Players in preventing agrochemical risks, representatives of the MSA (Mutualité sociale agricole), crop protection companies, A.D.I. Valor (agri-supply waste collection eco-body) and the Agricultural Trade Federation met on 19-20 March at Axe Environnement at Romilly-sur-Seine in the Aube. These Solutions Contract partners took part in an innovative training session designed by the equipment manufacturer, another member of this national association.

The goal of the members of the group “All together to prevent agrochemical risks” is to produce even more creativity in their communication campaign. Their recipe: games, interaction and an up-beat tone! Games are thus the main thread of the Axe Environment training course. Fabien Vermot-Desroches, the company’s Development Director, admits: “It is the best way of recommending an item of equipment or to talk about environmental protection”.

The group of preventatists has also identified recent technological inventions to increase operator safety when handling plant protection products.

In 2023: fewer fungicide treatments thanks to digital technology

Assessing the scab risk using decision-making tools optimises the positioning of both organic and conventional preventive fungicides. According to experiments by the National Apple and Pear Association (ANPP), in a year with little disease pressure like 2015, four fewer treatments were needed thanks to the RIMPro decision-making tool.
The other effective levers in dealing with the disease are agrochemicals, quality spraying, biocontrol and prophylaxis with leaves destroyed in Autumn. The planting of tolerant apple varieties is accelerating, even though there have been cases of scab strains circumventing them.

Protecting apple orchards against scab in 2023

As Venturia Ineaqualis strains can circumvent “single-site” fungicide activity, these fungicides have to be combined with “multi-site” contact fungicides. However, the category of these fungicides deemed to be “essential” is considerably reduced with few or no sustainable alternatives.

Protecting apple trees from scab using fungicides is always a question of timing which has to be maintained until harvest to avoid primary fungus contaminations on leaves and fruit. A key parameter enters the lists: the plasticity of Venturia Ineaqualis strains. “Single-site penetrating fungicides belonging to the triazole, strobilurin, QoI and ANF families have been circumvented”, shares Xavier Le Clanche, Technical Manager for the National Apple and Pear Association (ANPP). The effectiveness of those in the SDHI (translaminar) family must also be maintained. Less sensitive to leaching, these penetrating fungicides protect forming organs during rain and are more persistent. Their special feature? They only target a single biological function of the fungus. All of them therefore have to be combined within a scheme that includes a “shield” contact fungicide as this is “multi-site*” to continue to be effective. “Alternating modes of action, that should always be done, is not enough to curb the risk of resistance“, warns the expert. Multi-site fungicides alone impede the appearance of resistance; they are therefore the foundation of apple treatment schemes during this key primary contamination period“.

Drop in the number of possible combinations between contact and penetrating fungicides

Nevertheless, since the withdrawal of mancozeb from the agrochemical pharmacopoeia in 2021, tree-growers now only have two multi-site substances available, dithianon and captan, as a basis for dealing with the risk of resistance. The fact that each one can only be applied six times during one season reduces the possibilities of combining them with penetrating products, whereas twenty treatments on average can be necessary to harvest unblemished and smooth fruit. The lime-sulphur slurry which is not very sensitive to leaching and has the “knock-down” effect is an effective alternative. However, Xavier Le Clanche believes that its use remains fragile, including in organic farming, because it depends on the 120-day exemption system for obtaining authorisation, which is reviewed every year. Copper, an alternative at the start of the cycle, is also a candidate for substitution.

Anne Duval-Chaboussou, a research engineer at the Fruit and Vegetable Professional Association Technical Centre (CTIFL) La Morinière (37) is to assess in both organic orchards and integrated fruit production (PFI) the effectiveness and optimum use conditions of alternative solutions to conventional fungicides, especially for candidate for substitution products at European level. The rationale remains the same, regardless of the solution. “Protection against scab must be effective from bud breaking to flowering, otherwise it will be difficult to control the disease up to harvesting“, she suggests. In this context, only the level of risk, assessed with the RimPro or Fruitweb decision-making tool and based on weather data from the local station on the CTIFL La Morinière site, guides the positioning of alternative solutions.

