.

When completed, the ninemetre-high growth towers will be housed alongside a 1,500 m2 service area on Jungle’s site outside Paris. This will provide approximately 5,200 m2 of growing space, producing up to 425 tonnes per annum when fully operational, making it one of the largest vertical farms in Europe.

For more information, visit www.intelligentgrowthsolutions.com

September-October 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

September-October 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

25

Peat Moss xxxxxxxxxxx

AT LAMBERT PEAT MOSS,

QUALITY IS A PRIORITY

F

or over 90 years, Lambert Peat Moss, family-owned business, has been acknowledged as a leader in the sphagnum peat moss industry and a steward of the environment. Their devotion and passion for their products makes the perfect partner, whether you are a professional grower or an amateur horticulturist. Wellknown for their ability to quickly adapt to the customer’s requests and special needs, Lambert’s success is based on its preoccupation for quality

26 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

control and consistency of their products.

At Lambert, quality is a priority; that’s why we maintain a complete in-house quality control laboratory. Our agronomists and engineers have developed rigorous standards and procedures to make sure that every cubic foot of product leaving the yard complies with our strict standards. We reassess quality control procedures regularly to increase product quality. To comply with chemical standards, we sample products constantly

and analyze for pH and EC. We also analyze particle size distribution, porosity and moisture content, and we frequently measure the yield and firmness of our bags.

Finally, we run random greenhouse tests to evaluate our products performance.

But the true pillar of Lambert’s success is its people. Our technical staff of experienced agronomists and soil technicians is always ready to help and advise our customers with any questions they may have. In addition, our sales team is

September-October 2020

Peat Moss

comprised of industry veterans who truly love what they do and strive for customer success.

Lambert offers a large selection of professional & retail growing mixes as well as selected premium types of Canadian sphagnum peat moss for specific uses and productions. The “LM” and “GFM” series are professional growing substrates that use Canadian Peat Moss as a base to provide growers with a superior and consistent growing media. These mixes can use other components that may include perlite, vermiculite, coir, Ecopeat and composted bark. Lambert also produces organic mixes (OMRI Listed) for germination, growing or especially for crop that require high drainage.

September-October 2020

Lambert Peat Moss also offers commercial growers its exclusive ECOPEAT, a highly fibrous natural wood fiber collected from our peat bogs.

Depending on the characteristics you’re looking for, choose from our ECOPEAT as a stand-alone product or from our complete line of ready-to-use ECOPEAT Mixes (EPM). If you need exceptional balance of air space and water-holding capacity, with superior longevity and minimal shrinkage, EPM will be the best product to look for.

In order to surpass and meet the needs of its clients, Lambert proposes the possibility to customize all its «Standard» Professional PeatBased Substrates and gives the option to custom blend virtually any formulation that suits the growers. Depending on the characteristics the producer is looking for, he can choose the peat grade, adjust the pH (up or down), include a moisture content, a nutrient charge, a organic-approved inputs, biologicals or diseasesuppressive products. We can

provide endless possibilities to fulfill any grower’s expectations. Lambert can assist retailers to develop their own private label of retail potting mixes and landscape soils for the horticultural market.

Lambert proudly holds the VeriFlora® – Certified Peatland Products certification for responsible peatland management since 2011. This certification program is the industry’s most important standard. Compliancy with this program guarantees a firm commitment to ongoing improvement in the production of substrates for horticultural growth and sustainable practices.

The Lambert family and its employees take pride in providing customers with the highest quality of peat products and peat-based mixes while simultaneously nurturing the land that it harvests from.

From our family to yours, we are honored to be at the root of your success since 1928.

For more information, please visit www.lambertpeatmoss.com

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

27

Fertilizers

FERTILIZER NPK NUMBERS: HOW DO THEY WORK?

A

lmost all sorts of fertilizers have prominently mentioned three numbers on their labelling. You may be wondering what these numbers mean.

Well, all fertilizer products must provide information to make clear what the product does, so

users can compare the sorts of fertilizers easily. This three numbers can tell you a lot about the fertilizer and makes you understand what kind of fertilizer it is.

NPK The numbers are NPK values.

