“A genetically modified banana has been approved for growing on farms for the first time. Regulators in Australia and New Zealand have given the go-ahead to a strain of the Cavendish banana altered to be resistant to a devastating fungal disease that has spread to many countries worldwide.”
From New Scientist.
“As AI continues to grow, experts say that the wine industry is proof that businesses can integrate the technology efficiently to supplement labor without displacing a workforce. New agricultural tech like AI can help farmers to cut back on waste, and to run more efficient and sustainable vineyards by monitoring water use and helping determine when and where to use products like fertilizers or pest control. AI-backed tractors and irrigation systems, farmer say, can minimize water use by analyzing soil or vines, while also helping farmers to manage acres of vineyards by providing more accurate data on the health of a crop or what a season’s yield will be.
Other facets of the wine industry have also started adopting the tech, from using generative AI to create custom wine labels to turning to ChatGPT to develop, label and price an entire bottle.”
From Associated Press.
“In what’s been called a world first, consumers in the UK are now able to buy a pet treat made with lab-grown meat.
The treat contains plant-based ingredients and 4% chicken meat cultivated in a lab by Meatly, a London-based startup that last year became the first company in the world to get regulatory approval for this type of meat to be used in pet food.”
From CNN.
“At his ranch in southwest Nigeria, Moyosore Rafiu watches as an artificial insemination specialist carefully inspects whether his cows are ready. If he gets the nod, another part of his herd will be impregnated with imported semen from the hardy Girolando breed from Brazil.
Switching to cattle that can withstand the African climate means twice the milk and more income for Rafiu. But it could also be a game changer for Nigeria, home to one of the world’s most food insecure populations…
The potential for growth is huge. On average, a Nigerian cow yields less than 1 liter of milk a day compared with 26 liters in the Netherlands and 30 liters in the US, according to data from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. A Girolando can yield about 20 liters.”
From Bloomberg.
“Rice, one of the world’s key staples, is responsible for 12 percent of global methane emissions. Now, an international team of scientists has identified chemical compounds released by rice roots that determine how much methane the plants emit…
When the research team grew these low fumarate and high ethanol (LFHE) rice varieties at various field sites throughout China, the LFHE rice produced 70 percent less methane on average compared with the elite variety from which it was bred. The LFHE crops also have high yields at yields—8.96 tons/hectare on average, compared to the 2024 global average of 4.71 tons/hectare.”
From ISAAA.
