Smart Manufacturing

MSU-led research team receives $946K grant to study alfalfa autotoxicity

A multi-institutional research team led by Michigan State University has received a $946,349 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to explore alfalfa autotoxicity. The award is within NIFA’s Alfalfa Seed and Forage Systems program. The project is led by Kim Cassida, an associate professor in the MSU Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and MSU Extension forage specialist. Other researchers include: Sarah Lebeis, an assistant professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences. Paige Baisley, a graduate student in Cassida’s lab. Virginia Moore, an assistant professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University. According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, alfalfa is the nation’s third most valuable field crop at roughly $8.7 billion per year. While alfalfa has many uses, it’s most often grown for animal agriculture forage due to its nutrient-rich profile. Like any other crop, alfalfa faces insect and diseases challenges, but current varieties are exceptionally hardy and able to withstand a variety of environmental pressures. Its most significant threat may be itself. Alfalfa exhibits autotoxicity, a phenomenon in which the plant inhibits germination and development of seedlings of its own species. The cause is believed to be chemical compounds released by the plants, but researchers are unsure which compounds are to blame. “We’ve known about this issue for a long time, but there haven’t been any concrete solutions generated,” said Cassida, whose work is also supported in part by MSU AgBioResearch. “Alfalfa is a tremendously valuable crop for Michigan, the U.S. and beyond, so finding answers to the problem of autotoxicity is extremely important. In my role as an MSU Extension specialist, I work directly with farmers, and I want to be able to give them more prescriptive recommendations.” Cassida said […]

Reforms needed as agricultural support reaches record highs

Total support to agriculture reached record levels of USD 851 billion per year during 2020-22 for the 54 countries covered by a new OECD report, as governments sought to shield consumers and producers from global crises and high inflation. Just under half of this government support was in the form of measures with the greatest potential for market distortions, such as border tariffs and subsidy payments based on output. The OECD’s Agricultural Policy Monitoring and Evaluation 2023 report shows this historically high level of support is nearly a 2.5-fold increase compared to two decades ago, though still behind the overall growth of production. Support remains highly concentrated in a few large producing economies, with China, India, the United States and the European Union representing 36%, 15%, 14% and 13% of total support provided, respectively. Individual producers received USD 630 billion per year in positive support over the 2020-22 period, up from USD 525 billion prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (2017-2019). More than half of it (USD 333 billion annually) was paid by consumers through border tariffs and other policies which push domestic prices above reference prices. The remainder (USD 297 billion annually) was paid by taxpayers through budgetary transfers, such as subsidies on the use of fertilisers and electricity, as well as payments based on output or land area. Most support reinforces existing production structures. The continued prominence of market price support in many countries, together with other forms of support that are potentially production and market distorting or commodity specific, discourage changes in production systems. These types of support also distort international markets, which remain a key mechanism to smoothen the impacts of shortfalls or bumper harvests. “Our annual flagship report Agricultural Policy and Monitoring Evaluation provides transparency on the nature and scale of government support provided to the agricultural sector, by measuring […]

Robotics Plus launches Prospr: multi-use autonomous vehicle for sustainable orchard and vineyard production

Autonomous modular vehicle platform for agriculture automates a variety of tree crop tasks, including intelligent spraying – to improve efficiency and alleviate labor challenges New Zealand-based agritech company Robotics Plus has launched Prospr, an autonomous, multi-use, hybrid vehicle designed to carry out a variety of orchard and vineyard crop tasks more efficiently and sustainably while reducing reliance on labor. Prospr is now commercially available from Robotics Plus, a specialist in the design and build of innovative agricultural robotics. Prospr accommodates multiple swappable tools being developed, including newly released tower sprayers for grapes, apples, or tree crops. The right tool for the job is attached to the vehicle depending on the day’s work, and multiple Prosprs can collaborate in a fleet to get the job done. The autonomous vehicle uses a combination of perception systems to sense the environment, enabling data-driven insights. Robotics Plus will showcase Prospr for the first time at FIRA 2023 this week, a California-based event dedicated to autonomous agriculture and agricultural robotics solutions. Steve Saunders, Co-founder and Chief Executive at Robotics Plus says the agriculture industry faces unprecedented challenges as this generation works to produce more food sustainably while reducing emissions and supplying at a lower cost. “Prospr is a robust autonomous vehicle, with all-day running, that adapts to the jobs growers need to do while reducing emissions, inputs and reliance on increasingly hard-to-find machine operators. We’ve focussed on utilisation and flexibility with a unique modular architecture, allowing different tools for various crop types and applications year-round to maximise return on investment. “It’s great to be back at FIRA to launch Prospr, with the first vehicles rolling out to customers this month. It’s a fantastic milestone for the passionate and dedicated Robotics Plus team.” Dr. Alistair Scarfe, Co-founder and Chief Engineering Officer at Robotics Plus, says, “We’ve […]