Lime-sulphur slurry, sulphur and potassium bicarbonate

The lime-sulphur slurry, which is nevertheless subject to the 120-day exemption system, is proving to be extremely effective in blocking the primary sporulations. “It can even replace fungicides that may encounter resistance as a curative solution“. Another option identified for preventive use, mainly at flowering: sulphur, solo or combined with potassium bicarbonate. “This combination is featuring increasingly in integrated fruit protection strategies,” explains Anne Duval-Chaboussou. It is even possible to modulate the dose rates depending on the risk of disease as this solution is deemed effective. It can be applied during average peaks, even average contamination. Then, for safety reasons, or where there is significant leaching, it is recommended to apply a lime-sulphur slurry“.

No really effective alternatives to copper

Entered on the list of molecules to be substituted, copper, which can be used in organic farming, has its place at the start and end of primary contamination cycles. In conventional farming, it can lower the TFI to 0.3 by reducing the dose rate according to the level of disease pressure. Alternatives to this mineral substance are being explored, including base substances made up of horsetail decoction and willow infusions. “We are working on better compound extraction to increase effectiveness“, adds Anne Duval-Chaboussou. “But we are hampered by the cost“. Among the other avenues: oregano and clove oils. They could be agronomically interesting but not economically, according to the engineer.

Normally roots hide what they are doing well underground, but at Plant Advanced Technologies they take centre stage! Depending on the species, these roots manufacture natural substances capable of controlling pests. Researchers are studying this part of the plant carefully to detect molecules with herbicide, fungicide or insecticide properties within it. And the company uses metabolite engineering in-house to move from the laboratory to large-scale production. Here the enzymes take up the baton.

Encounter with Frédéric Bourgaud, Director of this innovative biotechnology company in Nancy and inventor of the “Plants to be milked” process, Sissi Miguel, Scientific Director of Cellengo, a PAT subsidiary, and Thomas Regnault, R&D engineer. They explain all the stages in the research process and development of these promising bioprotection and biostimulation solutions for agriculture as well as the challenges to be taken up.

Thanks to drone releases of mating disruption devices on the tops of large trees, more than 800 ha of walnut, apple and chestnut orchards will be protected from codling moth by 2023. Fiddly installation of diffusers using long sticks is therefore consigned to the past. This commercial and technological alliance between the start-up Agri.builders and the crop protection company Sumi-Agro is accelerating the adoption of this biocontrol solution. Farmers will simply not have to apply insecticide anymore in the majority of cases.

Encounter with Estelle Achard, nut producer, Antoine Boudon and Alexis Trubert, joint founders of agri-builders and with Pauline Creton from Sumi-Agro on 26 April at Montagne in the Drome, the day the pheromone nets are installed. The operation has been supported by the nut producers Sica and the Valsoleil cooperative. The patented Pherodrone technology is a world exclusive and a source of pride. New objective? Aim higher and in other countries!

Désherb’Avenir, FD 20 FarmDroid robot demonstration

Shift in the agenda for the presentation by the European Commission of draft regulations on the sustainable use of pesticides (SUR) and on new genome-editing techniques. The news in France focuses on work on the Ecophyto2030 Plan and the end of discussions to develop the Agricultural Future and Orientation Law and Deal (PLOAA).

Let us get to grips with neologisms! AgroLocalogy, a combination of agroecology and local production, reveals the consistency of agri-food company specifications. By combining “environmental protection” with “land”, manufacturers and craftsmen reconnect farmers with consumers.

Quality labels, environmental certifications, agroecological reference frameworks and regenerative agriculture are increasingly being promoted, such as the model supported by Nestlé France in its Living Soils programme. Agricultural transition is secured and the consumer reassured thanks to contractualisation. The Rhone-Alpes Quality Chain label of the miller François Cholat in the Isère illustrates this trend perfectly.

Nevertheless, the contents of the food basket are no longer the same due to inflation in food products, reaching in April 16.7% in one year: less meat, more imported fruit and vegetables grown beyond our borders. Prices are leading the way: they guide and even restrict purchases. Conversely, studies prove that consumers still want healthy local products and play a role in combating climate change. This is in fact the course taken by the sectors. Just like La Coopération Agricole, they are calling for planning to increase the competitiveness of French agricultural products whilst incorporating social and environmental dimensions. The issue of productivity, which is inextricably linked to these issues, is returning to centre stage. The sectors are backing innovation in crop protection. To get away from technical stalemate in fruit and vegetables, partnerships are being forged between manufacturers, public and private research structures and producer organisations. Lastly, to achieve the agroecological transition with the least possible risk, support for farmers is being tailored closely to local constraints. A more sociological definition of agroLocalogy?

