JUNE 18 Cover.qxp_Sept 2004 Cover 19/05/2018 10:09 Page 1
June/July 2018
Sub-Saharan Africa: Report on the New Ag International Conference in Kenya
· Biopesticides & Biostimulants in Africa Data Management & Decision · Making in Precision Agriculture L e a d e r s’ P r o f i l e s • Compass Minerals (USA) • Netafim (Israel)
Plant Nutrition & Fertigation: Smart Solutions for Africa
Welcome to the IFA Annual Conference in Berlin, Germany, Info Ag in St Louis, USA and Crops & Chemicals, Raleigh, USA
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MESSAGE FROM EDITOR.qxp_MESSAGE FROM EDITOR (june) 29/05/2018 15:40 Page 1
A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR NEW AG INTERNATIONAL
SUSTAINABILITY GOES FURTHER THAN BIOLOGICALS! Not long ago, the Global Marketing Director of Koppert Biologicals Systems, Peter Maes, published a remarkable editorial that came out in a couple of online publications. Basically he is saying that sustainability goes further than biocontrol and that technology is due to play an increasing role in sustainability: Drones with cameras and sensors will soon be used to detect pest hotspots in the enormous areas of land devoted to outdoor crops. Other drones can then drop the natural enemies in exactly the right spots. His concluding remarks are “No romance, just science”! With this Peter of course points to the consumer, who has a romanticized notion of natural cultivation. “He or she thinks of the sun, the fresh air of the great outdoors, ladybirds, butterflies... and while there is nothing wrong with that image, it is definitely a romanticized version of reality. Ultimately, progress is made by following the path of research and science.”
Our 2nd Biocontrol LATAM Conference & Exhibition organised in conjunction with IBMA, will take place in Medellin, Colombia, during 14-16 November. Visit us at www.newaginternational.com to register and join the hundreds of people who believe that the future of sustainable and high-tech agriculture in Latin America is tremendous.
I am pleased to say that the whole team at New Ag International shares 200% what Peter thinks and the whole industry knows that this is our vision, be it the biocontrol industry, the biostimulants industry, the irrigation industry or the fertilizer industry! Actually, we had started to discuss the obvious link between Precision Ag and Biologicals application a few years ago, including with Peter. On concrete terms it translated into our magazines starting to cover Precision Ag in 2016, followed by our introduction of a Precision Ag session in our annual conference, followed by an opening keynote on Precision Ag at the World Congress on Biostimulants last November. Today, I am pleased to announce that we are going a step further with the launch of an Annual International Conference on Precision Agriculture in cooperation with IPNI (International Plant Nutrition Institute), which will be branded InfoAg International. The first edition will take place in Dublin in 2019, back-to-back with the 17th Annual New Ag International Conference & Exhibition. More details will follow very soon! Our World Congress on the Use of Biostimulants in Agriculture, last held in Miami in November 2017, will travel to Spain in 2019. It will mark the coming into practice – at least this is what everybody hopes, of the European Legislation on Biostimulants. There is no doubt that it will be an enormous success again. Now the question is which country/region is next for regulating biostimulants? Too early to say but what a great pleasure to see a definition of biostimulants – close to the European one by the way, appearing in the US Farm Bill earlier in April! A first step towards an EPA regulation within 2-3 years? Also in China we see a lot of meetings on biostimulants where the regulatory process is ‘in the driving seat’. We at New Ag International will be active in helping to transfer to any competent authority the scientific knowledge that is now supporting the claims of the industry for its products. In the meantime, 2018 has seen our first series of events in Africa, a continent where most of the high potential for high-tech & sustainable technologies is largely untapped. Following the Nairobi events we are pleased to bring you in this issue of the magazine a full report on what was heard and seen at our two Kenya events! We wish you a good read of this issue of the magazine.
Jean-Pierre Leymonie Editor
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CONTENT June 2018.qxp_CONTENTS SEPT 04 29/05/2018 15:22 Page 1
C O N T E N T S
June/July 2018
NEW AG INTERNATIONAL is a publication of New Ag International SARL, an Informa PLC company Registered office : 2 rue de Lisbonne 75008 Paris, France newag@newaginternational.com www.newaginternational.com Managing Director François Levesque newag@newaginternational.com Editor JP Leymonie editorial@newaginternational.com Editor & Latin America Correspondent Patricio Trebilcock Patricio.Trebilcock@newaginternational.com Contributing Editors: Oded Achilea Email: od.achilea@gmail.com M. Loison (Plant Protection) Email: m.loison@wanadoo.fr Advertising Enquiries: Email: advertising@newaginternational.com Marketing and Sales Manager: Jacqui French Email: advertising@newaginternational.com Operations Manager: Diane Jones Email: newag@newaginternational.com Issued four times per year Reprints of articles obtainable on application to the Editor. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without the prior written permission of the Copyright Owner. © 2018 New Ag International SARL Subscription enquiries to: Email: newag@newaginternational.com Annual subscription: Euros 175 (4 issues per year - hard copies, online version and access to past issues) Designed in the UK Email: tony@alphaset.co.uk Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company www.magprint.co.uk New Ag International accepts no responsibility or liability for the validity or information supplied by contributors, vendors, advertisers or advertising agencies.
NEWS REVIEW
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Headline news: New Ag International & IPNI to launch an annual international Precision Ag conference.
PLANT PROTECTION CORNER
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Heard and Seen at Biocontrol Africa in Kenya by Dr Mark Trimmer, 2BMonthly Editor.
THE PRECISION AG CORNER
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Data Management in Precision Ag. By Prof Alex Escola & Team, University of Lleida, Spain. Precision Ag for Africa: Myth of reality. A report from the New Ag International Conference in Kenya.
LEADER’S PROFILE
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Compass Minerals: The American company increases its product portfolio & geographical presence in the market for specialties. An exclusive interview with Brad Griffith, Senior Vice President, Plant Nutrition., by P. Trebilcock, Editor.
