Today’s GrowinAgri Daily highlights how innovation is moving across different layers of the agriculture and food system.
Researchers in Japan are using CRISPR to develop tear-reduced onions, while a new genomics research centre in the Philippines aims to accelerate climate-resilient crop and livestock research.
Brazil’s biologicals market continues to expand, with treated acreage rising faster than market value, while Cambridge researchers are using satellite-based AI to map smallholder crops in Senegal with limited ground-truth data.
In the private sector, FBN and Google are developing an AI context engine for more farm-specific decisions, while FOOD FOUNDERS Studio and ArkeaBio are raising capital for new foodtech and livestock climate solutions.
In India, the government has set a 177.72 MT Rabi foodgrain target amid weather and water risks, alongside a new digital livestock insurance portal and expanded horticulture support in Haryana.
Together, these developments point to a sector increasingly shaped by precision technologies, biological solutions, digital infrastructure, climate resilience and new models of agricultural innovation.
Let’s start…
Japan Researchers Use CRISPR to Develop Tear-Reduced Onions
Japanese researchers have used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to reduce the production of lachrymatory factor, the volatile compound responsible for tears and eye irritation when onions are cut. The team targeted the lachrymatory factor synthase (LFS) gene, significantly reducing LFS enzyme activity in both onion leaves and bulbs.
The study represents a proof of concept for using genome editing to modify an onion-specific trait and demonstrates a targeted approach to altering its biochemical pathways. However, the edited plants showed growth abnormalities and failed to produce seeds, which researchers linked to the prolonged tissue-culture and regeneration process.
Improving these regeneration systems will be critical before the technology can support commercially viable varieties. The research could eventually enable the development of onions with reduced tear-inducing compounds while also demonstrating broader potential for precision improvement of quality and functional traits.
Philippines Launches $14.95 Million Agricultural Genomics Research Center
The Philippines has launched its first dedicated Agricultural Genomics Research Center (AGRC) at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, backed by a six-year, $14.95 million initiative from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), with UPLB as partner and IRRI serving as project management consultant.
The center will bring together genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics to support research across crops, livestock and microorganisms. Its work will focus on accelerating crop improvement and developing traits linked to drought, flooding, disease, climate resilience, food security and environmental sustainability.
Beyond infrastructure, the project is designed to strengthen national research capacity through advanced training, PhD opportunities and international collaboration. More than 150 scientists, regulators and students have already received training, while 15 UPLB master’s students and 10 PhD candidates are set to gain research opportunities through the programme.
The initiative also includes the Korea-Philippines Open Network, connecting 11 Philippine institutions with 10 Korean universities for joint research, skills development and technology adoption.
Brazil’s Biologicals Market Expands as Treated Area Surges 18%
Brazil’s biological crop-input market continued its rapid expansion in the first half of 2026, with 46 million hectares treated using biological products, up 18.3% year on year, while sales reached R$1.8 billion Bioinsecticides led the market, generating R$858.2 million in sales and covering 16.4 million hectares, driven partly by demand during the country’s second-crop corn season.
The growth reflects increasing use of biologicals alongside conventional crop-protection products as part of integrated pest management strategies. Meanwhile, Brazil recorded 61 active biological product registrations between January and September, including microbiological, macrobiological and biochemical products.
With treated area growing faster than market value, the figures highlight the widening adoption of biological solutions across Brazilian agriculture.
Cambridge AI Tool Maps Senegal’s Smallholder Crops With 84% Accuracy Using Minimal Data
A satellite-based AI tool developed by the University of Cambridge has achieved 84% accuracy in identifying crop types across Senegal’s groundnut-growing region while requiring far less ground-truth data than conventional approaches.
Called Tessera, the tool was developed by researchers from Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology in collaboration with the World Food Programme. It was tested in Senegal’s groundnut basin, where smallholder farmers grow groundnut, millet, sorghum and other crops on small and irregularly shaped fields that are challenging to map using satellite imagery.
Tessera uses a foundation-model approach, analyzing a full year of satellite imagery at 10-metre resolution to capture changes in land reflectance throughout the crop cycle. These patterns are converted into numerical “embeddings,” allowing simple algorithms to classify crops with significantly less labeled data and computing power.
Tests using imagery from 2018, 2019 and 2021 showed 84% classification accuracy, with the system outperforming the next-best comparison model by 28% in one scenario.
The ability to transfer knowledge between different years could support scalable crop monitoring in smallholder farming regions where field boundaries and cropping patterns frequently change.
FBN and Google Partner to Build AI Context Engine for Smarter Farm Decisions
Farmers Business Network (FBN) and Google’s AI Futures Fund have partnered to develop an “AI context engine” designed to give agricultural AI a continuously updated view of each farm. The system will bring together agronomic, financial, equipment, market, soil, weather and geographic information to help AI tools provide more farm-specific recommendations.
FBN says many existing AI tools can generate useful agronomic advice but struggle to connect those insights with real-world commercial actions such as purchasing inputs, marketing grain or financing equipment. The new engine will build on FBN’s Norm AI advisor and use Google’s advanced AI models to process complex farm data and support more connected decision-making.