This is a turning point in ensuring food sovereignty, pinning the notion of value to food and transforming agricultural production models to meet the challenges of climate change and biodiversity.

Agricultural cooperatives, which are found in all farming sectors and hold 40% of agri-food market shares, have a special place in their own right which is statutorily connected to local farming activity. How can these companies adapt? What can they expect in terms of innovations? Dominique Chargé, Chairman of La Coopération Agricole, believes that the market approach has to be planned in line with social and societal expectations, assisted by digital technology. The watchword for supporting farmers in protecting crops is: 400,000 combining methods have yet to be invented!

Have food sovereignty, climate change and ecological transition issues reshuffled the cards in terms of your customers’ requirements in production methods?

Dominique Chargé: “Current challenges are urging us to put meaning back into food. Our companies cannot be relocated and our employees feel involved in the cooperative spirit, which comes from the region. Our long-term commitment is to perpetuate but also renew and adapt cooperation. Our processing and distributor customers are seeking this local focus, be it in managing our productions connected to farming activities or for communication on our brands. The social and societal aspects are added to food relocation. Social, as part of a fair remuneration for farmers; societal, as we are purveyors of collective well-being. The citizen journeys through our farms. We are capable of providing all the responses to the major issues with priority given to the climate and biodiversity. For example, we have requests relating to deforestation in conjunction with alternative solutions to soy bean to feed the animals. I produce chicken under the Label Rouge label, which ensures free range, fewer birds, feeding with cereals, GMO-free, etc., but these criteria are not enough. The consumer-citizen also requires me to reduce my carbon footprint and expand the biodiversity.

Is more emphasis being placed on supply segmentation?

D.C: We are seeing supply fragmentation in all circumstances which is increasingly difficult to maintain. It exposes the farming industry to increased risk taking. The most flagrant example is without doubt the organic sector. More than 750 of our cooperatives collect and process productions in the organic sector and we are the leader in organic poultry. Nonetheless, consumers are turning away from this and choosing local products, adopting an approach that makes sense, as already mentioned, and also “-free” products. For many people, “-free” is linked to health and we are seeing more and more claims for “pesticide residue-free” and “GMO-free”. In this field, products are taking market share from organics. The Covid-19 health crisis was a strong marker, to which has recently been added the question of price linked to the inflation that impacts all the products. Organic produce must also be accessible in terms of price but we are reaching a limit. Organic is not suffering from a problem of image, but local produce also conveys reassuring criteria: safe, healthy and quality product.

How can the organic sector be revitalised?

D.C: The urgent need is to restore competitiveness, stabilise the sector and stop converting. When you no longer sell your organic chicken and introduce them into the conventional channel, the economic gap is brutal. So who has to pay? Currently, the inter-sector solidarity which is part of cooperative DNA enables compensation. The solution? It lies perhaps in greater flexibility in the organic means of production.

Agricultural models based on agroecology are being deployed more widely. Is a priority focus emerging?

D.C: La Coopération Agricole is not going to commit its members to one approach over another, be it agroecology, agroforestry or regenerative agriculture. They all attest to a transformation of production models to take the challenges of biodiversity and climate change into account better. However, these systems also necessitate changes in economic models to sustain them. In agronomic terms, we can argue, we have references. Conversely, in economic terms, it is far more complex to give our actions more value, whereas the consumer has been accustomed to paying less and less for his food over the last 40 years.

How can we make these transformations secure?

D.C: Our companies are at the interface between producers and consumers. We need to move away from push production to pull production. The only way to achieve this is through a logic of planning between upstream and downstream, in line with changes in demand in terms of quantity and quality. It must be based on all the approaches that support the ecological and energy transitions. Our network of 9,000 advisers is a real force for this!

What crop protection strategies are included in this planning?

D.C: From agricultural production characterised by standardised farming systems where chemicals and mechanical interventions settled 90% of situations, we are moving towards 400,000 unique farming systems, i.e. the same number as there are farms! Each has its own ecosystem and responds based on its agronomic and economic conditions. A logic of drawers, with a combination of solutions, is being deployed. Tomorrow’s model means biocontrol, agronomy, digital technology and tolerant varieties without counting the agrochemical solutions which are still authorised.

Which innovations do you think are the most efficient in this change of agricultural production model?