PRODUCTS & TRENDS
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Biostimulants & Biofertilizers: A report from the New Ag International Conference in Kenya, by Dr Oded Achilea, contributing Editor.
IRRIGATION AND TECHNOLOGY LEADERS
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Netafim: One year after its acquisition by Mexican Group Mexichem. A new step for the Israeli Company, by P. Trebilcock, Editor.
IRRIGATION AND FERTIGATION TECHNOLOGY
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Microirrigation & Fertigation for Africa: A report from the New Ag International Conference in Kenya by Dr Oded Achilea, contributing Editor.
REGIONAL REPORT
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Trends in the dynamics of Agriculture in Sub Saharan Africa: A report from the New Ag International Conference In Kenya JP Leymonie Editor.
by
AGRONOMICS & ECONOMICS
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Solutions for efficient plant nutrition in Africa: A report from the Pisa conference by Dr O. Achilea, contributing Editor.
PEOPLE & EVENTS
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Front cover pictures:Both pictures courtesy of SunCulture Kenya. Editorial and photo acknowledgements: Special thanks to SunCulture and all speakers at the Nairobi conferences.
www.newaginternational.com
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N E W S R E V I E W
NEWS REVIEW
NEW AG INTERNATIONAL
European organic market grew by double digits and organic area reached 13.5 million hectares in 2016 THE ORGANIC MARKET IN EUROPE continues to grow. In 2016, it increased by 11.4 % and nearly reached 33.5 billion euros. Almost all of the major markets enjoyed double-digit growth rates. In 2016, almost 0.85 million hectares more were reported compared with 2015. Switzerland has the highest per capita consumption of organic food in Europe and worldwide. Also in 2016, the European organic sector experienced strong growth in terms of area, producers, and markets. In Europe, 13.5 million hectares were organic in 2016 (European Union: 12.1 million hectares). With more than 2 million hectares, Spain continues to be the country with the largest organic area in Europe, followed by Italy (1.8 million hectares) and France (1.5 million hectares). The organic land increased by almost one million hectares, representing an increase of 6.7 percent in Europe and 8.2 percent in the European Union. Growth was higher than in 2015 and substantially higher than in the first years of the current decade. In 2016, Italy reported over 300,000 hectares more than in 2015, and France reported over 200,000 hectares more. Organic farmland in Europe now constitutes 2.7 percent of the to-
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tal agricultural land and 6.7 percent in the European Union. There were more than 370,000 organic producers in Europe (European Union: almost 300,000), and the largest numbers were in Turkey (almost 68,000) and Italy (more than 64,000). The number of producers grew by 7 percent in Europe (10 percent in the European Union) in 2016.
Omnia Acquires 100% of Oro Agri SOUTH AFRICAN chemicals group Omnia Holdings Limited has entered into agreements to acquire 100% of Oro Agri Opportunities, a producer of agriculture biologicals, for $100m. The transaction will add products to and expand the geographical reach of Omnia’s agriculture biologicals business, placing it on an accelerated growth path, the company says. Oro Agri develops non-toxic and ecologically safe crop protection products, liquid fertilisers and soil conditioners for large-scale agriculture and also smaller pasture, lawn and garden applications. The US-based group operates in four major global agriculture regions and has production, research and development facilities in the US, Brazil and SA. Oro Agri has a welldeveloped global sales and distribution network in more than
eighty countries with an established network of distributors, agents and directly employed staff to market and sell its products. For the financial year ended 31 December 2017, Oro Agri reported revenues of US$51.5 million and EBITDA of US$10.1 million. Omnia’s Agriculture Division is a market leader in plant nutrition products and services in South Africa and Southern Africa, working closely with customers to improve the performance of their crops for the last sixty-four years. Omnia is already a global player in the agriculture biologicals and water soluble nutrient markets. The sale and distribution of Omnia’s existing range of plant nutrients, biostimulant products and agriculture services, is expected to increase significantly by leveraging the Oro Agri global network.
Morocco-Ethiopia Joint Venture on Fertilizer Plant takes real shape MOROCCO’S OFFICE CHERIFIEN DES PHOSPHATES, the world’s largest phosphate exporter, had signed a deal in November 2016 with Ethiopia to build a fertilizer plant in the east African country. The project is now entering a concrete phase. OCP, which is 95 per cent state-owned, said the deal was among the largest joint ventures in Africa between two developing economies and would create one of the world’s largest fertiliser facilities, with an initial capacity of 2.5m tonnes. The plant, which is expected to start producing fertiliser in mid-2022, will make a significant difference to Ethiopia’s agriculture sector, which accounts for 45 per cent of the country’s gross
domestic product and 90 per cent of its exports. Ethiopia, one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, currently uses 57kg of fertiliser per hectare of wheat and 34kg per hectare of corn, OCP said. Corresponding figures for Europe are 150kg and 300kg respectively. The low use is partly because all Ethiopia’s fertiliser is imported and the government, which controls much of the economy, has significant shortage of foreign currency. The investment will involve building the plant in Dire Dawa, 250km east of the capital Addis Ababa, and developing infrastructure at Djibouti harbour for handling the phosphoric acid, which will be shipped from Morocco. The nitrogen and
potash, the two other main ingredients, will be supplied by Ethiopia. OCP is hoping to increase its fertiliser production to 12m tonnes by 2017 from 7m in 2014, which would make it the world’s leading producer. It reported a 23.2 per cent fall in first-half net profit to Dh3.07bn ($317m) which it attributed low international market prices. The company said the first phase of the Ethiopia project will involve an investment of $2.4bn, with 60 per cent coming from debt financing and the rest in equal shares from the two partners. The second phase will involve a further investment of $1.3bn and will increase the capacity of the facility to 3.8m tonnes by 2025.
