Artificial intelligence is emerging as a powerful tool for agriculture, offering new ways to improve productivity, optimize fertilizer and water use, and strengthen resilience to climate change. However, a new study finds that many smallholder farmers in developing countries remain unable to benefit from these advances due to limited access to electricity, internet connectivity, financing, and digital skills.

The research compared AI adoption across developed and developing agricultural systems and found a widening technological gap. Farmers in countries such as the United States, China, Japan, and across Europe are increasingly using precision agriculture technologies for crop monitoring, pest detection, yield forecasting, and irrigation management. These technologies are supported by reliable digital infrastructure, strong institutional frameworks, and access to data-driven farming tools.

In contrast, smallholder farmers, who account for roughly 80% of farmers in developing nations, continue to face significant barriers to adoption. The study identified unreliable electricity supplies, poor broadband access, high technology costs, limited digital literacy, and restricted access to credit as major obstacles. Researchers also warned that AI systems trained on data from large-scale farms in developed countries may generate inaccurate recommendations when applied to diverse smallholder farming systems in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

The study further highlighted concerns over data ownership, privacy, and governance. In many developing regions, farmers have little control over how agricultural data is collected, used, or monetized. Without stronger safeguards and targeted policies, the researchers argue that AI could reinforce existing inequalities within global food systems rather than reduce them.

The authors concluded that investments in reliable electricity, internet access, affordable digital technologies, farmer training, and locally relevant data systems are essential for ensuring AI benefits are broadly shared. They recommend a gradual approach to adoption, beginning with simple mobile advisory services before scaling up to more advanced AI-powered agricultural tools.

Source: The Conversation

The UK government has unveiled a £350 million Critical Chemicals Resilience Fund, a move welcomed by the chemicals sector as manufacturers face growing pressure from high operating costs and increasing international competition. The announcement reflects concerns about the health of Britain’s energy-intensive manufacturing base.

Chemical industry representatives argue that the funding, while helpful, addresses only part of a broader challenge. Chemicals play a central role in the UK economy, providing key inputs for agriculture, pharmaceuticals, plastics, energy technologies and advanced manufacturing. Industry leaders warn that persistent energy costs, among the highest faced by manufacturers globally, are making the domestic production of essential chemicals such as ammonia and ethylene increasingly uneconomic.

As production capacity declines, the UK risks becoming more dependent on imports for critical materials, potentially exposing supply chains to geopolitical disruptions and weakening economic resilience. Sector executives are also calling for a review of the country’s net-zero strategy, arguing that current emissions accounting methods fail to capture the carbon footprint of imported goods. They contend that a more balanced approach is needed to support decarbonization goals while preserving industrial competitiveness and encouraging long-term private investment in UK manufacturing.

Source: City A.M.

Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that helps rival plant species coexist in the same habitat, finding that oak trees can alter soil conditions in ways that prevent dominant species from overwhelming weaker competitors. The study, published in the journal Ecology Letters, suggests that soil beneath oak trees acts as a natural mediator, promoting biodiversity and maintaining ecological balance.

A team led by Ezequiel Antorán and Joaquín Calatayud at the Global Change Research Institute found that Pyrenean oak trees modify the chemical and microbial composition of surrounding soils. Experiments showed that these altered soils reduced the germination success of the dominant gum rockrose while improving growth conditions for the less competitive laurel-leaf rockrose. Researchers said compounds released through oak roots and decomposing leaves, together with specialized soil microorganisms, appear to drive the effect.

To determine whether these interactions could sustain coexistence over time, the team developed computer simulations using data from field and laboratory experiments. The models accurately reproduced plant distribution patterns observed in nature, with laurel-leaf rockrose clustering near oak trees and gum rockrose dominating areas farther away. Simulations indicated that both populations could remain stable for at least 100 years, supporting the idea that indirect soil-mediated interactions play a critical role in maintaining biodiversity.

The findings, based on research conducted in the Central Mountain Range of Spain and supported by modeling work at IceLab, highlight the importance of ecosystem “mediators” such as oak trees. Researchers said understanding these hidden interactions could help guide habitat restoration, biodiversity conservation, and predictions of how plant communities may respond to climate change and species loss.

Source: Phys.org

Researchers at Yale University have developed a solar-powered artificial leaf capable of converting carbon dioxide and water into liquid methanol fuel using only sunlight, a breakthrough that could advance carbon capture and renewable fuel technologies. The system, described by the research team as one of the most efficient silicon-based photoelectrocatalytic methanol conversion devices reported to date, operates without external electricity and directly produces a liquid fuel rather than generating electricity.

