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Category: Blogs

  • Government Takes Action to Protect Bees from Pesticides — What It Means

    Government Takes Action to Protect Bees from Pesticides — What It Means The UK government has published new guidance aimed at making emergency use authorisations for pesticides safer for pollinators such as bees. As of 11 September 2025, applications for emergency authorisation will now have to fully account for the risk posed to bees and…

  • OneRicePH project and 25 new rice lines in the Philippines

    OneRicePH Project: 25 New Rice Lines Moving Closer to Farmers in the Philippines Philippines — September 2025. The OneRicePH project, a collaborative initiative led by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), has marked a significant milestone by advancing…

  • Driving a New Era in Breeding: AI-Powered Phenotyping at CIMMYT

    Overview: CIMMYT is integrating artificial intelligence, computer vision, and mobile devices to make phenotyping—measuring plant traits—faster, more scalable, and more objective for dryland staple crops across Africa. This approach reduces labor, boosts consistency, and accelerates breeding timelines from field data capture to decision-making. What’s new: Smartphone-first phenotyping: Breeders capture geo-referenced field images on phones/tablets; AI…

  • India Cuts GST on 12 Bio-Pesticides to 5%: A Boost for Sustainable Agriculture

    India Cuts GST on 12 Bio-Pesticides to 5%: A Boost for Sustainable Agriculture Introduction In a landmark decision, the Government of India has reduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on twelve key bio-pesticides from the existing rate (typically 18%) down to 5%. This move is expected to significantly lower the cost of bio-pesticides for…

  • APVMA publishes efficacy and crop safety templates for ag chemical registration.

    APVMA Publishes Efficacy and Crop Safety Templates for Ag Chemical Registration The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has taken a significant step toward streamlining the agricultural chemical registration process by releasing new efficacy and crop safety templates. These templates are designed to provide a standardized structure for applicants, ensuring clarity, consistency, and efficiency…

  • Rise and Fall of Phytophthora infestans Resistance to a Non-Specific Fungicide: What a 400-Day Evolution Experiment Tells Us

    Context: Late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans remains the most damaging potato disease. While single-site fungicides often lose efficacy due to target-site mutations, multi-site (non-specific) fungicides like mancozeb have long been considered more durable because they disrupt multiple biochemical targets at once. A new experimental-evolution study directly observes how resistance to a multi-site fungicide can…

  • How LATAM Countries Are Adapting and Adopting New Technologies in Agriculture

    What’s Being Adopted (and Why It’s Sticking) Drones & aerial services: Spraying, scouting, and mapping delivered by local contractors lower skill and ownership barriers while improving timing and coverage. Precision & digital agriculture: Guidance, rate control, telemetry, and app-based decision support cut input use and stabilize yields. Biologicals mainstreaming: Biostimulants and biopesticides are paired with…

  • MoA Technology Develops Groundbreaking Crop Protection Category and Signs Partnership with Gowan

    MoA Technology Develops Groundbreaking Crop Protection Category and Signs Partnership with Gowan In a pivotal step for the global crop protection industry, MoA Technology, a UK-based agricultural innovation company, has announced the development of an entirely new crop protection category and entered into a strategic partnership with Gowan Company, a leading global player in crop…

  • Hydroplan-EB Unveils Sustainable Essential Oils to Fight Citrus Greening in Brazil

    Citrus greening, or Huanglongbing (HLB), remains one of the most devastating diseases in global citrus production. Spread by the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri), the disease weakens trees, reduces fruit quality, and leads to long-term productivity losses. In Brazil—the world’s largest exporter of orange juice—the impact has been particularly severe, demanding urgent, sustainable solutions. In…

  • FBN Expands AI-Powered Agritech Platform With $50 Million Boost

    The global agriculture sector is undergoing rapid digital transformation, and Farmers Business Network (FBN) is accelerating that shift with an expansion of its AI-powered agritech platform backed by $50 million in new funding. The move underscores a continued focus on innovation, access, and farmer empowerment. Scaling technology for farmers at every level Evolving from a…