The NPK ratio is the proportion of three important crop nutrients in order: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). They represent the percentage of these nutrients in the fertilizer and are always listed in the same order. For example, our Organic Fertilizer 4-3-3 is a fertilizer with 4% nitrogen, 3% phosphorus and 3% potassium, in addition to its other beneficial ingredients. In addition to the NPK values, Ferm O Feed also specifies the percentage of organic matter (OM) per fertilizer. For example: Organic Fertilizer 4-3-3-65 OM. Why these three?

Of course, a crop needs nutrients to survive. The crop needs larger quantities of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) than any other plant nutrients. Most of the nutrients are provided by the soil, but soils varies tremendously in nutrient amounts, soil type, pH and nutrient availability. Also, every sort of crop has a different need for nutrients. This is why there are specific fertilizers for certain types of crops, making the right choice for a suitable fertilizer so important. For example, our Organic Fertilizer 4-10-2 has a higher amount of phosphorus, which is very

28 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

suitable for a phosphate-poor and alkaline soil (high pH).

Of course, it is also possible that a certain crop only needs a low amount of one of these nutrients. If your crop has a lot of leaves, such as gras, lettuce and spinach, nitrogen is certainly needed, but phosphorus can largely be left out. The text below makes clear why this is.

How N-P-K affects crops • Nitrogen (N) mainly affects vegetative growth and general health. Nitrogen ensures that leaves can grow. It is a nutrient that gives leaves their green colour and makes leaves produces oxygen.

Nitrogen deficiency is recognized by the yellowing of leaves and slowing or stopping of growth.

Excess of nitrogen is recognized by extremely fast growth, resulting in long and weak shoots with dark green leaves.

• Phosphorus (P) is largely responsible for root growth and fruit and flower development.

Phosphorus is used more heavily during blooming and seed set. Phosphorus is easily unavailable to crops when the pH is slightly unbalanced. It is released in soil through decomposing organic matter.

Phosphorus deficiency is recognized by dull green leaves and purplish stems.

• Potassium (K) is important for general health of plants.

Potassium is also known to help with disease resistance. It also stimulates root growth and the development of the trunk.

For more information, visit www.fermofeed.com

September-October 2020

Growth Management

PLANT EMPOWERMENT AT THE CORE OF TEAM AUTOMATOES’ STRATEGY: NEW ALGORITHM DEVELOPMENT

A

n optimized growth climate is essential to optimize crop growth.

According to the principles of Plant Empowerment, crop growth is determined by the three plant balances. Therefore the greenhouse climate needs to support the crop to keep it’s balances in balance at all times. Team AuTomatoes used the principles of Plant Empowerment in their growth strategy during the Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge. They won the Challenge because they focused on the plant and it’s balances when developing their algorithms and solutions for growers.

So how did they do this?

According to Silke Hemming, Head Scientific Research of Team Greenhouse Technology at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), who is considered the driving force behind the competition, also indicated Plant Empowerment was a strong element in the strategy of team AuTomatoes.

“Centering all actions around the plant, that is what growing a crop is about. When you find a balance between the growth factors your crop performs well. And up until today, a well performing plant has always brought more income than costs for the resources you put in.”

Various algorithms were developed to support the plant balances. For example the Irrigation Optimization algorithm that stops irrigation in time to reach the desired amount of dry-back after a certain amount of time. The AI model makes

September-October 2020

sure that the crop receives the optimal amount of water, while at the same time it avoids saturation of the slab during periods with little or no light, to maintain all beneficial parameters, such as oxygen and microorganisms.

Another example is the Ventilation Optimization Control algorithm that controls the vent positions according to the desired setpoints for temperature and humidity. In addition, the Temperature Optimization Control algorithm realizes the right balance between the light sum and average 24-hour temperature.

Together these algorithms allowed the team to optimize the average temperature in

their greenhouse, and therefore the crop’s usage of assimilates.

In addition to these algorithms team AuTomatoes also developed a new sensor, called the Light Penetration Ladder. This sensor measures the amount of light in the greenhouse at three levels: at the top, middle, and bottom of the crop. These measurements provide insights in the actual amount of light that is penetrating the canopy, and is received by the leaves on different levels in the crop. This can be used as the base for your leaf pruning strategy.