The project, led by Yale scientists in collaboration with researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, and the University of Pennsylvania, draws inspiration from natural photosynthesis. Unlike conventional solar technologies, the artificial leaf creates methanol directly, enabling long-term energy storage and compatibility with existing fuel infrastructure. Methanol is already widely used as an industrial chemical and is gaining attention as an alternative fuel for shipping and energy applications.

The device combines a cobalt phthalocyanine catalyst attached to carbon nanotubes with a photoelectrode made of microscopic silicon pillars coated with fullerene carbon material. The catalyst enables the complex six-electron reaction needed to convert carbon dioxide and water into methanol, while the photoelectrode improves charge separation and electron transfer efficiency. Together, these innovations significantly improve the system’s performance compared with earlier artificial photosynthesis technologies.

Researchers said further work is needed to improve efficiency and durability before commercial deployment becomes feasible. However, the technology demonstrates the potential for engineered photosynthesis to support future industrial carbon recycling and low-emission liquid fuel production.

Sources: Interesting Engineering

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has turned the waterway into a critical failure point for global food security, the chief economist of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said, warning that disrupted fertilizer shipments threaten farm output through 2027.

Writing for the Council on Foreign Relations on June 3, Maximo Torero Cullen said the strait normally carries up to 30% of internationally traded fertilizers alongside about 25% of seaborne oil and 20% of liquefied natural gas. Since conflict escalated in late February, export volumes through the strait had fallen to less than 5% of pre-conflict levels by mid-March, a drop of more than 95%.

Major producers in Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have cut or suspended operations, removing a key source of global supply, Torero Cullen said. Unlike oil, fertilizers have no globally coordinated strategic reserves to cushion the shock. Middle East urea prices remain between 75% and 108% above pre-conflict levels, while higher oil and European gas prices have lifted nitrogen production costs worldwide.

FAO modeling suggests cereal producers could face income losses of up to 5% in 2026, with effects lasting through 2030. Growers face three options, he said: cut fertilizer use and accept lower yields, shift toward less nitrogen-hungry crops such as soybeans, or absorb higher costs and risk financial collapse. A broad move into oilseeds could in turn tighten grain supplies and lift food prices for import-dependent countries.

Torero Cullen called for immediate, coordinated action, warning that the window to respond is closing as planting seasons proceed regardless of the conflict.

Source: Council on Foreign Relations

A coalition of 65 state and national farm groups has urged U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to revoke countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizer imported from Morocco, arguing the tariffs are deepening a cost squeeze on growers as fertilizer prices reach fresh highs.

The letter, sent June 1 and signed by groups including the National Corn Growers Association, asks Lutnick to end the order “to ease the pain felt by farmers as fertilizer prices reach new highs.” The duty on Moroccan phosphate currently runs at about 16.6% to 16.8%, after starting at 19.97% in 2021, falling to 2.21% following a court remand, and then being raised again in a later review.

The groups cited a Texas A&M University Agricultural and Food Policy Center study estimating the duties on Moroccan phosphate added roughly $6.9 billion to input costs for U.S. corn, soybean, wheat, rice, sorghum and cotton growers across the 2021 through 2025 seasons. At its full 19.97% rate, the duty raised the U.S. price of diammonium phosphate by an estimated 28.6%, the letter said.

“Net farm income has fallen roughly 31% from its 2022 peak, fertilizer prices are up more than 150% since 2020, and Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies have surged to their highest levels in several years,” the letter said, noting growers are in a fourth straight year of losses.

The appeal lands less than a week after Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson announced an industry-wide investigation into fertilizer pricing and market concentration. Mosaic controls roughly three-quarters of domestic phosphate production, while Morocco’s state-owned OCP is the main exporter subject to the order. A decision on whether to revoke the duties rests with Commerce.

Source: DTN Progressive Farmer

What to know about the Moroccan phosphate duties

Governments across sub-Saharan Africa are expanding emergency fertilizer programs and regional procurement reforms to shield farmers from elevated prices, as Middle East tensions keep global benchmarks well above pre-conflict levels, according to an IFDC market bulletin published June 2.

Mozambique has launched a World Bank-backed emergency program distributing about 8,000 tonnes of free NPK and urea to more than 160,000 farmers across six provinces between April and June. In Zambia, a new United Capital Fertilizer urea plant is improving local supply, with a planned distribution hub in Eastern Province to serve domestic demand and exports to Mozambique and Malawi.

At a March 23 meeting, ECOWAS agriculture ministers directed the creation of a regional joint fertilizer purchasing system to replace fragmented national procurement. The bloc has since consolidated member-state demand data and begun engaging suppliers including Dangote and Indorama, with financing structured through regional development banks.