D.C: Digital technology, without doubt! An increasing number of so-called agroecological approaches are based on data relating to a precise situation. More digital technology secures our advice on climate change. In addition, bringing 400,000 solutions means more trials on the combined agronomic approach. The same applies to exports, we are going to be asked more and more questions about new ways of managing water and climate change and about the use of pesticides. Digital technology is going to help us justify and run everything. New cross-breeding techniques with genome editing are also needed to speed up the selection of varieties that are more resilient to climatic stress, tolerant to pests, productive and, for the species concerned, richer in protein.

Lastly, the transfer of the innovation between the fundamental research and agriculture is also part of our thinking. Moving from the standardised approach to analysis implies defining a progress trajectory. We need to build on this dynamic on a day-to-day basis and include strategic advice for farms. Innovation can also come from the land. Farmers bring solutions. The benefits of reservoir plants to main crops have been underlined in this way. A fund has been created at Terrena, my cooperative, to handle the risk from these trials. Listen to the land, theorise and duplicate: another exploration path by research.

Are consumers anxious in 2023? Sure. They always have been, in step with geopolitical, economic, environmental and health crises. In terms of expectations, a strong trend is emerging which is starting to dominate: “Climate change is no longer being questioned; better still, consumers wish to feel they have a role in the solution”, shares Sandrine Raffin, Chairman of LinkUp, a consultancy firm specialising in CSR. Regardless of age, depending on where we live and our financial resources, we all engage in a form of activism through our daily actions, to a greater or lesser extent.

Food transition supported by local products

In terms of food, the transition towards a less meat-based diet in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector is more nuanced. The proportion of consumers labelling themselves as flexitarian is advancing slowly, from 38% to 48% (2022) in five years. Nevertheless, a good third is persisting in its habits: “36% of the population is not taking part in the food transition, mainly for cultural reasons or because they also see no clear link between food and the climate impact, and 10% say that they are even resistant”, states Sandrine Raffin, basing her comments on an Obsoco survey of December 2021. Vegetarians account for 5% of the population, a ratio that has remained unchanged for ten years. On the other hand, the focus on eating good, healthy and local food stands out in the face of environmental challenges.:Since the Covid-19 crisis, there has been a widespread quest for meaning in food, with a desire to know more about the origins of products and ingredients. The brands have clearly understood this”. She believes that “local”, associated with quality and health, should take precedence in terms of claims over “-free”, such as “pesticide residue-free“, “a criterion that competes with organic produce“.

Nearly one French person in two committed to food transition

Seven standard French profiles, who are more or less committed

Promoting agricultural production through storytelling

Agri-food sectors and businesses can also tell a story with local production: “There is a strong desire to feel the human element behind the agri-food chain and to reconnect with the French farming industry that consumers love“, adds Sandra Raffin. Normally more virtuous, French productions are suffering from a lack of visibility of their commitments and, ultimately, fairer promotion. Brands like “Pink Lady apples” reveal the value created in the orchards: produced in a French region, tasty with practices in line with the environmental issues. “Crop protection is part of the story by showing that it moves forward with nature after being excessive in the past“, reveals Sandrine Raffin. The idea is not to go through the motions, but to feed the discussion with what speaks to the greatest number of people, in all sincerity and, why not, in a fun way. Gaming, QRcode on the packaging, etc. are all ways that help to explain the agricultural transition.

“Today, leading players in the food industry such as Nestlé, Heineken and Kronenbourg are part of this dynamic, hence their support for regenerative agriculture and agroecology,” adds Sandrine Raffin. “It is a major focus of their CSR policy.” So, one story to tell “that speaks to everyone” is about earthworms that live in the soil and bring it to life and another is about cover crops that need to be linked to the issues of carbon storage in the soil, water management, crop diversification and climate change mitigation. In this agricultural model, crop protection explores innovative farming systems: biocontrol, biostimulants, digital technology to monitor pests and agrochemicals, if necessary, to boost its sustainability.

Sources : 

*Ecological transformation barometer, Elabe x Véolia, October 2022.
** Obsoco, Observatory on the relationship between quality and ethics in the food industry, December 2021; Credoc, Consumer trends, June-July 2020.

“We make a chauvinistic flour at the Grands Moulins de Thuile“, introduces François Maxence Cholat, Supply Chain Manager of the Maison François Cholat, a family business based in Morestel in the Isère region. He represents the sixth generation.