For more information, visit www.hoogendoorn.nl

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

29

Horti Systems

NEW RECORD-BREAKING TRANSPLANTER FOR VISSER HORTI SYSTEMS AT KWEKERIJ WOUTERS

V

isser Horti Systems takes the next technological step in transplanting; 48 wireless grippers which provide unprecedented speed and a user friendly design on all levels. The high flexibility provides growers with a machine which can produce almost any kind of concept required by retailers.

Kwekerij Wouters, a wellknown grower in the Netherlands with over 40 hectares of greenhouses, recently installed the newest Visser transplanting system.

By combining technological innovations with incorporated ideas from Kwekerij Wouters

30 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

about easy change overs, Visser is able to take the next step in the world of transplanting.

The new transplanter has unprecedented speed because of the wireless+ grippers, high versatility with up to 6 color combinations in a pot and great flexibility by enabling to change parts without the need for any tools. This makes it the most user friendly high capacity transplanting line in the world.

Watch what Frido Wouters has to say about their newest high tech upgrade!

In a matter of seconds By using new technologies the Visser gripper has been improved with greater

precision, higher speed, better gripping force and more durability. This new gripper will set a new industry standard. By using Wireless+ technology Wouters will not be restricted by cables or tubes and can replace the plant grippers in a matter of seconds.The servo controlled Wireless+ grippers can move independently up and down, which provides ultimate flexibility for transplanting different combinations and achieving high capacities.

Because of the Wireless+ technology, maintenance costs are reduced due to the lower number of moving parts.

The Pic-O-Mat GR-2700 has impressive speed, flexibility

September-October 2020

Horti Systems carriers all have the same width, the machines itself stays the same. The preinstalled settings makes finetuning redundant and the machine is ready to go at high speed after just changing the de-stacker and pot carriers.

and ease of use. 48 individually controlled grippers move with high speed and accuracy, up to 41.000 plants per hour. With the increased accuracy the plants shows zero signs of contact after transplanting.

This precision is one of the reasons why nursery Wouters chose for Visser Horti Systems.

Up to 6 different plants in a pot The newest transplanter uses an innovative multi-color system to place up to 6 different plants in a pot at high speed.

It’s possible to store up to 100 plant color combinations by using the Siemens touch screen. This enables you to switch products with just one touch. With the new multicolor system different colors light indicate where to put which plant, so the employees know exactly where to put the right trays. This assures the different plants are always placed at a fixed position in the pot.

a highly efficient carrier for the pots. Because Wouters runs pot sizes ranging from 12 cm to 27 cm, special pot carriers and de-stackers were developed to make a smooth and easy conversion to different pot sizes and plant types. Many modern machines still need micro adjustments while changing pot sizes but that is no longer required.

Because the different pot

About plant nursery Wouters Wouters has been using Visser equipment with great success since the previous generation of the Wouters family has founded the nursery. Again it is proved, that sharing knowledge creates the best ideas. With good communication and collaboration between the two companies Wouters can look back at a successful project, with one of the most impressive transplanting lines in the history of Visser Horti systems.

The complete line consists of a pot de-stacker, Versa Filler, drilling unit, Pic-O-Mat GR2700 Transplanter and an automated trolley loader.

For more information, visit www.visser.eu

Easy conversion to different pots sizes Visser and Wouters co-created

September-October 2020

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

31

Agricultural Drones

UAE’S ADOPTION OF DRONES IN AGRICULTURE

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AGRICULTURE DRONES MARKET ESTIMATED TO REACH AED30 BILLION BY 2026

he UAE’s adoption of drones in agriculture has made it one of the firsts in the world to integrate technology in food security and environmental protection, according to Falcon Eye Drones Services (FEDS), the Middle East’s leading and one of the world’s top Drone-As-A-Service (DaaS) companies.

FEDS’ statement comes on the heels of the announcement of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, that the UAE is amongst the first in the region to prioritise environmental protection and climate change as part of its food sustainability programme on a national scale.

Earlier, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, also stressed the value of utilising agricultural technology approach—also known as AgTech—to enhance homegrown food production.