Price pressure remains acute. In Nigeria, urea rose about 43% between February and May, from ₦35,000 to ₦50,000 per 50-kg bag (roughly $22 to $32 at current exchange rates), driven by currency weakness, higher gas costs and import expenses, the bulletin said. Middle East urea (FOB) has eased to about $630 per tonne but stays roughly 28% above pre-war levels.

Subsidy programs in Rwanda, Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo continue to cushion farmers, while Uganda maintains imports of about 50,000 tonnes through a new partnership with the Green Hydrogen Fertilizer Company.

Source: IFDC

The urea futures benchmark fell to about $416 per tonne on June 4, down roughly 6% on the day and about 28% over the past month, as oversupply and softer post-application demand pulled prices lower, according to Trading Economics data.

The decline extends a months-long retreat from wartime peaks. Middle East urea (FOB) has eased to about $630 per tonne, though that remains roughly 28% above pre-conflict levels, according to Argus Media assessments compiled by IFDC.

Traders point to ample supply and a seasonal lull in buying after the Northern Hemisphere application window, compounded by China’s gradual return to the export market. Phosphate prices have held firm over the same period, with DAP around $869 to $875 per tonne, leaving nitrogen as the weakest of the major nutrients.

A move of this size carries to the farm gate. A swing of $30 per tonne in urea translates to roughly $15 to $20 per acre in nitrogen costs for U.S. corn growers.

Whether the slide continues depends on the pace of Chinese export clearances and the next round of Indian tender demand, which traders expect to firm later in the summer.

Source: Trading Economics

What to know about the urea price slide

Monette Group, one of North America’s largest farming operations, will sell its entire 274,000-acre land base across Canada and the United States to repay creditors, according to a court filing released June 1 under Canada’s insolvency process.

The Saskatchewan-headquartered group held a $950M secured credit facility, dated December 2018, that matured on April 15, 2026. It entered Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) protection in late April and has since drawn $26M of a new $90M debtor-in-possession facility from Scotiabank to keep operating.

Under a Sale and Investment Solicitation Process, the group will pursue land sales, recapitalization or refinancing. Its holdings span Alberta, Saskatchewan (129,000 acres), Manitoba (49,000 acres), British Columbia, Montana, Colorado and Arizona, including 61,700 acres in the United States. It has already liquidated its cattle herd to repay Farm Credit Canada.

The company sold two tracts in 2025, land near Regina for $41.18M and 17,000 acres in Montana for $47.5M, before the filing.

A court hearing to approve the plan is set for June 12, with all farmland to be listed by licensed brokers by June 29. Binding bids are due October 15, and the group has requested a stay extension to November 13 to complete the growing and harvest season.

Source: AgWeb

Akorn Technology has commercially launched Akorn Natural Guard, a plant-derived post-harvest treatment that delivered full control of anthracnose in mango trials run with Brazil’s Federal University of the São Francisco Valley (UNIVASF), while extending shelf life by up to 10 days.

The product targets the most damaging post-harvest disease in mango, which the company said affects 30% to 60% of production in many growing regions and can reach 100% under severe conditions. For a 22-tonne export container valued above $40,000, losses on that scale equate to $12,000 to $24,000 of fruit written off per shipment.

Anthracnose is conventionally managed with synthetic fungicides such as azoxystrobin, difenoconazole and prochloraz, a reliance that has raised concerns over residues, worker exposure and resistance. Akorn said its formulations are fully natural and built for export-market compatibility, and that improved transit performance could lift grower profitability by as much as 50%.

“We view Akorn Natural Guard as the beginning of a broader platform capable of delivering multiple layers of functionality simultaneously,” said Anthony Zografos, founder and chief executive of Akorn Technology.

Commercial trials with growers and exporters are under way. Mangoes are the initial focus, with the company saying the underlying platform is designed for other crops and post-harvest disease systems.

Source: FreshPlaza

Akorn Natural Guard: Five Things to Know

Sugar beet growers in eastern England have secured emergency authorization to use an additional pesticide treatment to protect the 2026 crop from virus yellows, a disease that industry groups say poses a significant threat to domestic sugar production.

The emergency approval, obtained by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Sugar board and British Sugar with support from the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO), allows a second application of the insecticide Insyst SG to control the peach-potato aphid, the primary vector of virus yellows. The disease is considered the most serious production threat facing the U.K.’s sugar beet sector, which is concentrated in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Industry representatives warned that aphid pressure this season is expected to reach its highest level since 2020, the first years following the European Union’s ban on neonicotinoid seed treatments previously used to protect sugar beet crops. According to NFU Sugar Chairman Kit Papworth, virus yellows infected 38% of the national sugar beet crop in 2020, resulting in a 25% reduction in yields, with some farms reporting losses of up to 80%.