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Canada: New app to reduce water use
A new water-soluble foliar fertilizer line at Valagro
IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK – and a lot of water – to grow healthy trees and shrubs for Canada’s ornamental plant sector. The industry, which boasts approximately 3,500 nurseries across Canada, uses an estimated 190 million cubic metres of water every year. But new research suggests this is two to three times more water than healthy trees need. And soon a new tool will be available to help nursery managers determine when to turn on – and turn off – the hose. Jared Stoochnoff, a University of Guelph graduate student in the School of Environmental Sciences Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility, is pioneering a new irrigation management strate-
FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS the Italian company has been in the news for its innovation in the biostimulants. A number of people had almost forgotten that originally Valagro is a specialty plant nutrition company with important production capacities for water-soluble fertilizers and for chelates. Valagro has recently presented Opifol®, a new line of water-soluble foliar fertilizers specifically designed for row crops nutrition. The line has been launched on the occasion of 'Tecnoshow', one of the main events in the Brazilian agricultural market which sees the participation of thousands of operators in the cereal sector every year. Following on from the exclusive GeaPower technology platform, the
gy designed to reduce water consumption. Stoochnoff’s team used high-tech sensor equipment to measure plant water status and quantify crop water stress tolerance thresholds. When they put those irrigation schedules based on actual requirements to the test, they reduced the nursery’s water use by 60 per cent without affecting the total growth or wholesale value of the crop. Stoochnoff wrote a prototype programme that used onsite weather station data to predict plant water stress tolerance thresholds. As a next step, Stoochnoff’s team will develop the programme into an app that can be made available to a larger group of nurseries for testing.
Opifol® line contains a unique combination of macro and micronutrients characterised by rapid uptake into plant leaves. This guarantees balanced, effective and specific nutrition for the main row crops, such as soybean, wheat, corn, oilseed rape, cotton, rice and sunflowers. The use of Opifol in fact boosts carbohydrate breakdown which supplies energy for plant growth, good grain setting, nutritional value, resulting in better milling properties of the grains. The Opifol line, together with the biostimulant YieldOn, form an integral part of the complete solution with which Valagro addresses the need to improve the productivity and quality of row crops in a sustainable manner.
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Phosphate sensor opens up new possibilities for growers MicrocatÂŽ Range of liquid products based on doubly complexed microelements with free amino acids and organic acids, developed specifically for foliar application.
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CLEANGROW HAS DEVELOPED multiple ion-specific electrodes to provide real-time monitoring of K+, Na+, NH4+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl, H2PO4-, NO3-, which are all important nutrients in the recirculating water/nutrient solution. "This sensor can just as well be used in a greenhouse on Earth as in life support systems in space", according to Ann-Iren Kittang Jost, one of the researchers behind the Time Scale project. CleanGrow was started in 2009/10 by Roy O'Mahony and Ciaran Long, both from Cork, Ireland. Roy's background is in Molecular Biology, he worked in Cambridge and the Max Planck institute in Germany working on Calcium ions and stress signalling in plants. The initial research into possible methods for measuring multiple ions led CleanGrow to the relatively unknown idea of solid state sensors. They simultaneously worked on
developing a multi-channel potentiometer meter for measuring 6 ions at once, developing the miniature CNT sensors and working out the best calibration solutions to calibrate all 6 sensors at once for hydroponics and soil samples. The first model came out in 2011. They then decided to move away from the traditional meter approach and put all the electronics into the probe to make a bluetooth probe containing 6 sensors that works with a partner app on iOS/Android so the user can utilize all the communications, GPS and power of smart devices. In 2017 CleanGrow won first place in the Royal Society of Chemistry Emerging technologies award. Time Scale kicked off in 2015 and the task was to fully automate ion measurement and make it remote access, so users on the ground could operate the device and access the data. This is what CleanGrow have made.
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Nutrien launches newly branded retail business, Nutrien Ag Solutions
Russian ag boom: An opportunity for foreign technologies
NUTRIEN LTD. (the name of the company that resulted from the merger between Agrium and PCS) announced the launch of its newly branded retail business, Nutrien Ag Solutions. The name Nutrien Ag Solutions will align the retail businesses across the globe and strengthen the long-term mission of helping growers to increase food production in a sustainable manner. “Our goal is to create a consistent global Agriculture brand that represents value and productivity for our customers,” says Chuck Magro, President and CEO of Nutrien. “As the leading provider of crop inputs, services and solutions, Nutrien Ag Solutions will continue to work side by side with our grower customers
RUSSIA IS INCREASINGLY acquiring equipment and knowhow from outside the country to expand agricultural output, claims Bloomberg. Local farmers are importing better seeds, greenhouses, etc. Foreign technology import can cost farmers from 20% to 90% of what they spend on getting new production operating, estimates St Petersburg-based Agriconsult. ''It's expensive but reliable. There are some domestic substitutes, but they aren't as effective,'' Agriconsult's Director General Andrey Golokhvastov commented. Meanwhile, according to government data, agricultural investment reached 374,7 billion rubles ($6,6 billion) in 2017, which is 3,1% more compared to the previous year.
to maximize crop production and their returns.” The name change will apply to all offices and operating facilities in North and South America that hold the names: Crop Production Services, Agroservicios Pampeanos and Utilfertil. The official change to Nutrien Ag Solutions will begin on July 1. “We’re extremely proud of the retail organization we’ve built,” says Mike Frank, President of Nutrien Retail. “To ensure we meet our grower customers’ evolving needs, we will continue to partner with key suppliers and to invest in best-in-class technology, platforms and tools. We will have more news on our enhanced digital platform and other investments in the coming months.