FBN also plans to eventually allow third-party developers to build applications on the platform, potentially expanding its use across agricultural workflows. According to FBN, Google will not have access to farmers’ data, with FBN continuing to act as the custodian and maintaining its existing data privacy policies.
The first personalized Norm-enhanced features are being tested by early users, with a broader rollout expected in fall 2026.
FOOD FOUNDERS Studio Raises €4 Million to Build Two New FoodTech Startups
Swiss venture studio FOOD FOUNDERS Studio has raised an oversubscribed €4 million funding round from family offices and angel investors to build its next two foodtech ventures. The studio takes a problem-first approach, working with food manufacturers to identify major industry challenges before selecting technologies and building companies around them.
Its first venture, SentiaNova, is developing patented technology to remove off-flavors from pulse proteins and improve their functionality, and is now preparing for commercial production and its own funding round. FOOD FOUNDERS plans to expand its innovation pipeline beyond universities to include corporate R&D teams and startups with promising technologies that have yet to find the right market.
Its current focus is B2B foodtech, particularly solutions targeting taste, texture, affordability and nutritional improvements across proteins, fibers and fats. The studio is currently avoiding capital-intensive areas such as fermentation and cultivated meat to prioritize faster routes from technology development to market.
The new funding will support the creation of two additional startups, while the studio is also exploring a broader “Studio 2.0” model that could eventually cover agriculture, health and longevity.
ArkeaBio Raises $15 Million to Advance Livestock Methane Vaccine Toward Commercialization
Boston-based biotech startup ArkeaBio has raised $15 million in a Series A2 funding round led by AgriZeroNZ and supported by Breakthrough Energy to advance its vaccine designed to reduce methane emissions from livestock. The company has also reduced its workforce by about one-third as it focuses resources on its initial New Zealand market, first product and commercial milestones.
ArkeaBio’s vaccine works by stimulating cattle to produce antibodies that target methane-producing microbes, or methanogens, in the rumen. The company expects its first product to reduce methane emissions by around 10–15%, with further improvements planned by targeting additional methanogen species.
ArkeaBio is initially developing a vaccine lasting around three months for dairy cattle, while future products could extend protection to six months for dairy and closer to 12 months for beef cattle. The company is also exploring co-formulating the vaccine with commonly used livestock vaccines to reduce the additional cost of methane mitigation.
ArkeaBio has been working with New Zealand regulators on the approval pathway and expects to submit an application in 2027, with potential commercialization and initial revenues targeted for 2028.
India Sets 177.72 MT Rabi Target Amid El Niño and Rainfall Risks
India has set a 177.72 million tonne foodgrain production target for the 2026–27 Rabi season, factoring in El Niño concerns, uneven monsoon rainfall and regional water availability.
The overall foodgrain target for 2026–27 stands at 373.93 MT, lower than the 376.56 MT produced in 2025–26. Kharif sowing has declined by only around 1%, although paddy acreage fell by about 1.63 million hectares.
With a 12% monsoon rainfall deficit, fertilizer availability and water resources remain key concerns ahead of Rabi sowing. States have projected a requirement of 38 MT of fertilizer, while current stocks exceed 16.3 MT. A nationwide “Save the Farm Campaign” will promote balanced fertilizer use, moisture-based crop selection and improved varieties.
The Rabi target also reflects reservoir levels, groundwater availability and soil moisture, with farmers in water-stressed regions encouraged to shift toward pulses, oilseeds and coarse cereals.
India Launches Digital Livestock Insurance Portal to Expand Farmer Protection
The Government of India has launched a new Livestock Insurance Portal under the Livestock Insurance activity of the National Livestock Mission to digitise and streamline livestock insurance delivery nationwide.
The platform brings farmers, state governments, insurance companies and implementing agencies together through a single system covering policy issuance, premium management, beneficiary verification, claim processing and real-time monitoring.
More than 30 lakh animals have already been insured during the year, according to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The initiative is designed to simplify enrolment, improve transparency in claims and strengthen access to insurance protection against livestock mortality, diseases, accidents and natural calamities.
The government has also called for wider awareness and outreach to ensure greater farmer participation.
Haryana Offers Up to ₹1.40 Lakh per Acre Subsidy for Horticulture Crops
Haryana is offering financial assistance to farmers growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices and aromatic plants under its horticulture support schemes. Farmers establishing new fruit orchards can receive between ₹24,500 and ₹1.40 lakh per acre, while subsidies for vegetables, spices, flowers and aromatic plants vary by crop and farmer category.
Vegetable growers can receive ₹15,000 per acre under the general category and ₹25,500 per acre for Scheduled Caste farmers, subject to area limits and scheme conditions. Farmers must register on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora and Hortnet portals to access the benefits, with eligible assistance transferred directly to their bank accounts.
The scheme also supports integrated vegetable cultivation models using technologies such as mulching, low tunnels, drip irrigation and bamboo staking. Farmers can contact their district horticulture officer or the Haryana Horticulture Department for crop-specific eligibility, subsidy rates and application details.