Under the terms of the authorization, growers may only apply Insyst SG after completing a three-spray program using fully approved active ingredients. The emergency use period runs from May 28 through August 1 and can only be triggered once specified aphid thresholds are reached. Farmers must also maintain detailed records covering aphid populations, virus incidence, treated acreage, application timing, and crop growth stages.

Despite welcoming the temporary measure, industry leaders emphasized that efforts to develop long-term solutions remain ongoing. The BBRO, working alongside growers and industry stakeholders, continues research into sustainable approaches for managing virus yellows and reducing reliance on emergency pesticide authorizations in future seasons.

Source: Eastern Daily Press

5 things to know about virus yellows: why UK sugar beet growers won emergency pesticide approval

Investment in agricultural innovation is increasingly focused on technologies that could help farmers produce more food while coping with climate change, resource shortages, and market volatility. According to venture capital firm AgFunder, global investment in agricultural innovation exceeded $16 billion in 2025, with approximately $9 billion directed toward research to improve farm productivity, up from $2.5 billion in 2016.

The renewed interest comes as agriculture faces mounting pressures from extreme weather, drought, soil degradation, geopolitical disruptions, and growing global food demand. Industry executives and investors gathered at the recent F&A Next conference at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands said advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and plant genetics are creating new opportunities to modernize farming systems that have changed relatively little since the Green Revolution.

Many startups are focusing on alternatives to conventional fertilizers and pesticides. Belgian startup B-COS, a spinout from Ghent University, is engineering bacteria to produce compounds that mimic chitin, a natural substance found in insect exoskeletons and fungal cell walls. When sprayed on crops such as tomatoes and potatoes, the compounds trigger plants’ natural defense mechanisms. The company is developing products designed to improve drought tolerance and reduce disease pressure, claiming disease reductions of up to 50% in field applications.

Artificial intelligence is also becoming a central tool in precision agriculture. Italian company EVJA combines field sensors with AI models to predict disease outbreaks, estimate crop yields, monitor water requirements, and track carbon emissions. The company says customers have reduced fertilizer and water use by as much as 40% while increasing yields. German startup Soilytix uses DNA analysis of soil microbes to identify pathogens and provide recommendations on seed selection, crop management, and pesticide applications tailored to specific field conditions.

Meanwhile, plant breeding startups are using machine learning and accelerated breeding techniques to develop crops better suited to future growing conditions. Dutch startup Aardaia is working to domesticate the aardaker, a wild legume sometimes described as a “protein potato.” Founder Pádraic Flood says the crop could eventually deliver significantly higher protein yields per hectare than soybeans. Using controlled-environment growth chambers and AI-assisted genetic analysis, the company has already increased yields roughly tenfold compared with wild varieties.

Another Dutch company, Radicle Crops, is applying similar technologies to quinoa, developing varieties designed to withstand climate stress while delivering higher yields. The company says one of its hybrid quinoa varieties produces 25% to 45% more grain than existing commercial alternatives and offers improved competitiveness against weeds.

Despite growing interest, agricultural technology remains a relatively small segment of global venture capital investment. Industry data show agritech companies attracted just 1.3% of global early-stage venture funding in 2024, despite agriculture accounting for roughly 4% of global economic output. Nevertheless, investors and entrepreneurs believe advances in AI, genetics, and biological crop inputs could help drive a new era of precision agriculture capable of meeting future food demand while reducing environmental pressures.

Source: The Economist

A team of German scientists has developed a catalyst production method that tripled ammonia yields during electrochemical nitrate conversion, a finding that could advance efforts to decarbonize fertilizer production and reduce the environmental footprint of ammonia manufacturing.

Researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and the University of Cologne reported that applying a 1-Tesla magnetic field during the synthesis of cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄) electrocatalysts significantly improved their performance in converting nitrate into ammonia. The results were published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

The research focuses on an emerging alternative to the Haber-Bosch process, the century-old industrial method used to produce ammonia. Haber-Bosch currently accounts for an estimated 1%–2% of global energy consumption and nearly 1% of annual greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists are exploring electrochemical nitrate reduction as a lower-energy route that could also help remove excess nitrate pollution generated by intensive agriculture.

According to the study, catalysts synthesized under a magnetic field generated three times more ammonia than identical materials produced without magnetic assistance. The researchers found that the magnetic field altered the catalyst’s surface structure and stabilized catalytically active cobalt ions, making nitrate reduction more efficient while suppressing competing hydrogen-producing reactions.