Underscoring how the UAE has been a pioneer in the region for massive droneplanting initiatives, FEDS CEO Rabih Bou Rashid emphasised how drones are revolutionising the agricultural sector in response to rapidly evolving needs of our time and how technology-driven projects in the country have proven that

32 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

drones are a more costeffective and faster alternative to traditional farming methods being practised for millennia.

In partnership with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, FEDS had undertaken a massive drone seeding initiative in 2019 that saw the planting of 250,000 Ghaf seeds and 6 million Samar seeds in 150 square kilometres of land in a few days—a process that used to take decades to complete through traditional farming methods. This feat has made the UAE one of the very first countries in the world to conduct a drone-planting project on such an expansive scale.

“With the changing calls of our time, such as the repercussions of COVID-19 ringing in amongst nations to produce more of what they eat, countries see the need to explore newer solutions to boost their agricultural sector.

If we look at the future of farming in the UAE, drone systems would be as common as tractors, unleashing the benefits of precision agriculture to ramp up farming,” Bou Rashid said.

He added that drones’ ability to conduct seeding, land surveying initiatives will propel the UAE’s goal of environmental protection and National Food Security Strategy 2051.

Rabih Bou Rashid; CEO of FEDS

Food security has always been a key focus of the UAE. The country ranks 21st globally in the latest Global Food Security Index 2019 report, achieving a 10-place leap from 2018, and besting other nations in the West and in the Middle East.

With the existence of drones in examining vast array of farmlands in a matter of days, farmers can boost mobilisation in agriculture in a much shorter span of time, thereby increasing local food production at a stauncher pace, according to Bou Rashid.

“From capturing aerial imagery to assess plant health, weeds and assets, to determining the optimum

September-October 2020

Agricultural Drones

A FEDS pilot preparing to propel a professional drone, which will be used for field inspection

areas for crop growth, drones become an eye in the sky for agriculture. As we speak, drones flying across acres of land optimise the use of inputs such as seeds, fertilisers and water in an efficient and speedy manner.

Not only do they save time and scarce resources, they also secure high-yield and quality crops,” he explained.

Citing Market Study Report, Bou Rashid pointed out that the agriculture drones’ market is estimated to reach $8 billion by 2026, which clearly indicates that drones will be highly employed in the agricultural sector, especially in countries such as the UAE, where AgTech is seen as a

September-October 2020

catalyst for increased food production.

Through decades, the resources available to the agriculture sector across the UAE have grown significantly.

From only having 634 agriculture holdings in 1971, it had grown 38-fold to 24,018.

Over the same period, available arable land had increased from 22,377 to 749,868 dunums (a dunum is roughly 0.1 hectare), due to the country’s relentless efforts to support local farmers in the adoption of new farming technologies that now see the inclusion of drone systems.

Moreover, FEDS underscored that with Dubai’s new drone law that eliminates a major

barrier in utilising the full potential of drones in various sectors including agriculture, it will become much easier for this technology to further propel the country’s food security goals.

“The new drone law mirrors the UAE’s tenacious drive to thrust science and technology, reaching greater heights that will bring in vast opportunities across various sectors—most especially agriculture. There is no doubt that the government’s interest in drones will bring about tremendous advancement in its food security initiatives,” Bou Rashid said.

For more information, visit www.feds.ae

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

33

Agricultural Machinery

NEW FEATURES FOR CARGOS DUAL-PURPOSE AND FORAGE TRANSPORT WAGONS

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ith new equipment options introduced for the 2021 season, CLAAS is significantly extending the versatility, productivity and user comfort of its dual-purpose and forage transport wagons.

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ISOBUS operation with new CEMIS 700 All new CARGOS models with the BUSINESS equipment configuration can now be fitted with the ISOBUScompatible CEMIS 700

universal terminal. This replaces the COMMUNICATOR II control terminal. A 7-inch high-contrast colour display with touchscreen functionality and automatic day/night switch, 10 backlit hard keys

September-October 2020

Agricultural Machinery and a rotary/push switch provide optimum ease of operation. Further equipment features include a camera input for real-time images from up to two cameras and ISO 11783 compatibility, along with Aux-O and Aux-N and UT1 and UT2 functions.