The land argument, essential for craft bakers

The mill possesses over 150 flour recipes labelled “Rhône-Alpes Quality Chain”. They are made with wheat collected from 250 farms across the region. The local origin and products sought by consumers are promoted especially, slightly tongue in cheek. To publicise these special features, a bread character playing footie has been created using traditional Loire flour! The bread that comes out of the oven with two of its four horns slightly shorter is kneaded with “Pain du Dahut” flour from the Savoie range. A nod to an agile mountain goat, seen by all…

Agroecology, essential to the notion of local

The “Rhône-Alpes Quality Chain thus gives meaning to the ethical commitment of fair remuneration for farmers. Agroecological practices supplement this approach. Producer specifications only include disease-resistant varieties adapted to the regions and crop protection products that are tested in advance by the company’s agronomic department. Preference is given to the combined approach: sulphur for bioprotection, biostimulants and fungicide protection rationale with the Avizio decision aid from Syngenta to treat the wheat only if the risk of disease is demonstrated. By adopting this protection strategy as standard, the company is aiming for High Environmental Value certification for all farmers by 2027.

Nearly 70% of raw materials processed by Nestlé France come from French farming. They account for two thirds of the carbon footprint of the finished product. Under its CSR strategy*, Nestlé is aiming to have 20% of its key raw materials coming from regenerative agriculture in 2025. By 2030, half the supplies should be covered. “Several programmes to decarbonise upstream agriculture are currently being rolled out, such as Living soils, an approach run by the NGO EarthWorm, and Low carbon dairy farms based on the expertise of Idele, the French dairy farming institute“, shares Charles Leonardi, General Manager of the Nestlé France supply chain. Nestlé has been working on the topic of the soil, deemed “central” since 2016. The Living Soils programme commenced in 2018.

Ecosystem of companies united around regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is a long-term approach that now involves an ecosystem of intermediate collection and primary processing structures. It generates additional value for upstream agriculture. Thus, the last Nestlé contractualisation was signed with the cooperative Agora on 3 March 2023 during the SIMA tradefair. It joins the cooperatives Noriap, Unéal, Dijon Céréales and Eureden, the agricultural trader Carré and Saint Louis Sucre.

“We are now working with 180 farmers in regenerative agriculture, mainly in arable crops in the Hauts-de-France, Est and Bretagne regions“, states Charles Leonardi. Out of the 300,000 tonnes from French agriculture processed by Nestlé France, over 70,000 tonnes were harvested in 2022 in this context.”

Chain of joint benefits with regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is essential to making farming more resilient in the face of climatic hazards such as hydric stress and guarantees yields better. There are many joint benefits apart from CO² storage: biodiversity, improved soil fertility and performance and better pest management, among others. “Working to improve soil health and deploy regenerative agriculture must have the effect of reducing the use of plant protection products through crop rotation and the widespread use of cover crops“, adds Charles Leonardi.

Rewarding progress and not numerical goals

No dogmatism exists in the Living Soils agronomic reference framework, rather a desire to reward progress with bonuses and using indicators that measure progress rather than quantified objectives. “To achieve 50% regenerative agriculture, we are learning as we roll out the programme“, warns Charles Leonardi. The principle is to bring on board also those who have not been using such practices fully. The specification is not fixed.” Five soil quality and carbon storage indicators have been prepared by the EarthWorm Scientific Committee in conjunction with a committee of farmers and a committee of industrialists.

Assess the impact of farming practices another way

The change in farming practices means that the impact indicators introduced by agri-food groups can be reconsidered. “The question of crop protection in conjunction with regenerative agriculture is being discussed so that it can be monitored in the most relevant way”, says Charles Leonardi. The goal is to guide the transition better and produce an overview based on an impact change trajectory”.

*CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility

Weakened by technical stalemate in crop protection and the impacts of climate change, the fruit and vegetable sector is mobilising to construct effective combining solutions. The approach is successful as all the players are involved: research, technical institutes, industrialists, both private and cooperatives, producer organisations, etc., without forgetting the public authorities!

Launched in February 2023, the “sovereignty plan” dedicated to the French fruit and vegetable sector aims to support the players to boost their productive capability whilst responding to the challenges of ecological planning. Its purpose: win back five competitiveness points by 2030. “We are perfectly in tune with this ambition“, underlines Cécile Le Doaré, General Manager of Unilet, the processed vegetable professional association. Conversely, talking of sovereignty, we need to address the question of competitiveness and operational solutions available to farmers for cultivation“. Today, the sector is confronted with technical stalemates that are jeopardising its productions. “In terms of health control, 99% of our major uses are threatened by the withdrawal of an active substance“, she adds. “We therefore need to speed up research, and breeding, of combining solutions to maintain our productions in the region”.