The strongest-performing catalyst, CoFe₂O₄ synthesized under a 1-Tesla magnetic field, also delivered ammonia yields 22 times higher than similarly produced iron oxide catalysts, highlighting cobalt’s critical role in the reaction. Computational modeling supported the experimental findings, indicating that cobalt lowers kinetic barriers for nitrate reduction while reducing unwanted side reactions.

Researchers said the approach could offer a scalable method for designing more efficient electrocatalysts. Unlike some magnetic-field-assisted processes, the magnetic field is only required during catalyst fabrication, not during ammonia production itself.

The study suggests that magnetic fields could join temperature and pressure as an additional tool for controlling catalyst properties at the atomic level, potentially accelerating the development of next-generation technologies for sustainable chemical and fertilizer production.

Source: Phys.org

The Duchy of Cornwall, the private estate owned by Britain’s heir to the throne, Prince William, has listed a 617-acre farm in Herefordshire for sale as part of a long-term plan to reshape its property portfolio and increase investment in social and environmental initiatives.

The vacant property, located near Ledbury in western England, is being marketed with a guide price of £6.65 million (approximately USD 9 million). According to property consultant Fisher German, the estate includes an eight-bedroom farmhouse, a range of agricultural buildings, and a mix of pasture and arable land. The farm is being offered either as a single holding or in two separate lots.

The sale comes as the Duchy of Cornwall pursues a strategy announced earlier this year to divest roughly 20% of its property assets over the next decade. The estate, which spans about 128,000 acres across 19 counties and generates around £20 million (approximately USD 27 million) in annual private income for Prince William, plans to reinvest approximately £500 million (USD 677 million) into affordable housing, environmental projects, and local community initiatives.

A spokesperson for the duchy said the organization is “aligning and rebalancing” its portfolio to ensure its assets deliver the greatest possible social and environmental impact. The spokesperson added that decisions regarding property sales are being made with a long-term perspective and that any affected tenants would receive support and be consulted on a case-by-case basis.

Prince William has previously said he wants the duchy to play a broader role than that of a traditional landowner, emphasizing its potential to improve the lives of people living and working within its communities.

Source: BBC News

Apple growers in California’s Pajaro Valley are removing orchards and reassessing their operations after S. Martinelli & Company terminated contracts with local suppliers, ending a long-standing relationship that many farmers say sustained the region’s apple industry for more than a century.

The decision has left dozens of growers scrambling for alternatives in the fertile agricultural corridor between Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. Some farmers have already begun bulldozing apple trees to make way for more profitable crops or to lease land to berry producers, according to reporting by SFGATE and Lookout Santa Cruz. Local growers said the move threatens the future of small family farms that relied heavily on Martinelli’s purchases of Newtown pippin apples, a variety closely associated with the company’s apple juice and cider products.

Martinelli’s declined to disclose details about the number of contracts affected or its procurement plans. Chief Executive Officer Gun Ruder told SFGATE that the company remains committed to sourcing apples from the Pajaro Valley but would not discuss its sourcing strategy or internal operations. Industry observers cited by local media suggested the company may be seeking lower-cost fruit from outside California. According to Santa Cruz County’s latest crop report, local apples sold for about $400 per ton in 2024, compared with roughly $135 per ton for apples sourced from Washington state.

The contract cancellations echo broader challenges facing California’s processing-fruit sector. Earlier this year, growers in Central California sought federal assistance after Del Monte closed processing facilities and canceled long-term contracts with clingstone peach producers, a move expected to result in hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue. Pajaro Valley farmers fear similar economic consequences, including reduced employment for orchard workers, pruning crews, and cold-storage operators that support the region’s apple industry.

Some growers had already diversified away from Martinelli’s in recent years. Noah Gizdich of Gizdich Ranch said his family farm expanded into direct-to-consumer sales and U-pick operations after decades of supplying the company. Karell Reader, owner of Luz del Valle Farm in Watsonville, said she and her husband also shifted toward a U-pick business after noticing increasing deliveries from out-of-state apple suppliers.

“We saw the writing on the wall,” Reader told SFGATE. “I don’t think anyone wanted to believe they would be betrayed.”

Source: SFGATE report

ATOME has selected Sungrow Hydrogen to supply the electrolysers for its 260,000 t/yr low-carbon fertilizer plant at Villeta, Paraguay, following a competitive tender managed by EPC partner Casale.

The project will deploy 110 MW of Sungrow’s alkaline electrolyser technology, powered by 100% renewable baseload hydropower from the Itaipu Dam, to produce the green hydrogen feedstock for 260,000 t/yr of low-carbon calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN). A long-term service agreement will cover maintenance of the equipment.