EDITION Hotels partners with Josh Niland

EDITION Hotels has partnered with one of the leading sustainable chefs in the world, acclaimed Australian restaurateur and multi-award-winning chef and author Josh Niland, to helm the signature restaurant at The Singapore EDITION. The ethically sourced seafood concept will be Niland’s first restaurant outside of Australia, an elegant home for what a sustainable, modern-age, seafood-focused steakhouse is today, with the edition of sensational meat and vegetable dishes. Having burst onto the food scene in 2016 with his revolutionary and now wildly popular approach to the way we cook, transport, age and store fish, Chef Niland has worked at some of Sydney’s greatest restaurants as well as at the UK’s legendary three Michelin starred The Fat Duck, before opening Saint Peter, his first restaurant in Sydney with his wife and business partner Julie Niland in 2016. The Fish Butchery, a retail market concept selling sustainable fish species, was later introduced in 2018. Charcoal Fish, a beachside takeaway concept offering restaurant-quality fast food, and a second Fish Butchery both followed in 2019. Earlier this year, the couple opened a second restaurant, Petermen, on Sydney’s Northern Shores. Niland is the author of award-winning ‘The Whole Fish Cookbook’ and ‘Take One Fish,’ which also received worldwide acclaim. He has just released his third book, ‘Fish Butchery,’ in August 2023. With nods to stylish Old-World elegance and tradition, The Singapore EDITION’s signature restaurant will reflect Chef Niland’s globally recognised passion for seafood and focus on creating a circular economy within the restaurant and lobby bar to mitigate waste while heightening the guest experience. In his restless pursuit of excellence, his unique creations will feature the finest ingredients from world-class producers, growers and artisanal suppliers to present a menu of fish cut to order, including rib on the bone, crown roasts and cutlets. Chef Niland’s menu […]

Climate change is coming for these foods

Winds, droughts, and heavy storms are affecting key agricultural regions around the world, causing many farms to fall short of their required product demand. But how exactly is climate change affecting some of our most loved produce and what does this mean for the future of the crops? CIA Landlords have researched the foods that are most affected by climate change. Tomatoes in Italy Italy is the largest tomato producer in Europe, supplying an average of 6 – 7 million metric tons per year. However last year, farms in Northern Italy were 19% under the contracted volumes and sadly, this is expected to decline even further. This is because the climate, that was once a warm paradise perfect to grow the fruit, is now becoming colder and more susceptible to rain. These lower temperatures are slowing the ripening process of the fruit, and in 2019 less than half of the contracted volumes were produced on time. If this continues to happen, the supermarket prices will continue to increase and we could begin to see shortages on the shelves. Italy’s forests have also declined in recent years because cows in Italy, which are used to produce ‘fine leather goods,’ are needing the space to be reared. This, in turn, has decreased the amount of oxygen and CO2 in the air. This will have a negative effect on citizens’ health – polluted air can not just exacerbate existing respiratory illnesses but also cause them. Almonds in California California grows 80% of the world’s export of almonds and the state’s industry is now worth $6 billion. However, the growing process of almonds is lengthy and requires a lot of both physical and human energy. California uses 60% of the honeybee hives in the country just for almond pollination each winter, and the […]