More volume for the CARGOS 8400 Another new feature is a platform gate extension for the CARGOS 8400 dual-purpose wagon. This boosts the DIN loading volume by 2.5 m3 to 38 m3. Thanks to proven features of the CARGOS model series, such as the CLAAS double-bladed knife with its legendary durability and the significantly lowered hydraulic scraper floor, this means that CLAAS is now able to impress in this segment with a vehicle that is both very compact and extremely productive, whether for farms operating their own equipment or for contractors.

steering systems, CLAAS now also offers a mechanically controlled hydraulic positive steering system. This means it will now be possible for positive steering to also be fitted on CARGOS 700 machines with the TREND equipment configuration, whereas this was previously restricted solely to BUSINESS configuration machines.

The mechanical hydraulic positive steering system operates according to the displacement principle, with either one (tandem) or two master cylinders (tridem) on the drawbar, and a hydraulic unit with a high-volume pressure accumulator as overload protection. The master cylinders are attached on the tractor side on ScharmĂźller K50 ball hitches, and each is protected with a robust bolted-on guard plate.

There are also pivoting supports for the master cylinders. The steered axles are the last axle in a tandem chassis, and the first and last axles in a tridem chassis. When the machine is in operation the positive steering function is taken over by the tractor, with no permanent connection required. In addition, the system operates without any electronics. Mechanical operation of the hydraulic system allows optimum soil protection during reversing manoeuvres, and provides excellent trailing alignment on both level and sloping terrain.

Operation of the positive steering system requires a tractor hitch according to ISO 26402.

For more information, visit www.claas.com

Another positive steering alternative in the CARGOS 700 model series For forage transport wagons in the CARGOS 700 model series, along with the existing passive steering and electronically controlled hydraulic positive

September-October 2020

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

35

Farming Equipment

KOPPERT INTRODUCES NATUTEC DRIVE airborne biocontrol release system, Natutec Drone, are steadily helping an increasing number of growers to professionalize the biological control of their crops, Natutec Drive will improve the dispersal of our predatory mites and other insects from a tractor or other suitable vehicle.

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he latest in the series of Natutec associated technologies for agriculture and horticulture – Natutec Drive – now offers growers a dispersal system that makes the release of beneficial insects even more accurate, evenly spread and labour-saving. While Koppert’s Natutec Scout and the

36 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com

Customized vehicle or on existing farming equipment Natutec Drive is a tool with patented technology that makes it possible to apply all beneficials in various carrier materials from a moving vehicle via ventilated air tubes to the crop. The essential part of Natutec Drive is a ‘box’ with tubes that effectively distributes our predatory mites and other insects in the correct dosage and uniformly over multiple crop rows.

Koppert has taken great care to ensure that the Natutec Drive module can be used as a customized vehicle or on existing farming equipment, no matter what crop system.

The main function of the device is to achieve the most effective pest control by technically optimizing the success of our biocontrol products. It also results in significant labour and cost

saving benefits for growers and is completely safe.

At present, Natutec Drive is being used mainly for the biocontrol of pests in strawberries in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany. Trials on citrus have also started in Spain.

Natutec Drive trials are now underway in a number of different crops and in a growing number of countries.

Optimizing technology ‘Growers want their employees picking strawberries in the field and not doing extra hours walking through the crop to apply biocontrol products manually,’ says Natutec Product Manager, Tom Vroegop. ‘Besides being very accurate and ensuring a uniform distribution of beneficials, Natutec Drive will also save growers a great deal of time and expense in the future. Tests have conclusively proved its effectiveness in the field and we have a growing number of testimonials from our customers. During the development of this technology, great care was taken to ensure that this is a healthy and safe way for applying our products.’

For more information, visit www.koppert.com

September-October 2020

Egg Grading

PRIORITY ON FOOD SAFETY

NEW MOBA OMNIA XF2 GRADING MACHINE

M

oba, the world’s leading producer of high-quality integrated systems for the grading, packaging and processing of consumption eggs, introduces its new extension in the Omnia grader family: the Omnia XF2. The XF2 has a new and improved infeed system and new hygienic features. With a capacity from 45,000 to 255,000 eggs per hour the Omnia XF2 series is now available in all capacities.