ATOME described the award as the start of a long-term partnership with Sungrow, with cooperation on further projects already under discussion. The selection follows direct equity investments in ATOME by Casale and Baker Hughes, which the company said support its strategy of offering a one-stop-shop package to project investors and lenders.

Villeta ranks among the first utility-scale green nitrogen projects in Latin America, a region heavily dependent on imported fertilizer. Calcium ammonium nitrate produced from hydropower-based hydrogen would give regional growers a domestically made, lower-carbon alternative to imported nitrogen.

Sungrow’s appointment moves the flagship project toward construction as ATOME firms up its technology and financing partners.

Source: World Fertilizer

American Critical Minerals has received 11 federal potash prospecting permits from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, effective June 1, clearing the final hurdle to drill its Green River project in Utah’s Paradox Basin this year.

The permits cover roughly 25,480 acres. Combined with state SITLA leases of about 7,050 acres and 1,094 federal lithium brine claims spanning 21,150 acres, the company now controls the entire 32,530-acre project and is authorized to drill seven holes. The BLM recognized the company’s reclamation bond on May 18.

Drilling is designed to validate historical data and test potash horizons, along with clastic zones for lithium and bromine, in the Paradox and Leadville formations. Two historic wells on the project intersected potash zones thicker than five metres in the Cycle 5 interval that has anchored Paradox Basin mining for more than 50 years.

The acreage sits near Intrepid Potash’s Moab Solution Mine, where intercepts have run 3.4 metres at 26.4% estimated potassium chloride and 5.9 metres at 24.3%. Intrepid is the only domestic U.S. potash producer, a point American Critical Minerals cites as evidence of geological continuity across the basin.

“Drill holes are now fully permitted and bonded. This represents the culmination of over 10 years of work,” said chief executive Dean Pekeski. The company plans site mobilization by the third quarter, with each hole expected to take about 45 days.

Source: Mining Technology

Elessent Clean Technologies has signed a strategic alliance with Thermal Systems, a Hyderabad-based steaming equipment manufacturer, to deliver integrated heat-recovery solutions for the sulfuric acid plants that underpin phosphate fertilizer production.

The agreement pairs Elessent’s MECS sulfuric acid technology, marketed for more than a century, with Thermal Systems’ 40 years of steaming equipment design and manufacturing. The companies said the combination lets them supply boilers, superheaters and economisers directly to plant operators rather than through third parties.

Sulfuric acid is a core input for processing phosphate rock into DAP and MAP, and Elessent argued that steaming equipment replacements are rarely simple swaps. Many acid plants have been modified over decades, so the original design basis for a boiler or economiser no longer matches how the unit runs. By assessing the entire heat-recovery train rather than a single component, the partners said operators can cut downtime risk and tailor equipment to current operating conditions.

“The combination of MECS design standards and Thermal Systems steaming equipment fabrication capabilities allows us to better meet our customers’ needs by providing the equipment directly to them,” said Kevin Bockwinkel, vice president for cleaner fertilizers, metals and chemicals at Elessent.

The tie-up lands as sulfur and sulfuric acid costs sit near multi-year highs, sharpening producer focus on acid plant reliability and efficiency.

Source: World Fertilizer

A peer-reviewed study published in Scientific Reports has identified a geographic correlation between soil fertility and estimated national IQ scores across 126 countries. The authors report that regions with more agriculturally productive soils tend, on average, to coincide with higher measured cognitive test scores at the country level, based on aggregated datasets compiled from public sources.

The research, led by soil scientist Sabit Erşahin, has been framed as an exploratory attempt to examine whether long-term environmental factors linked to agriculture and nutrition may be statistically associated with population-level cognitive outcomes.

Data and methodology

The analysis constructed a “Soil Fertility Index” combining global soil classification data with deviations in soil pH from an assumed optimal level for agriculture. Soils such as Mollisols, typically associated with high organic content and agricultural productivity, were assigned higher fertility scores, while highly weathered tropical soils such as Oxisols received lower scores due to reduced nutrient retention capacity.

These environmental indicators were then compared with country-level IQ estimates sourced from aggregated international datasets. The authors applied geostatistical techniques, including spatial correlation analysis, to assess whether patterns in soil fertility and cognitive score distributions exhibited similar geographic clustering across continents.

Key findings

The study reports a moderate positive correlation between soil fertility and national IQ estimates (r = 0.58), suggesting that countries with higher soil fertility indices also tend to show higher average cognitive scores in the dataset. According to the authors, soil fertility accounted for approximately 34% of the observed variation across countries, though the majority of variation remained unexplained.