A collaborative approach for combining solutions

R&D appears as one of the levers to achieve this. Unilet devotes 70% of its resources to upstream research. One third is set aside for experimenting with new plant protection products, whether chemical or biocontrol substances. The remaining two thirds are set aside for research into agroecological levers: resistant varieties, new technical farming systems, mechanical weed control, etc. The organisation has three experimental stations where it works in conjunction with all players in the sector: agronomic departments of industrialists, crop protection companies, technical institute partners, etc. “All players in the sector are mobilising behind these issues: from producers to downstream companies“, explains Cécile Le Doaré. “The survival of the entire sector is conditioned by our ability to find effective, sustainable and operational responses to these challenges. Together, we upgrade the specifications to respond to society’s expectations and to maintain sustainable production conditions for the farmers“.

Sterile insects to control the common fruit fly

Although some solutions are already operational, others are still at the experimental stage. The National Fruit Producer Federation is, for example, conducting experiments with CTIFL (Fruit and Vegetable Professional Association Technical Centre) and Inrae in combating the common cherry fruit fly, the main threat to this production. They are testing the sterile insect technique (SIT). Sterile male fruit flies are released during the reproduction period to mate with the females. “This is a technique developed in Canada to control the codling moth in apple trees”, explains Françoise Roch, Chairman of the National Fruit Producer Federation. “After two or three years, the pressure from the pest has dropped considerably. Nevertheless, about three years and 5 to 10 million in aid would be needed to roll out such a solution on French farms“.

Fewer residues with micro-injection

The federation has also identified other channels, such as micro-injection. Principle : the farmer injects an active substance directly into the tree’s sap network, thereby avoiding foliar treatment. Banned in France on fruit trees, the technique could prove effective in combating scab and aphids in apple trees. “The regulations would have to be upgraded and the treatment method industrialised. Without a signal from public policy, equipment manufacturers or firms will not invest in developing practical tools for farmers. And yet, this innovation has many advantages. The residues measured are far fewer than those recorded during foliar treatment and the harmlessness for the end consumer complies broadly with the regulations“, underlines Françoise Roch.

May

Ascenza has invested in a several digital tools to accelerate the growth of its digital communications and, above all, to understand its customers better and provide them with exclusive, relevant content tailored to their needs and expectations.

To simplify and secure the use of these plant protection products, Adama has created the DIGI.DOCS.AGRI. Posters, infographics and brochures can be downloaded here.

On 9 May, at the Interpack trade fair held in Düsseldorf, Germany, the easyconnect Closed Transfer System (CTS) won an award in the “Design focused on convenience and user benefits” the Pack the Future Awards trophy category. Awarded by the German IK Association for Plastic Packaging and its French partner ELIPSO, the prize is aimed at innovative and sustainable packaging solutions.

Action Pin obtained B Corp certification on 8 May. ACTION PIN joins a global community of more than 6,500 goal-oriented companies that meet the high standards of social and environmental responsibility and transparency established by this movement.

April

Climate FieldView from Bayer and Wanaka are becoming interoperable to simplify modulation and management of nitrogen fertilisation.

The French organic product company, Agrauxine by Lesaffre has signed a distribution agreement with Sumi Agro France, the French subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation, and Certis Belchim, the subsidiary of the Japanese company, Mitsui & Co.

Syngenta Crop Protection and Biotalys, the Belgian biocontrol product company, have agreed to work together on the research, development and marketing of new bioprotection solutions for many crops.

The blight risk management tool Mileos from Arvalis can now be accessed from xarvio Field Manager from BSF. Hosted and maintained by Arvalis, the model continues to be improved through the Institute’s R&D work.

March

Corteva Agriscience has completed the acquisition of Symborg, the Spanish crop bioprotection solutions provider, as well as US biostimulants specialist, Stoller.

February

Climate FieldView, Bayer’s digital agricultural data collection and analysis agronomic platform, has acquired the Data Agri label. The tool thus meets the Data Agri Charter developed by FNSEA and the JA. The label certifies that Climate FieldView uses plot information securely and transparently and that the information remains the property of the farmers.

Bayer Crop Science has signed an agreement to become exclusive distributor of certain pheromone-based plant protection products from the French semiochemistry company, M2i.