Ingredion establishes starch manufacturing plant in China

With a new plant for specialty starches, Ingredion advances sustainable production and improves surety of supply to the global F&B supply chain while supporting local farmers. Ingredion Incorporated, a leading global provider of value-added ingredient solutions, strengthened the global sustainable ingredients supply chain for food and beverage (F&B) producers with the opening of Shandong South, a new production facility in Shandong, China. This latest launch doubles Ingredion’s starch production capacity and capabilities in the country. Starches are some of the most flexible and essential ingredients in the world, improving and enhancing the texture of everyday meals. As demand for starches grows worldwide with Asia Pacific leading the market*, Ingredion is well-positioned to cater to this growth with its increased starch production capacity and create winning textures for food and beverage manufacturers. Shandong South features advanced digital technologies and automation which helps to produce corn-based native and modified starch products that meet international quality standards. Ingredion’s enhanced sustainable sourcing of high-quality raw materials from local farmers, including non-GMO corn, enables it to deliver consistent products and ensure stability of supply in the region. Jacques Guglielmi, Vice President and General Manager, North Asia, and Asia-Pacific Commercial at Ingredion commented on the opening: “With this investment, we are positioned for customer success in a world where supply chain resilience and sustainability are more crucial than ever. “By integrating production from wet milling to modification through network optimisation and operational excellence, we can reduce supply chain lead times, lower transport costs and emissions, and stabilise inventory supply. We are committed to producing high-quality products to empower our customers to deliver what’s next in the market.” Jacques Guglielmi continued, “Shandong South supports Ingredion’s growth in China and has been designed to export high-quality products worldwide. We have already started to export to key countries such […]

Report finds fast food chains are embracing plant-based food

A report published by the food awareness organisation ProVeg International finds that the five leading fast food chains – McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut, and KFC – are delivering an increasing number of plant-based food options to their customers. The report ranks the Big Five in terms of how plant-friendly they are and Burger King comes out on top with the highest percentage of main dishes being plant-based. Main meals, sides, desserts and menu presentation were taken into consideration at fast food chains across nine countries – Belgium, Czechia, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and the US. Subway came in a very close second in the ranking after Burger King, followed by McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and KFC. “It is incredible to see how fast food – which has always revolved around animal meat consumption – has become more plant-friendly and, in doing so, more climate-friendly,” Josh Bisig, Senior Project Manager at ProVeg, said. “We analysed 43 online menus across all nine countries and twenty-two of them (51%) offered at least one plant-based option. This is encouraging but there is still plenty of room for improvement,” he added. Normalising plant-based options The latest moves by the Big Five to incorporate plant-based into their menus include the launch by McDonald’s Germany of a vegan McFlurry dessert in 2022, while, in the same year, Pizza Hut UK introduced Violife vegan cheese into all of its UK locations, both for dine-in and delivery. “Fast food chains are ubiquitous and play an important role in normalising climate-friendly food for millions of people around the world who might not otherwise consider the negative impacts of food choices. And these chains are increasingly doing this by making plant-based options more available, tasty and affordable,” Bisig said. “While trend-setting with mainstream consumers, […]

Australian technology transforming viticulture through 5G

Precision farming is about to get a whole lot more precise with a wave of 5G technology showing economic and productivity benefits to the viticulture industry. Edon Abbot Growers are increasingly interested in the advantages that 5G has to offer the industry by saving money, time and maximising yield. Platfarm is a spatially based tasking and GPS tracking app for the viticulture industry developed at Lot Fourteen in Adelaide, South Australia that allows growers and farmers to manage their land via a smart device. CEO and Co-founder of Platfarm Lyndsey Jackson said that with a mobile phone and a good antenna, you can get 1cm of accuracy. “Being able to really accurately know where either the machine is or fences vine rows, things like that are going to be really critical,” Jackson said. This precision is important in the viticultural industry by tracking what vine rows have been worked on to avoid complications. “If you’re spraying for pests and diseases but have to go fill up your tank… when you come back and you’re a row out, then that can dramatically increase the chance of pests and fungi – that’s how outbreaks happen,” Jackson said. “But with 5G, if you get down to 1cm accuracy, then you’re starting to be really precise about where the location is.” Last month, Platfarm went to a demonstration day supported by Wine Australia in the Mornington Peninsula to be a part of a 5G/GPS trial with Frontier SI and Position Partners to evaluate its economic benefit. The trial was funded by the Australian Government as part of the Australian 5G Innovation Initiative to demonstrate the benefit that 5G has on precision farming. Position Partners used drone flyovers for Near Real-Time Image Processing while Platfarm looked at testing the accuracy for the GPS tracking in […]