When Biostimulants meet Precision Ag! US COMPANY AGRICEN AND TARANIS, a precision agriculture company, have received a grant from the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation to collaborate on a project to advance and commercialize a new precision agriculture system for abiotic stress detection and prevention in row crops. The Agricen/Taranis collaboration will address this agricultural challenge by creating a solution that merges the Taranis platform – which incorporates field imaging technology and a deep learning algorithm – with Agricen’s proven biostimulant technologies. Once developed, the system will be able to be utilized in any geography to help detect and prevent abiotic stress in row crops, saving growers significant time and resources while increasing plant health and yield opportunities. A simulation of the abiotic stress detection platform that will be developed which will outline with red boxes the signs of drought stress in the crop. Based on the stress identified, appropriate recommendations can be made – including the use of agricultural biostimulants – to both ameliorate the conditions causing stress and prevent further crop damage. This cooperation is one of the very first concrete steps to organize joint work between a biostimulants company and a provider of Precision Ag services. The interest and the potential of such types of cooperation was highlighted during the last world congress on biostimulants organized by New Ag International that took place in Miami last November, in particular during the opening lecture of Prof Raj Khosla. The next congress, organized by New Ag International, will take place in 2019 in Spain.
Many European companies profited from Russia's generous spending on foreign equipment. Some Dutch greenhouse builders reported that their sales in Russia more than tripled last year and amounted to 25% of the global business, which is also growing in other countries. ''It's an explosive growth,'' the Dutch said. “In Russia, they buy the highest level of technology.'' The national agricultural sector received an impetus for growth in 2014 with President Putin's ban on certain food import in retaliation for Western sanctions. In order to help home-grown agriculture, the government has stepped in to subsidise investments. Now the country's total agricultural export is up 16-fold compared to 2000.
Keeping nitrogen on target Nitrogen use efficiency from BASF. To learn more, visit agro.basf.com.
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WeedOut wins the Agrivest 2018 competition THE FIFTH AGRIVEST CONFERENCE took place in Tel Aviv, on May 8th, with over 680 participants, from 28 countries, as compared to only 65 who attended the first Agrivest in 2012. Although people from all stakeholders' categories of the High Tech agricultural circles were present, a significant share of them represented important global venture funds. Currently, over 50 such companies are active in Israel. Dr. Nitza Kardish, CEO of Trendlines Incubators Israel,which again organized this meeting, underlined that modern agrifoodtech now features an interdisciplinary hub, bringing together science and technologies from an extensive variety of disciplines. The most dynamic agtech fields include genome editing, which enables to precisely rearrange DNA composition according to needs; artificial intelligence/deep learning and big data, which are seeing enormous potential applications in precision agriculture and digital farming. This latter sector is estimated to grow at an incredible annual rate of 22%, from $US0.5 Billion today, to $US2.5 Billion in 2025. Also, agricultural machinery is now redefined by the massive introduction of omnipotent advanced agricultural/ horticultural robots. Accord-
ing to the latest AgFunder report, 2017's global ag & food tech startups were injected with an impressive investment sum of $US10 Billion, a 29% increase over 2016. A key-note address about transition to a sustainable agrifood system was delivered by Prof. Luise Fresco, President of Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands. This year's conference highlighted
12 Israeli companies, which were selected for their special innovative activity concept. The company which won the trust and support of the majority of the participating public was "WeedOUT", which presented a unique concept of controlling herbicide-resistant weeds. It developed speciesspecific proprietary weed pollen, treated in a way that leads to seed abortion, after flower polli-
nation. Wide-scale dissemination of this pollen outcompetes naturally occurring pollen and inhibits soil seed-bank replenishment. In Palmer amaranth ("Palmer pigweed"), which is the most troublesome weed in the USA, control seeds germinated at a rate of 72%, while "WeedOUT"-treated seeds of this weed germinated at 0% with a statistical significance of P≤0.00002.
Grabi Chemical and Evergreen Bios create Genomea GENOMEA® is the name of the joint venture created by Italian companies Grabi Chemical SpA and Evergreen Bios srl. The mission of the JV is the development of the market and the production of micro-organisms and bacterial strains at a higher technological level, in cooperation with universities and scientific institutions. With great commitment to research, Genomea® operates in the new frontiers of applied biotechnology and advanced technologies of submerged and solid fermentation for the development of the production of various crops. Genomea® owns numerous strains of microorganisms, which are constantly tested and enriched, reproduced and
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propagated in sterility for the creation of microbial derivative products in various formulations. The target market is exclusively the agrochemical industries (B2B) that will in turn offer themselves to the market with their own brand (Private Label) as per a well established business model at Grabi. It will be possible for the JV to develop and manufacture ad-hoc products to the different needs of the
partners. The aim of the production is to supply the raw material by educating and helping the partner customers in the possible correct choice of legislative framework to go to market. The spectrum of acivity of the products is broad: biostimulants, soil improvers, fertilizers and biocontrol. Genomea's strategy is to develop the world market by also offering innovative and diversified production.
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A new alliance to unlock potential of smallholder farmers BAYER, International Finance Corporation (IFC, a member of the World Bank Group), Netafim, and Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, launched a global alliance, Better Life Farming, to provide holistic and innovative solutions for smallholder farmers in the developing world to enable them to grow their farms into sustainable businesses. Together with multiple partners, the alliance will offer a comprehensive approach that covers planting seeds, precision irrigation, crop protection, finance and insurance - all tailored to the specific local and cultural needs of those who farm less than two hectares of land. About 450 million smallholders around the world are vulnerable to multiple challenges - lack of fi-
nance, adverse climate impacts, water scarcity, pests and crop diseases, rural migration, fluctuating commodity prices, and regulatory barriers - and realize only a fraction of their potential productivity. By connecting global expertise with local insights and partners, and providing advanced agronomic solutions, the alliance aims to help farmers realize their potential by farming not just to survive, but rather to thrive as a business focused on sustainability. The alliance aims to help ensure more safe, nutritious and affordable food for the growing world population, advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of ‘ending hunger, achieving
food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture.’ The efficient use of available resources, such as water, fertilizer, and energy, will empower
growers to produce more high quality crops, generate higher incomes, and make farming attractive for future generations so that rural communities can thrive.
