However, recent enrollment data from universities show a clear increase in STEM studies which suggests that the tides may be turning in their favor. In a few decades, the nerds may be the ones who are ruling the school. Without a doubt, the number of students embarking on STEM degrees and educational courses is on an upward trajectory. Between 2000 and 2012, the numbe...
“With our LightBattery technology, Sol Chip is uniquely positioned to realize our vision of enabling billions of autonomous IoT devices for many different market sectors in a way that is cost effective and environmentally sustainable,” explains Shani Keysar, founder and CEO of Sol Chip. “Our new SCC device clearly demonstrates these qualities for precision agriculture an...
The Canola Council of Canada says the pathogen in question, Verticillium longisporum, does not appear to produce wilt symptoms in canola, so the "wilt" name used to describe the potato and sunflower disease caused by the related fungus V. dahliae infection does not apply. In Europe, where V. longisporum infection in canola has been reported for years, the disease is some...
Startup companies in any industry will face many challenges on their journey from an idea to a sustainable business. Many entrepreneurs will look for resources to help them on that journey, such as accelerator programs and incubators. If you’re in the technology or venture capital space, it’s likely you will have heard of accelerators like 500 Startups and Y Combinator. ...
Growers today are under increasing pressure to produce higher yields, while soft commodity prices are forcing them to lower costs. In order to achieve this, farmers are looking at a variety of options including their farm management software to help make timely decisions that save money on inputs and create greater efficiencies on the farm. Trimble Ag Software offers an ...
The current phasing out of incandescent light sources has created an urgent need for more energy efficient lighting systems in the poultry industry. To date, a lighting system designed specifically for egg producers has been lacking, but Dr. Gregoy Bedecarrats has developed a special LED light bulb to address this need In an interview, Dr. Bedecarrats, a Poultry Physio...
Kati Migliaccio, a UF/IFAS Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, led a study published in the journal Agricultural Water Management, where scientists tested data for average evapotranspiration for different periods of days. They also compared wet seasons versus dry seasons. Researchers conducted this study in an avocado grove at the UF/IFAS Tropical Re...
Unlike the broader VC market, however, we recorded an uptick in deal activity and active investors in the sector. Find out about the categories and investors shaping the market. We’ve also added sections for new funds, accelerators, and M&A during the period. Download the 65-page report here. 500 Startups Selects Salinas AgTech company for Upcoming Accelerator Program...
Monsanto has also established an equity position in the private Israel-based company. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed. According to both companies, gene-editing technology and the broad array of emerging gene-editing techniques represent a key scientific tool that can deliver breakthroughs in agriculture. The science is the biological equivalent of t...
Although currently capturing 1.5 tons of illegal fish each year, it faces difficulties in tracking vessels around the country’s islands and archipelagos. As part of her visit, the Minister signed a memorandum of understanding to work with Glasgow-based Traceall Global to carry out an initial pilot project aimed at reducing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU...
He co-founded Walden Israel, one of Israel’s first venture capital funds in the early 1990s, Clal Venture Capital in 1995, where he was CEO until 2002, and Infinity VC in 1997. Then in 2007, he turned his attention away from hi-tech towards natural resources co-founding AquAgro Fund, a $50 million fund that invested in nine food and agriculture, water and energy comp...
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the USDA will be providing more than $45 million in grants to help American farmers and agribusinesses expand. The grants are being administered through the Value-Added Producer Grant program, and about 325 projects will benefit from funding. "Value-Added Producer Grants are one of USDA's most sought-after funding ...
What is cotton seed used for? How is cotton harvested? During the North Carolina State Fair, I worked the Got to Be NC tent. In the middle of the tent, there were raised beds with cotton, corn, soybean, and grain sorghum plants. While working, I answered each of the questions above. Some of the consumers I spoke with had never seen cotton plants before. Some ha...
Cash Owens caught the bug for auctioneering at a Montana horse auction when he was 8 years old. On the way back home to his family's Minnesota farm, he and a friend in the backseat of the pickup started calling auctions on everything they passed by: grazing cattle, cars, fenceposts, ranches, you name it. "I'll tell you, I was never so happy to get out of that pickup truc...
The service, which shortens the time required to report and verify acreage for USDA program participation, was awarded the seal by successfully completing an Ag Data Transparency Evaluator contract review. This program was created by a coalition of major farm organizations, commodity groups, and agriculture technology providers to help growers understand where their farm...
In the vernacular of engines, the timing cover, oil pan, and valve covers are identified as sheet metal. In agriculture, the definition is expanded to include any light-grade metal enclosure that contains a liquid or lubricant. SHEET METAL LEAKS Oftentimes, sheet metal parts are hard to seal. Most applications use a gasket between the cover and the main componen...
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) are no longer toys. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has finally let them out of the box. Now, they are officially tools. After several years of delay, the FAA issued regulations that give farmers a clear path to commercial use of autonomous flying vehicles. The new regulations went into effect Aug. 29. Prior to the regs, many f...
Ranchers who use prescribed burns to control invasive plant species on their pastures could soon receive some help from above. Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have developed a prototype unmanned aerial vehicle -- commonly called a drone -- capable of safely igniting prescribed burns. Developed at UNL's Nebraska Intelligent Mobile Unmanned Systems ...
Steve Hess may be the grandfather of nine, but when it comes to farming, he is a millennial at heart. In fact, Hess, his wife Phyllis and their son Marcus are adopting cutting-edge technology this season they hope will help lift their Bushnell, Illinois, grain yields and profit margins through 2016 and beyond. This spring, the Hess partners spent $70,000 rebuilding a...
Jason Schielke, an IT specialist for Frahm Farmland in Colby, Kansas, is a patient person. It's a good thing he is: Wireless data transfers from the field can take time where Internet connectivity is weak. "We have spotty coverage here through the cellular service which John Deere uses," Schielke told DTN. "We probably have to download 10%-20% of data manually." It...
During my relatively short lifespan (42 years now) I have seen huge changes in equipment on the state's highway. When I was kid an 8-row planter being pulled by a 150-horsepower tractor was a big outfit. Today farmers would maybe use this tractor/implement combo to plant their sweet corn acres. The changing size of farm equipment affects state laws. Nebraska's Unicame...
Harvest is the time of year when farmers reap the rewards from a season of hard work, worry and risk. They treasure the perfect harvests when the weather co-operated and yields surpassed expectations. The worst years serve as useful reminders of the challenges of farming. Crop yield is the measurement of crop production on a given area of land. It refers to the average ...
"We are pleased to receive funding and advisory services from NRC-IRAP in support of our innovative biofuel yeast strain R&D program," said Dr. Matthew Dahabieh, Head of Research of Renaissance BioScience Corp. "Our novel approach to developing biofuel yeast strains with superior properties has the potential to deliver a valuable addition to the global energy marketplac...