Meating the needs of the red meat processing sector

Red meat industry overview: Australia and New Zealand Australia’s red meat and livestock turnover accounted for $67.7 billion in the 2020/1 financial year. Currently, more than 800 tonnes of beef is exported each year as the demand for quality meat continues to surge. According to Australia’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Australia’s cattle herd is forecast to grow to 28.8 million heads this year (up by 4.5%). Looking to New Zealand, around three quarters of pastoral land and just under a third of New Zealand’s total land area is used for sheep and beef farming. According to the New Zealand Herald, the country exported red meat products worth $885 million for the month of February alone. The meat industry continues to generate high export revenue and remains the country’s foremost manufacturing sector, providing 25000-plus jobs. And while local manufacturers work hard to keep up with the pace of exports, the Department of Agriculture has cited a short-term stumbling block which will see lower prices outweighing increases in export volumes. However, the momentum continues for many invested, long-standing farmers operating in the meat processing sector. A prime example of a proudly Australian agribusiness thriving in the red meat sector is Fletcher International Exports. “In 2021, SMC Corporation ANZ released a case study in proud partnership with Fletcher,” explains Derek Haakman, Area Sales Manager for SMC New Zealand. “The company has two facilities in Australia that processes a total of 90 000 sheep per week.” He adds that the magnitude of this sector should not be underestimated or overlooked. “The red meat supply chain encompasses the likes of animal harvesting, livestock sales, meat processing, packaging, wholesaling, transportation and more.” “Companies in the red meat sector are up against a host of challenges daily, these include high running costs, rigorous health and safety standards, […]

Novel plant proteins for NZ

(L-R): Lisa Asher (Harvest B), Andrew Holloway (Dunninghams), Fabian Quevit (Dunninghams), Scott Reynolds (Dunninghams) and Kristi Riordan (Harvest B) High-quality whole piece, plant-based protein will soon be available to New Zealanders with the new distribution agreement between innovative Australian food manufacturer Harvest B and New Zealand supplier Dunninghams. The agreement marks the first distribution arrangement for Harvest B and the first export market for its novel, high-quality plant-based proteins. Unlike other plant-based meat offerings, Harvest B has developed a range of products that deliver the look and taste of whole meat pieces, while removing the need for binders, additives and a cold supply chain. “Partnering with such a highly respected organisation like Dunninghams to serve New Zealand made absolute sense for Harvest B,” said Kristi Riordan, CEO of Harvest B. “Dunninghams brings a deep understanding of the New Zealand market and consumers, and like us they share a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.” Growing demand for Plant-Based Meats According to Euromonitor 1, 42% of global customers say that they are restricting certain animal-based products, with more people replacing entire meals with plant-based proteins or seeking higher-protein content from plant based sources. Scott Reynolds, CEO of Dunninghams, said demand has been growing in the New Zealand market, “We are thrilled to partner with Harvest B to bring their innovative and sustainable products to New Zealand. Harvest B’s plant-proteins are ideally suited to this market, where consumers have, until now, had limited choice when seeking healthier and more sustainable food options to reduce their animal protein consumption.” Better Experience for Restaurants & Food Manufacturers “The Harvest B solution brings together multiple plant protein types, allowing us to provide better nutrition and a better eating experience. Through a simple on-site brine process, restaurants and food manufacturers can replicate traditional menu items their […]

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