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Enhancing seeds for desert farming in a changing climate
CategoriesSustainable News

Enhancing seeds for desert farming in a changing climate

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: The UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s latest report calls global drought resilience “a necessity.” Given that in the three years between 2016 and 2018, 70 per cent of cereal crops in the Mediterranean were damaged, and droughts continue to grow in severity and length, the outlook is challenging for the world’s agriculture systems.

Rising sea levels are affecting the quality of the water that is available to farmers, which, when combined with the stress of high heat, severely impacts crop yields. Heat and salty soil are two of the main stressors for a variety of plants, many of which are crucial parts of the global diet. Seeking ways to increase growing resilience without using toxins and chemical treatments, agritech startup SaliCrop has created a method that uses a seed’s natural response to stressors to make it possible to grow crops in arid, salty soil.

The company uses a combination of organic and physiological compounds to mimic environmental stressors. That then boosts a seed’s natural biochemical reactions and strengthens the plant’s ability to survive in more arid conditions. The treatments also increase the size of the fruits and vegetables grown and improve the plants’ resilience to pests.

SaliCrop is working with commercial growers of alfalfa, onion, and tomatoes, and their crop yields have increased between 16 and 40 per cent. In Europe, Africa, and India, the company is completing field trials with crops that include rice, wheat, corn, peppers, and broccoli and is seeing yields increase by between 7 and 15 per cent. Those results are particularly important in light of various climate projections that predict decreases in wheat yields of up to six per cent due to increased severity of weather events and overall conditions.

Improving the health of degraded soil is an essential aspect of reducing the carbon emissions from agriculture. Innovations in Springwise’s library helping make that change include using sound to enhance soil microbe growth and using microalgae to make desert soil arable.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Will cashless credits sow the seeds of success for Mexican farmers?
CategoriesSustainable News

Will cashless credits sow the seeds of success for Mexican farmers?

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Mexico is one of the world’s leading food producers, but more than 90 per cent of farmers lack access to formal financing, limiting their opportunities to invest properly in their fields. But Mexican agri-fintech Verqor is hoping to change that with its digital solutions for farmers. 

The startup is working to make credit accessible to every farmer in Mexico by using a financing process that takes into account the sector’s specific characteristics. Verqor analyses the actual paying capacity of a farmer by considering various data points, including normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) factors (the greenness and density of crops), supply chain trends, weather patterns, and changes in crop prices. Unlike most traditional financial providers, Verqor also reviews information like a farm’s sales history, any contracts for selling their crops, and past inputs. This gives a more comprehensive view of a farm so Verqor can better assess credit viability.  

Verqor provides cashless credit quickly, so farmers can access the inputs they need to grow crops, including fertilisers, agrochemicals, organic products, trailers, and macrotunnels. Farmers repay the credit with their produce sales at the end of the crop cycle. This financing covers up to 90 per cent of a farmer’s initial costs, allowing them to invest in essential inputs that can help to improve produce quality and yields every cycle. 

The startup recently raised $7.5 million (around €6.9 million), including $4 million (around €3.7 million) in a pre-series A round led by Yara Growth Ventures. The funding will allow Verqor to expand its operations in Mexico and broaden its network. Verqor is also further developing its technology so that its approval process can be seven times faster than normal financing options. 

Springwise has spotted many innovations looking to digitise and reshape various industries, including an all-in-one digital health clinic for women, as well as a digital platform for energy retailers.

Written By: Anam Alam

Reference