Stockton becomes STK STOCKTON, the Israel based bioag technology company, has changed its name to STK. The new name reflects the company’s transition from its legacy business in generic agrochemicals to its current strategy and R & D leadership in bio-ag technology and botanical-based solutions (BBS), such as its flagship product Timorex Gold® biofungicide. STK will be comprised of two distinct business
units. STK Bio-Ag will serve global agriculture markets, offering botanical-based and ‘hybrid’ solutions for crop protection. STK Aqua will serve the fish and shrimp farming industry globally, offering biological solutions exclusively. With the new name comes an updated logo, maintaining the company’s orange trade dress while adding a new bio-ag technology descriptor.
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‘Extreme bacteria’ for organic vegetable production A CLEMSON UNIVERSITY research scientist has obtained a patent for a way to make organic fertilizer that could revolutionize the organic produce industry and put it on a level playing field with conventional crops. The limited potency, precision and consistency of organic fertilizers has long hindered organic vegetable production. But Brian Ward, an organic vegetable specialist at Clemson’s Coastal Research and Education Center, has developed a method for using “extreme bacteria” isolated from the stomachs of cattle to produce an organic fertilizer so rich with ammonium that it rivals synthetic fertilizers. The hyper-ammonia-producing – or HAP – bacteria break down proteins that bind nitrogen to ammonia significantly faster than any other known bacteria, which allows ammonium nitrate to be produced in vast amounts at an accelerated rate.
“Ultimately, if we start to get the fertilizer commercialized, producers would be able to fertilize organic crops and have the yield comparable to conventional produce without the lag time of existing organic produce,” Ward said. Making the process all the more innovative, unlike synthetic fertilizer, it does not require the use of fossil fuels, meaning it’s also an environmentally friendly technology. The patent itself describes methods for producing ammonia and ammonium in accordance with strict organic farming certification standards. Ward’s patent also describes specifications for creating a bioreactor for creating the chemical reaction needed to produce the super-potent organic fertilizer. At that point, the process would produce a liquid fertilizer that could be fed through drip lines for irrigation for more precise use of a completely organic fertilizer comparable to synthetic ammonium.
Eurochem is entering the Water Soluble Fertilizers (WSF) market AS ANNOUNCED in a PR distributed in Russia, Eurochem (one of the biggest world’s fertilizers producers) is entering the Water Soluble Fertilizers (WSF) market. This year already Eurochem will offer a broad range of WSF, like MAP 12-61, MKP, SOP, magnesium sulphate, etc. Last year EUROCHEM sold 2,500 of WSF and they’re also planning to bring on the market 10 grades of WS NPK’s, micronutrients and other products.
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Israel’s Saturas Raises $4m Series A to Commercialize Precision Irrigation Tech
SATURAS’S SENSING SYSTEM is comprised of miniature implanted sensors and wireless transponders that can measure Stem Water Potential (SWP), a metric that’s widely recognized as one of the most accurate for determining the water status of plants. Current methods of obtaining a SWP measurement are labour intensive and expensive, according to Saturas. The company says its sensor is embedded in tree trunks, providing direct contact with plant water tissues. This enables an accurate measurement of the water status of the plant and eliminates any inaccuracies that are associated with placing sensors in the soil, or on leaves and branches. After several successful trials in citrus, apple, and almond orchards in Spain and Israel, Saturas cofounder and CEO Anat Halgoa Solomon informed that new funds will bring its first products to market along with continuing development of a modified version of the company’s original sensor for use on vineyards. New investors in this round include Chinese agricultural input company Hubei Forbon Technolo-
gy Co, Israeli collective farm Ramat Magshimim, along with Spanish winery Miguel Torres Winery, which has vineyards in Spain, Chile, and the US. Existing investors Gefen Capital, Trendlines, the Israel Farmers’ Union, and Shlomo Nechama also participated. The Saturas sensor is the basis for an Advanced Decision Support System, which can be made fully automatic, though Solomon says that farmers are looking more for decision support than to turn over their critical decisions to technology. “To the Chinese plantation industry, the impact Saturas brings will not only be economical, but social as well — while boosting yields for a large number of Chinese farmers, it will also make outstanding contributions to China’s water-saving in agriculture,” said Renzong Wang, Chairman of Hubei Forbon Technology Co. Ltd. The company expects to bring a product to market this year. They are planning demonstration trials in Israel, Spain, and California already this coming irrigation season and will sell through distributors like irrigation companies or IoT companies.
News June 18.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 15:42 Page 8
N E W S R E V I E W
Focus on biostimulants at Macfrut A GREAT SUCCESS FOR FOCUS BIOSTIMOLANTI, the conference organised by Image Line on the 9th of May at Macfrut, the international trade fair dedicated to fresh produce that took place in Rimini (Italy) from the 9th to the 11th of May. 9 speakers and 2 key sessions – Research and Solutions – to explain to more than 200 attendees what biostimulants are, how they work and which benefits we can expect from their use. After a brief introduction by Ivano Valmori, Image Line CEO, about the scope of the event, the President of EBIC-European Biostimulants Industry Council, Giuseppe Natale, highlighted the current trends and regulations characterising the European market. Daniele Villa of FISSSA-Federazione Italiana delle Società di
Servizi di Sperimentazione in Agricoltura, explained the role of Testing Facilities in the process of characterisation of a biostimulant product. The Session 1 saw three important contributions from the research world: Professor Zeno
Varanini of the University of Verona, Professor Giuseppe Colla of the University of Tuscia and Giancarlo Roccuzzo from Crea, the Italian research centre for agriculture depending from Italian ministry of Agriculture. The speakers presented the status and recent
developments in researches dedicated to biostimulants and the results of application on vegetable and fruit crops. The Session 2, on the other hand, housed representatives from manufacturers. Leonardo Valenti of Biolchim Group illustrated the strategy and reasons that drive companies deciding to invest in biostimulants, while Marco Civitareale of CIFO and Valeria Contartese of Green Has explained the benefits that these products can bring to farmers, in terms of resistance of the plant to abiotic stress, quality of the crop and roots efficiency. Important partners supported the event: Fertilgest, Image Line website dedicated to fertilizers, FISSSA, New Ag International, AgroNotizie and Silvio Fritegotto.