The Omnia XF2 grading machine has a new infeed system. The infeed has an open frame design which makes it easy to access during cleaning.

The infeed can be foamed and high pressure cleaned.

With food safety in mind the XF2 offers new features: • Infeed: open frame construction for cleaning • The orientator grippers can be cleaned out of place

September-October 2020

• The packer parts can be cleaned out of place All Omnia graders (XF2/FT/ PX) are now available in all capacities.

The Omnia grader reaches for top efficiency, food safety and strong service network for a worry-free operation.

About Moba Group Established in 1947, Moba is the world’s leading producer of high-quality integrated systems for the grading, packaging and processing of eggs. Headquartered in Barneveld, the Netherlands, Moba has a product development department of approximately 100 employees and a factory in which the production of the machines takes place. Total staff amounts to 850. Moba is always close to its customers thanks to its global sales and service network, which

encompasses offices in Japan, Italy, China, Malaysia, Dubai, the UK, Germany, France, and the US, as well as support from agents and distributors.

The vision of Moba is to enable food producers worldwide to feed consumers around the world with healthy and affordable egg-based food.

Moba is developing from a producer of egg grading machines to a technology company that develops highquality integrated systems for the egg industry. Moba supports its customers with intelligent solutions that ensure the highest yield, reduction of costs, and the efficient utilization of resources such as energy, water, and animal nutrition. Every day, Moba’s systems process around one billion eggs worldwide.

For more information, visit www.moba.net

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

37

Dairy

AL AIN FARMS, FIRST UAE FARM TO PLEDGE COMMITMENT TO ANIMAL WELFARE

A AL AIN FARMS PLEDGES TO ENSURE THE BEST CARE FOR THEIR COWS, CONSCIOUSLY DELIVERING THE FRESHEST AND TASTIEST MILK TO ALL UAE CUSTOMERS

l Ain Farms, UAE’s first and largest locally integrated dairy brand, announces its Animal Welfare Pledge, making a clear commitment to protect and ensure the wellbeing of each of its 15,000 cows. The promise is part of Al Ain Farms’ dedication to continue to provide the best environment and living standards for their cows through constantly improving policies and processes across their spacious farms built in Al Ain desert, in the heart of the UAE. As part of its ongoing strategy to support UAE’s National Food Security Programme and National Food Security Strategy 2051, Al Ain Farms brings the highest standards of dairy farming to the local market. With this in mind, the brand has introduced the five pillars under the #AlAinFarmsWelfarePledge: • Cows will be provided a living environment of the highest standards and

Willem van Walt Meijer, CEO of Al Ain Farms

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companionship • Every cow is ensured a diet of premium quality feed meeting its individual specific requirements • Al Ain Farms commits to protecting each cow from pain, suffering, injury and disease • Every day access to outdoor fields and spaces is every animal’s right • Each cow will be treated with care and compassion by Al Ain Farms’ staff & employees To meet rigorous welfare standards, Al Ain Farms is equipped with specialized houses, milking parlors, young stock sheds, open-air hay stores and commodity barns which are spread over an open-air farm in the middle of the Al Ain desert.

Keeping the cows stressfree is one of the main goals of Al Ain Farms. One of the most effective ways this is achieved in challenging climates is with the use of specialized cooling systems

installed across the farms to keep the cows free from heat exposure while they enjoy the outdoors at the temperatures that are optimal for them.

Ensuring best in class feed, Al Ain Farms uses EZfeed, a highly sophisticated system for feeding.

Announcing the Al Ain Farms Welfare Pledge, CEO of Al Ain Farms Willem van Walt Meijer said, “Creating and sustaining growth in the dairy industry goes hand in hand with the constant elevation of highquality standards. Our livestock is at the heart of our business, therefore, by announcing the Al Ain Farms Welfare Pledge we aim to ensure our healthy and happy cows produce the healthiest and tastiest milk for our customers. ‘Made with love locally’ is not only our brand motto but more importantly, it a commitment we enforce in our corporate strategy.”

