Technology

The new solutions aim to help growers maximise crop production and optimize their use of resources, thus minimising the impact on the environment. (Image source: Bayer)

Orbia’s Precision Agriculture business Netafim, along with Bayer recently began their expansion, starting with new digital farming solutions for fruit and vegetable growers

The new solutions aim to help growers maximise crop production and optimise their use of resources, thus minimising the impact on the environment. Although the adoption of digital tools has increased in recent years, those currently available in horticulture are not addressing growers' needs holistically. For instance, switching between multiple software applications has proved challenging and the siloed nature of today's solutions is making daily activities more complex.

Therefore, in order to simplify primary data collection and sharing for the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, Bayer, as part of its collaboration has developed a new digital platform called HortiView that enables growers to benefit from an ecosystem of connected agronomic services that support data-driven decisions and market access.

Orbita Netafim has simultaneously developed irrigation insights that will be available through HortView's platform. These irrigation recommendations with be generated to uniquely cater to each grower based on the primary data provided by them in HortiView. Orbia Netafim's all-in-one irrigation operating system called GrowSphere features optimised irrigation, crop protection, and fertigation applications. The collaboration will also expand to include this operating system. These new solutions are already in use by some grower advisors, who are providing feedback to ensure broader availability in the future. 

Ofer Oveed, SVP Technology and Crops at Orbia Precision Agriculture (Netafim) expressed his delight to be collaborating with Bayer on combining their agronomic and technological expertise. "By leading the digital farming revolution together, we can deliver food security through sustainable agriculture,” said Oveed.

The implementation of advanced technology allowed the company to optimise their fruit selection, grading and packaging processes, ensuring that each product meets the highest international standards. (Image source: TOMRA Foods)

An emerging company, TransIberian Foods (TIF) has chosen the flexibility, efficiency and quality offered by TOMRA Food and installed the KATO 260 precision grading system powered by LUCAi Artificial Intelligence technology, and two CURO filling stations

The company has chosen TOMRA Food’s advanced blueberry grading and filling solutionsfor its blueberry packing line. With the TOMRA KATO 260 advanced, industry-leading precision grading system with LUCAi Artificial Intelligence technology and two TOMRA CURO filling stations, it achieves the extreme flexibility needed to meet the varied and demanding requirements of its international customers.

TransIberian Foods has 20,000 sq m of refrigerated space with 14 docks and is currently expanding its operations with the development of a new project focused on the refrigeration, ripening, and packaging of avocados and other tropical fruits, both locally produced and imported. 

Manager of TransIberian Foods, Jesús Cruz explained that due to the diversity in the origin of the blueberries, they were looking for a packaging line that was extremely flexible, capable of handling all the commercial formats required by European supermarkets for our clients. "This meant having the ability to quickly adapt to different sizes and types of packaging, from small trays for individual portions to larger containers for wholesale. TOMRA has enabled us to offer a wide range of options to our clients, companies that distribute to European supermarkets, adapting to their needs and market demands,” added Cruz.

TOMRA Food expressed that they were pleased with the Translberian Foods project, highlighting that Translberian Foods were looking for advanced technology solutions to address this challenge. The implementation of advanced technology allowed the company to optimise their fruit selection, grading and packaging processes, ensuring that each product meets the highest international standards. This precision and efficiency is not only essential for maintaining the integrity, but also the quality of the final product, from reception to delivery.

The packaging process at TransIberian Foods begins with the fruit being fed into the KATO 260 sorter, optimising its performance. The fruit is gently loaded into the KATO 260, ensuring a continuous supply and uniform distribution in the sorter. Next, the KATO 260 exclusive rolling conveyor system inspects the fruit’s surface from all angles. Cameras capture multiple images of each piece of fruit, and the machine's software can identify defects as small as 0.2 mm at high speed for precise grading. 

A valuable optional enhancement for the KATO 260 is the LUCAi software and hardware package, which uses AI to achieve unparalleled accuracy in fruit sorting and grading. After each piece of fruit moves along the sorting line, it is photographed by multiple cameras. LUCAi identifies and indicates how each blueberry should be graded. Capable of processing up to 2,400 images per second, LUCAi can also view the fruit in wavelengths not visible to the human eye, detecting subtle defects such as dehydration, bruising, and early anthracnose.