The analysis also found that lower fertility regions—particularly in parts of the tropics and certain arid zones—tended to cluster with lower average scores in the dataset, while higher fertility zones in temperate regions showed the opposite pattern. However, the authors emphasize that these results reflect statistical association at the country level rather than individual outcomes.

Interpretation and limitations

Researchers involved in the study caution against interpreting the results as evidence of causation. The authors highlight that numerous confounding variables—including education systems, income levels, healthcare access, governance, food imports, and cultural factors—are not fully captured by the soil-based model.

They also note the risk of ecological fallacy, where correlations observed at the national level may not apply to individuals. “Correlation is not causation,” the study’s lead author stressed, adding that soil fertility should be considered only one of many potential environmental correlates rather than a determining factor in cognitive development.

Broader implications

The authors suggest that soil fertility may indirectly influence human development through its role in shaping agricultural productivity and dietary micronutrient availability, particularly elements such as iron, zinc, and iodine that are essential for brain development. However, they stress that these pathways remain hypothetical and require further multidisciplinary validation.

The study positions itself as an early-stage exploratory analysis rather than a definitive explanation of cross-country differences in cognitive outcomes. The researchers call for more detailed datasets incorporating soil chemistry, crop nutrition, public health, and socioeconomic variables to better understand complex developmental outcomes over time.

Source: PsyPost

Bayer said it will challenge a conditional order transferring its Missouri Roundup class settlement case to a federal court in California, arguing the move should not affect the determination of the proper venue. The company maintained that the case should instead be remanded to a Missouri state court.

The dispute centers on where the class settlement should be heard, with Bayer rejecting the transfer as procedurally significant. The case remains part of long-running litigation linked to Roundup herbicide claims.

Sources: Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/bayer-challenge-transfer-roundup-settlement-case-california-federal-court-2026-06-02/)

Rusagro, one of Russia’s largest agricultural holdings, has come under the management of RSKhB-Finance, a subsidiary of Rosselkhozbank, following the formal registration of the transfer on May 28, 2026, according to Interfax.

The management shift follows a decision by Moscow’s Khamovnichesky District Court on May 5, which granted a request from the Deputy Prosecutor General to transfer more than half of PJSC Rusagro Group’s shares to the state. The ruling concerned 469,702,161 ordinary shares registered to company founder and former senator Vadim Moshkovich, which the court ordered to be forfeited.

The action was taken as part of a lawsuit involving Moshkovich, former CEO Maxim Basov, and other defendants. The court stated that the shares were to be transferred to state ownership as part of the legal proceedings.

Rusagro operates across 15 Russian regions and ranks among the country’s major vertically integrated agricultural producers. Its assets include nine sugar refineries, six oil extraction plants, six fats and oils production facilities, 46 pig-breeding complexes, and four meat-processing plants. The company’s land bank totals 826,000 hectares, placing it fourth nationwide.

The group reported revenue of 396.5 billion rubles in 2025 ($4.41 billion), up from 340 billion rubles in 2024 ($3.78 billion).

Russia and Bangladesh have signed a major agreement to supply more than 500,000 tons of Russian potash fertilizers, according to statements cited by TASS from the Russian Embassy in Dhaka. The deal was concluded between the Russian foreign trade association Prodintorg and the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation.

The embassy described the agreement as the largest fertilizer-sector contract in the history of bilateral interstate cooperation between Russia and Bangladesh. It added that the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation has been importing potash fertilizers from Russia for several years under earlier agreements with Prodintorg.

The new contract expands on existing trade flows at a time when Bangladesh continues to rely on imported fertilizers to support its agricultural sector.

Indian green hydrogen developer AM Green has signed a memorandum of understanding with the VO Chidambaranar Port Authority to develop a 1-million-tonne-per-year renewable ammonia facility in Southern India, reinforcing the country’s push to build large-scale export capacity for clean fuels.

The proposed project, planned for the port city of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu, is intended to support what AM Green described as “green fuel corridors” linking India’s southern coast with markets in Europe and Asia. The agreement follows a recent ministerial visit by India’s new and renewable energy minister Santosh Sarangi, during which he reviewed existing hydrogen infrastructure at the port.

AM Green is already developing a similarly sized 1-million-tonne green ammonia export project in Kakinada on India’s eastern coast in Andhra Pradesh, which is expected to begin operations by 2028. Together, the two projects position the company among the largest emerging developers in India’s green ammonia sector, with a clear focus on export-oriented production.