For more information, visit www.alainfarms.com

September-October 2020

Feed Utilization

MAXIMIZING FEED UTILIZATION IS KEY TO REDUCING FEED COSTS

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ave you ever considered how well your cattle’s diet is performing? Is it being utilised as efficiently as possible? Feed represents up to 70% of beef and dairy production costs. If feed is not being utilised efficiently by the animal, it not only can be a considerable cost but can also lead to less milk produced in dairy cows or reduced weight gain in beef cattle.

Carrying out a simple digestion analysis, also called manure sieving, can provide information on how well the animals’ feed is being utilised while helping to identify the amount of undigested feed passing through the animal. Finding a lot of grains or large fibre particles in the manure can indicate that the feed is not being retained in the rumen for an adequate amount of time or that it is not fully utilised while there. The digestion analysis can provide information on rumen health or how well your cattle are digesting the diet. It can also help diagnose areas for improvement in both ration formulation and the management of the herd.

1. Assess Collect samples of manure from the herd and place them in the manure sieve.

Carry out a feed utilisation test on these samples, separate the sieves and examine the particles in each. Finally, evaluate the results.

2. Act Based on the feed utilisation results from the digestion analysis and the particles left at each level on the manure sieve, an Alltech specialist will review the existing diet and make recommendations, from management advice to diet reformulation. All recommendations can be compared nutritionally and by cost. The benefit to the farmer is better utilisation of the diet, resulting in better performance from essentially the same feed.

3. Reassess After two weeks of implementing the recommended advice, Alltech will re-evaluate feed utilisation with a second digestion analysis test. With feed costs representing up to 70% of beef and dairy production costs, knowing your animals’ diet is performing is essential to maximising profitability.

Alltech solutions are proven to help beef cattle achieve a higher health status and optimise feed use, resulting in increased and efficient weight gain.

Optigen® provides a consistent supply of protein in the rumen, helping increase feed utilisation, creating more energy for performance and reducing overall costs.

For more information, visit www.alltech.com

What happens in a digestion analysis test?

The digestion analyser is a stack of three sieves with increasingly smaller holes from top to bottom. The following steps can be completed with an Alltech specialist.

September-October 2020

www.gulfagriculture.com | Gulf Agriculture

39

Poultry

INTRA CHICKPAPER SUPPORTS INTESTINAL AND IMMUNE DEVELOPMENT

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he arrival of day-old chicks at the farm is a critical period at which husbandry practices can impact the development of the intestinal and immune system. Of many crucial practices, the laying of Intra Chickpaper to stimulate immediate feeding and drinking of the chicks is a practice that has been successfully adopted for many years.

The degree of growth of the modern broiler chicken highlights the importance of each day in the production cycle to achieve the target performance. It has been shown that chicks greatly benefit from early adequate access to feed and water (Jha et al. 2019). This is essential for the development of the gastrointestinal tract and the immune system of poultry.

Why is early access to feed and water essential?

The importance of early access to feed and water and

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its effect on growth performance and gut health have already been examined extensively (Ao et al. 2012; Bar et al. 2004; Batal and Parsons. 2002; Hollemans et al. 2018; Geyra et al. 2001).

For newly hatched chicks it is essential to get direct access to water and feed for optimal bodily development such as their digestive tract, and their immune and thermoregulatory systems.

Direct access gives a significant difference on villus length in the intestinal tract (duodenum, jejunum, ileum).

An increased villus height represents an increased digestive and absorptive function of the intestine due to increased absorptive surface area.

Egg yolk is the colostrum for young chicks not only is early access to water and feed important for gastrointestinal tract development but it also a major contributor for the chick’s immune development.

Contradictory to mammals

which can impact the immune development of their newborns even after parturition via colostrum, avian species can influence this only via the residual yolk.

Due to this restriction, all necessary immune factors need to be present in the residual yolk. The main fraction of proteins within a developing and fertilized egg is made up of maternal antibodies (Dibner et al., 1998). During incubation these maternal antibodies are generally not digested and can be found in the abdomen of new born chicks as residual yolk. This indicates that the proteins or immunoglobulins of the residual yolk is being used for passive immunity of the chicks. The maternal antibodies (dominantly IgY) present in the residual yolk sac provides the chick protection against infections until the chick’s immune system has matured.

For more information, visit www.intracare.nl

September-October 2020

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