At the end of the line, the fruit is processed by a packing system featuring two CURO16 units, each with 16 filling stations. These units boost productivity by reducing human handling errors and fruit loss. They weigh with precision, and can simultaneously pack for different markets. This system is the fastest weight-based filling solution on the market, capable of handling up to 200 packs of 125 g of fruit per minute. Moreover, TOMRA Food’s equipment also offers exceptional packing flexibility.

"With TOMRA Food’s solution, we can quickly adapt to market demands and efficiently manage demand spikes during peak seasons," concluded Cruz. "We are extremely satisfied with the advanced sorting technology, as it enables us to handle fruit from various sources effectively and ensures we deliver high-quality products.” 

SOLASTA Bio aims to play a leading role in the transition toward sustainable crop protection. (Image source: SOLASTA Bio)

In an attempt to accelerate the development of its unique peptide-based, nature-inspired bioinsecticides, leading agri-biotech company, SOLASTA BIO has completed an oversubscribed US$14mn Series A funding round, attracting major investors including Forbion, FMC Ventures and Corteva Catalyst

The investment round was led by Forbion through its BioEconomy fund strategy with co-lead investment from agricultural strategics FMC Ventures (FMC Corporation) and Corteva Catalyst (Corteva, Inc). SOLASTA Bio has developed the world's first technology platform for creating insect control agents that are nature-inspired rather than selected from a synthetic chemistry library. 

Besides meeting the efficacy standards of current chemicals on the market, these environmentally friendly agents address a growing global need for effective crop protection by selectively targeting insect pests while protecting beneficial pollinators such as bees. SOLASTA Bio’s platform can be mobilised for any pest of interest, across both crop and non-crop applications such as stored grain. 

With the investment round secured, SOLASTA Bio will continue to advance its technology platform and pipeline of insect control agents, targeting a US$27bn annual market opportunity. In parallel, the business will continue to build out its US operations, having already established a base in North Carolina, expand its real-world field trials across key geographies, scale-up its biomanufacturing capabilities and further develop strategic opportunities including applications beyond crop use.

With the urgent need to protect pollinators and wildlife, while boosting agricultural productivity, SOLASTA Bio aims to play a leading role in the transition toward sustainable crop protection. The company is targeting market entry as early as 2027 – at least half the time traditionally taken by synthetic pest control products - demonstrating a significant advantage of the platform technology.

“SOLASTA Bio has come a long way since we set out on this journey three years ago. Having established operations in the UK and US, we’ve now got an international team with outstanding competencies in technology and agribusiness and, importantly, we have developed our unique technology platform to address grower pain points," said FRSE, CEO and co-founder of SOLASTA Bio, Shireen Davies PhD. "The results of our field trials have been hugely encouraging, demonstrating high efficacy of biopeptides against target insect pests, as effective or better than standard insecticides. With Series A now secured, it’s time for SOLASTA Bio to kick on to the next level and successfully hit our targets for commercialisation.”

Fons Kuijpers, a seasoned Dinnissen process expert with over 15 years of experience. (Image source: Dinnissen Process Technology)

Dinnissen Process Technology, a system integrator specialising in process technology for powders, granules, and bulk goods, announces the opening of yet another branch: Dinnissen Pacific

This marks the company’s sixth branch, in addition to its two locations in the Netherlands, one in Germany, one in Indonesia, and the recently opened office in the UK. Dinnissen Pacific will be headquartered in Auckland and daily management will be led by Fons Kuijpers, a seasoned Dinnissen process expert with over 15 years of experience.

Dinnissen has a large installed base in both New Zealand and Australia. The key difference now is that customer contact will be handled by a local expert, in combination with experts in the Netherlands. This ensures a stronger understanding of local culture, conditions and regulations.  

The company's mission is to enable producers worldwide to efficiently and reliably produce high-quality food/chemicals for people, pets and livestock, both now and in the future. As part of this commitment, the company has steadily expanded its international presence to better serve customers in key regions.

With the addition of branches in Germany, Indonesia, the UK, and now New Zealand, Dinnissen strengthens its global footprint while staying true to its core values.

“We open new branches with the clear goal of enhancing our local presence and being more responsive to the needs of our customers," explained technical & commercial director, Frans Bakker. "The ability to provide fast service and support locally makes our systems even more reliable. That reliability is at the heart of our mission to create a bigger economic footprint and ensure a stable global food supply.”