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Biocontrol in Africa:
A market in its infancy with tremendous potential for growth! Africa represents a largely untapped market for biocontrol outside of the traditional export markets in Kenya, Morocco, and South Africa. On paper, small-holder farmers producing cash crops for domestic markets represent a large market opportunity but delivering solutions to fourty million small-holder customers at affordable prices is challenging. The drivers for adoption of biocontrol by small-holder farmers differ from those of large-scale growers producing to supply the European supermarkets. Creative approaches, both in technical and commercial aspects, are essential to penetrate this market. The organizers of Biocontrol Africa, 2BMonthly and New Ag International, in conjunction with IBMA, welcomed nearly 200 delegates from more than 30 countries to the conference in Nairobi on March 19-20 to join in discussions on how to succeed in the African market with biocontrol. Speakers from local African companies as well as high profile speakers from Europe and North America provided presentations on a wide range of topics to fuel the exchange of ideas. The wide range of topics discussed, and the high quality of papers presented certainly reinforces the impression that the biocontrol market in Africa is poised for growth. Mark Trimmer, Editor of 2BMonthly, reports.
14 www.newaginternational.com
THE AFRICAN BIOCONTROL MARKET: POCKETS OF GROWTH WITH TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL Henri Oosthoek, Managing Director, Koppert Biological Systems and Dr. Henry Wainwright, General Manager, Real IPM Kenya, now a part of the Biobest Group, opened the Biocontrol Africa conference, sharing their experiences in developing successful biological businesses in Europe and in Africa. The comparison of a European based global biocontrol business to one that was founded and focused largely in Africa provided an interesting contrast. While Koppert is an EU based company, Henri stressed that they are not new to Africa. For more than 30 years, Koppert has had a presence in Africa, with a focus on training distributors and growers on how to incorporate biological solutions into their pest control programmes. During the conference, Koppert signed an agreement with CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International) to formalize a joint effort to organize plant doctor training in Kenya. The training programme aims to equip existing plant doctors with more practical knowledge and skills related to IPM in small-holder farms. Through efforts such as this, Koppert and CABI hope to uncover untapped
potential of beneficial organisms from nature as well as provide training needed to enable African growers to use commercially available biocontrol products more effectively. Oosthoek shared the experience of building a business based on natural predators at its start, however over the last few years, Koppert has been expanding into developing a full range of biopesticide solutions, including not only macro biologicals but microbials, pollinators and associated products. He stressed that working in harmony with nature, using the solutions that nature provides was core to the Koppert approach. Oosthoek stressed that pest control solutions based on natural predators are more durable and much less likely to lose activity due to pest resistance or other developments. As evidence of this, he shared the chart showing the evolution of sales for the first predatory mite product developed by Koppert. Providing proof of Oosthoek's claim, after 50 years on the market, the product sales continue to grow, clear evidence that biocontrol agents have a much longer product lifespan than conventional chemical pesticides. Real IPM was formed in 2003 by Dr. Henry Wainwright and his wife, Louise, as a Kenya based, Africa
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P L A N T P ROT E C T I O N C O R N E R
focused company with a mission to reduce synthetic pesticide use. Today, it has grown to 280 employees and produces both predatory insects and mites for biocontrol as well as microbial biopesticides with nearly half of all sales outside Kenya. One of the
“There is a need for low cost, easy to use solutions if your goal is to access the broader market in Africa” DR. HENRY WAINWRIGHT, REAL IPM-BIOBEST
unique aspects of Africa that Dr. Wainwright shared was the involvement of donor organizations in promoting biocontrol solutions in Africa. Successful businesses need to understand the donor’s agenda and collaborate with them to access their resources which will be a critical asset in reaching small-holder farmers. Classical biocontrol has had a number of success stories in Africa, as outlined by Dr. Wainwright in the Table 1. In addition to these, Dr. Wainwright shared that there are presently 12
macro-organisms and 16 microbial organisms being used commercially in Kenya. Another aspect of Africa that Dr. Wainwright stressed was important for companies trying to enter the African market to understand was the need for low cost, easy to use solutions if your goal is to access the broader market. While the export markets, such as fresh fruit and vegetables or ornamental flower producers for the European markets are high value and can afford higher prices, they represent a small number of the total number of African growers, A larger group of growers produce a range of crops as cash crops for local consumption, but accessing them will require lower cost products, unique distribution models and a substantial outreach effort to educate them on how to use biocontrol products successfully. The final group are the subsistence growers, but these are very small and very poor and do not represent a viable market for biocontrol products. Despite the successes outlined in Table 1, there are cautionary notes. Water hyacinth control with the weevil in Lake Victoria was highly successful in the 1990’s, but recently has seen a major resurgence of the troubling weed for reasons yet to be determined. In 2005, the Kenyan ornamental industry was spending 50% of their crop protection costs, nearly US$500/month, just for mite control. Despite this high spend, the control achieved was poor due to high pesticide resistance. Presently in 2018, nearly half of Kenyan
Table 1: Classical Biocontrol Successes in Africa Pest & Year Cassava Mealy Bug 1973 Cassava green mite 1971 Water hyacinth 1981
Loss
BCA
Campaign
40%
Encyrtid wasp
1981
Anagyrus lopezi
35%
66%
Phytoseiid mite
Where Loss Began Reduction 27 African >90% countries
1983 Africa
West
>80%
Typhlodromalus aripo
Weevil
1991
Benin
36%
Neochetina eichhorniae
Source: Neuenschwander, 2004
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ornamental flower producers use biocontrol agents for mite control according to Dr. Wainwright. Their crop protection costs have been reduced, they do not have to deal with pest resistance concerns using a predatory biocontrol agent, and they get better mite control and higher quality flowers. Dr. Wainwright closed by highlighting the many opportunities and challenges for biocontrol across the African continent. A range of invasive species present opportunities for biocontrol and there is considerable global donor support available. Biocontrol continues to face competition from low cost generic chemistry and must overcome regulatory systems that often are not designed to deal with biological products. Dr. Wainwright shared that the one thing he wish he’d better understood before founding Real IPM was the size, nature and potential of biocontrol in Africa. “I think we underestimated the potential and, as a consequence, may have been able to plan better. This is an exciting time for biocontrol across the continent,” he said.