The latest agreement was signed against the backdrop of expanding hydrogen-related activity at VO Chidambaranar Port, which launched India’s first port-based green hydrogen pilot in September 2025. The facility produces 10 Nm3/h of hydrogen and supplies fuel for a refueling station and electricity generation for street lighting, while the broader port strategy includes planned renewable energy additions and e-fuels infrastructure aimed at maritime applications.

As part of its longer-term development roadmap, the port is also preparing a 9 MW wind project and a 750-cubic-metre methanol bunkering and refuelling facility, underscoring its ambition to become a regional hub for alternative marine fuels.

Sources: Hydrogen Insight

The United Nations is urging governments and industries to prepare for a potentially strong El Niño event after climate forecasters warned that the weather pattern is rapidly developing in the Pacific Ocean and could significantly affect global temperatures and precipitation over the coming months.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), there is an 80% probability that El Niño conditions will become established between June and August 2026, with the likelihood rising to around 90% that the phenomenon will persist through at least November. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said El Niño is “arriving on our doorstep,” warning that it could amplify the impacts of global warming by intensifying droughts, heavy rainfall, and heat waves across multiple regions. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said governments should prepare for potentially severe consequences affecting agriculture, water resources, public health, and energy systems.

Forecasts from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicate nearly a 60% chance that El Niño will strengthen into a major event by autumn, while some climate models suggest a one-in-three probability of a rare “super El Niño,” characterized by Pacific Ocean surface temperatures exceeding 2 degrees Celsius above average. Scientists have identified unusually warm subsurface waters in the tropical Pacific—more than 6 degrees Celsius above normal in some areas—as a key factor supporting the event’s development. However, forecasters caution that uncertainty remains regarding its ultimate intensity.

A strong El Niño typically reshapes global weather patterns by altering atmospheric circulation and jet stream dynamics. The WMO expects wetter-than-normal conditions in parts of the southern United States, eastern Africa, Central Asia, and southern South America, while drier weather is forecast for Central America, northern South America, Australia, Indonesia, and parts of the Caribbean. The phenomenon is also expected to suppress Atlantic hurricane activity while increasing tropical cyclone activity in the eastern and central Pacific.

The potential impacts carry significant implications for global agriculture and food production. Regions with below-average rainfall could experience crop stress, reduced yields, and water shortages, while excessive rainfall elsewhere may increase flooding risks and disrupt planting and harvesting. The WMO noted that seasonal forecasts already indicate concerns for the Greater Horn of Africa, South Asia, and Central America, where rainfall patterns during critical growing periods may be adversely affected.

Climate experts also expect El Niño to contribute to record or near-record global temperatures in 2026. Because the warming influence of El Niño often peaks in the year following its onset, forecasters said elevated temperatures could extend into 2027, depending on the strength and duration of the event.

Source: The Weather Channel

Mexico’s tomato production is forecast to decline 9% year over year to 2.55 million metric tons (MMT) in 2026, extending a downward trend that began in 2023 as growers grapple with U.S. antidumping duties, reduced profitability, and adverse weather conditions, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Planted area is expected to fall 11% to 38,000 hectares as producers scale back operations and increasingly shift from open-field cultivation to protected agriculture systems such as greenhouses and shade houses.

The report identifies the 17.09% antidumping duty imposed by the United States on most Mexican fresh tomato imports in July 2025 as a major factor behind the industry’s challenges. Combined with the appreciation of the Mexican peso against the U.S. dollar, the duty has compressed margins for exporters, many of whom sell into the U.S. market under contracts denominated in dollars. Industry sources cited in the report said the pressures have contributed to market consolidation and prompted some growers to switch to alternative crops.

Weather remains another key concern. While rainfall in early 2026 helped replenish water supplies following severe drought conditions in 2025, growers remain wary of potential weather disruptions linked to a possible Super El Niño event. Excessive humidity and cloud cover during critical growing periods could increase the risk of fungal and bacterial diseases, reducing yields and limiting exportable supplies.

Lower production is expected to reduce Mexican tomato exports by about 7% to 1.8 MMT in 2026. The United States will remain by far the largest destination, accounting for more than 90% of Mexico’s export shipments, despite the continued trade dispute. In 2025, Mexican tomato exports to the U.S. fell 7% to 1.8 MMT amid drought-related production losses, the antidumping duty, and stronger domestic demand.

Domestic market conditions have also tightened. Reduced acreage and lower export-oriented production have contributed to sharp price increases across Mexico, with tomato prices rising by more than 100% year over year in 20 states as of April 2026. As a result, domestic tomato consumption is forecast to decline 14% to 707,000 metric tons, particularly among lower-income consumers.