TOWARDS A US$ 11 BILLION GLOBAL BIOCONTROL MARKET IN 2025 The global biocontrol market is growing at an annual rate in excess of 16% with a total value of more than US$3 billion in 2017.”, said Dr. Mark Trimmer, Managing Partner DunhamTrimmer & Editor 2BMonthly, in his keynote presentation on global market trends. He projected the biocontrol market will reach US$11 billion in value by 2025. Contributing to this growth rate, which is three to five times faster than the conventional chemical crop protection market, are strong consumer demand for reduction in pesticide residues, a growing desire for more sustainable agricultural practices, increased safety to users and the environment, and increasing regu-
latory issues with many chemical pesticides. However, in Africa with the exception of the fresh produce export market, reducing residues is of lesser importance for domestic consumers. Pest resistance problems and the ability of biopesticides to delay resistance development when used in conjunction with conventional crop protection
“Sales for the first predatory mite product developed by Koppert, after 50 years on the market, continue to grow, a clear evidence that biocontrol agents have a much longer product lifespan than conventional chemical pesticides” HENRI OOSTHOEK, KOPPERT
chemicals has been the primary driver for greater market opportunities in Africa for biocontrol. Despite this, lower awareness of biological products and lack of training and understanding of how to use them effectively are key market barriers to their success in Africa. To date, biopesticides and natural enemies have gained footholds in the export markets of Kenya, Morocco, and South Africa. More education and market development will be key to expanding beyond these market segments to other parts of the continent.
BIOCONTROL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: A RANGE OF NEW SOLUTIONS Dr. Maaike Perneel, Business Developer for Biostimulant and
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Plant Protection 1.qxp_Layout 1 19/05/2018 10:36 Page 3
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Biocontrol Agents, Ghent University, presented an interesting story on the development of a microbial biopesticide technology for the control of soil pathogens attacking tropical plants. Cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) is a tropical tuber and staple crop for more than 400 million people living in the tropics. It suffers from Cocoyam root rot disease (CRRD) which is caused by Pythium myriotylum, which can cause yield losses of up to 90% in central and west Africa. Researchers at Ghent University recognized that Pseudomonas aeruginosa PNA1 was a potential biocontrol agent for CRRD based on production of phenazine antibiotics and rhamnolipid biosurfactant. They initiated a project to identify Pseudomonads from rhizosphere of healthy cocoyam plants growing in diseased fields. After collecting over 100 Pseudomonad strains, they identified Pseudomonas sp. CMR12a which suppresses CRRD through the production of phenazines and/or biosurfactants and which also can control other plant pathogens as well, both foliar and soil borne. Mr. Felix Dubach, Technical & Area Manager, Andermatt Biocontrol, discussed the development of a baculovirus product in Cameroon for control of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). Initial laboratory bioassays found Spodoptera littoralis nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPV) had a lower LD50 than Spodoptera frugiperda NPV. Of those tested, the best performer was a current commercial product, Littovir, which demonstrated a similar LD50 on S. littoralis and S. frugiperda. Preliminary field trials conducted in Cameroon in July 2017 confirmed the efficacy of Littovir against S. frugiperda. Official trials were completed in December 2017 and the product was registered in Cameroon in February 2018, providing growers with a highly effective biopesticide to control fall armyworm.
Charles Macharia, General Manager, Koppert Kenya, told the story of a pilot project aimed at disseminating IPM concepts and incorporating biological solutions
“The Bioprotection Global organization, currently led by Tom Mason, MD of Kenyan company Dudutech, has been created also for the purpose of achieving as much as possible a homogeneous legislation for biocontrol products around the world” WILLEM RAVENSBERG, IBMA
in tomato growers’ practices in Kenya. Prior to initiating the project, a baseline survey revealed that while Kenyan small-holder farmers understood IPM as a concept, virtually none practiced it as they perceived it to be technically difficult and lacked access to the products and tools needed. The approach taken was not just research to identify the most effective products to use in an IPM programme, but also farmer participatory trials, engagement through training and demonstration plots, and other forms of stakeholder involvement. This approach facilitated the dissemination of knowledge on the best IPM practices to growers as many had firsthand experience with efficacy and cost effectiveness of the IPM programmes developed. In conclusion, the pilot demonstrated that when small-holder farmers understand how to use biological products and understand the benefits of these technologies, they are
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willing to invest in and use them in their production practices. Dr. Michael Braverman, Manager Biopesticide Program, IR-4, Rutgers University, shared his experience in helping to develop a biocontrol approach to prevent aflatoxin in crops grown in Africa. Aspergillus flavus is a pathogenic fungus which causes postharvest rot in many cereal grains, legumes, and other crops. It also produces a mycotoxin called aflatoxin which is a potent liver carcinogen, which can lead to severe health effects for consumers of these crops. Dr. Braverman established a team including Dr. Peter Cotty, USDA, who successfully developed a microbial biopesticide for aflatoxin management in the USA, and Dr. Ranajit Bandyopadahyay, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan, Nigeria, to identify African strains of A. flavus that do not produce mycotoxin that could be used to develop a biocontrol approach to aflatoxin management in African crops. The Aflasafe product based on native African strains has now been registered and is commercially available in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. It is ready for registration in Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia and is under development in Burundi, Cameroon, Mali, Rawanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The project, a partnership of local African and USA researchers to develop a biopesticide technology that can be used by small-holder farmers to prevent aflatoxin poisoning and the longterm threat of liver cancer. Dr. Nimrod Israely, CEO of Biofeed, discussed the challenges of using pheromone baits to achieve effective commercial control of the oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis), a highly destructive pest native to tropical Asia that has become established over much of subSaharan Africa. While pheromone lures used in bait and kill approaches are effective, one of major problems is the rate of lure release is not consistent, so the
control diminishes rapidly over time. Biofeed has developed a release technology to solve this problem called gravity-controlled fluid release (GCFR) technology. GCFR mimics nature by releasing the pheromone slowly over time, maintaining a constant concentration of the pheromone. Advantages of the system include a substantial reduction of the number of bait stations needed per hectare, and increased effectiveness for a much longer period of time. Biofeed testing has demonstrated the level of fruit infestation can be reduced to 0.1% to 0.5% using GCFR bait and kill stations in Israel and India testing.
REGULATORY: NEW TOOLS TO PROMOTE BIOCONTROL Dr. Ulrich Kuhlmann, Executive Director, Global Operations, for CABI made a presentation on the Biopesticides Portal, an online tool for identifying and sourcing biopesticides. The need for this tool was identified in a recent study of the advice given by extension workers to growers in six lowermiddle income countries. The study revealed that nationally registered biocontrol products are not always included in extension materials, and even when they are included, they are rarely recommended to farmers. To remedy this situation, CABI undertook the development of a database to facilitate identification, sourcing and application of macrobial and microbial products for pest control and developed a free mobile app and website to make access and use of information from the database easily available. Currently, CABI has built a prototype biopesticides portal with nationally registered biocontrol products from 19 countries. CABI is partnering with biological control manufacturers to ensure quality assurance for the data and information provided in a 6-month pilot project. CABI will then launch the portal in 2 or 3 selected countries as a test and proof of concept. The goal is to launch the first version of
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the portal by the end of 2018. Dr. Imme Gerke, Consultant to International Development of Regulatory Globalization (IDRG), provided her view of the opportunity to present a single world dossier following OECD Guidelines. Given that each country requires data on the crop/site, pest, and product combinations, it is easy to see that the number of individual dossiers quickly becomes overwhelming. Dr. Gerke promotes using OECD data submission guidelines and formats for biopesticide dossier submissions to create a single submission package which will be used for all countries. The approach requires a global pre-submission consultation to identify all requirements needed prior to building a global data package and allowing regulators to communicate with each other during the review process. IDRG advocates that if more registrants took this approach, it will reduce non-tariff trade barriers and lead to greater cooperation among governments.
CASE STUDY IN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT: CREATIVITY AND FLEXIBILITY ARE CRITICAL The Toothpick Project was born as a joint effort between Montana State University (MSU) in collaboration with Kenyan researchers to identify an effective biological technology for the control of the parasitic weed Striga hermonthica. Growing upon the roots of maize, sorghum, millet, and dryland rice, Striga reduces the yield of cereal crops by as much as 2080% and even in some cases 100%, leading to dire consequences for small holder farmers. Striga represents a major challenge to sustainable agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa, and it is associated with malnutrition and starvation, family and land abandonment. Previous efforts to control Striga have not been effective enough or affordable for a subsistence farmer. Striga is found in 18 countries and an estimated 40
million African farmers have Striga in their fields, impacting an estimated 300 million people. Dr. David Sands of MSU has been working with Fusarium oxysporum for decades as a bioherbicide agent. While highly host specific, previous attempts to use Fusarium oxysporum to control Striga have not demonstrated sufficient efficacy or consistency. However, Dr. Sands developed a method to enhance the virulence of endemic strains. In the development of the FoxyT14 strain (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. strigae), and now called Kichawi Kill, by selecting fungal variants that excrete leucine, tyrosine and methionine. These interfere with the Strigaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amino acid biosynthesis and the survival of Striga seed in the soil. The selected virulenceenhanced strains of endemic, host-specific fungi are embedded into toothpicks, which are stored together in a sealed, sterile drinking straw that is easy to transport and simple for a smallholder farmer to use. A decade ago, David Sands built the initial research team with his brother, Dr. John Sands. Henry Sila Nzioki from the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) trained with David Sands at Montana State, refining how to use the virulence enhancement technology.
After several years of successful trials in Maseno, led by Nzioki and Florence Oyosi, agronomist, the team received a Grand Challenges Exploration grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct trials over two seasons on 500 farms. The Toothpick Project team published their positive results from this extensive trial and started working to register the product in Kenya, and to scale up the manufacturing and distribution process. By 2016, the technology was developed but lacked a path for its commercial introduction into Kenyan agricultural practice. Therefore, The Toothpick Company
Striga hermonthica flowering in a maize field.
African farmer holding maize from treated field on left and untreated field on right, demonstrating the yield impact of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. strigae.
20 www.newaginternational.com
was founded and designed as a social impact enterprise: all profit will flow back into the commercial system, with the mission of providing a quality product to farmers for an affordable price. Interested shareholders were identified to support the idea, amongst them NGOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, scientists, business people and the German Welthungerhilfe (WHH). The company was founded in Kenya in November 2017 and officially registered in March 2018. The project hit a hurdle when official efficacy trials for registration failed to confirm the results seen in previous testing under the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant. Microorganisms used as biocontrol agents demand special care and the activity of a biological active ingredient can be affected by a range of environmental conditions. The group conducted tests to pinpoint what went wrong and found that a certain applied fertilizer inhibits Fusarium oxysporum, and that as a result, the strains lost their ability to produce amino acids. The initial on-farm trials with 500 farmers were extremely positive across a broad range of conditions, so the group is highly confident they can replicate these results. The Toothpick Project provides a great illustration of many of the challenges and rewards of developing biocontrol solutions in Africa and the creativity that is needed in all aspects of the project. Firstly, it involved a passionate researcher who recognized a desperate need for small-holder farmers and identified a viable potential solution. Secondly, it demonstrates the value of building an Africa based network, that understands the technology and also how to educate African small-holder growers and disseminate information to them. Thirdly, it provides a clear example of the importance of donor organizations in the development of new technology. n
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