Agriculture’s transition toward lower emissions, smarter crop protection and data-driven farming is accelerating across markets. Denmark is preparing a major shift in agricultural nitrogen regulation, while Yara’s new carbon-capture facility signals growing investment in low-carbon fertilizer production.
In rice farming, BASF and IRRI are expanding work on methane reduction and soil health, while Bayer and Neste are building a winter canola value chain for renewable fuels.
Meanwhile, AI startup Tellia is turning everyday farmer conversations into structured farm data, and new biological and chemical crop-protection solutions are entering European and Indian markets.
Extreme weather remains a major concern, with Himachal Pradesh’s monsoon damage crossing ₹1,550 crore and putting the apple harvest under further pressure.
Denmark Passes Controversial Fertiliser Law to Tighten Agricultural Nitrogen Regulation
Denmark’s parliament has approved a controversial new fertiliser law that will introduce an emissions-based system for regulating agricultural nitrogen from 2027. The legislation replaces the current field-based approach with rules focused more directly on the amount of nitrogen reaching aquatic environments.
The reform is part of Denmark’s broader Green Tripartite Agreement, which combines nitrogen reductions with land conversion, afforestation and other environmental measures. Farmers’ organisations have strongly opposed the law, warning that tighter nitrogen limits could make food production more difficult and expensive and create uncertainty for farm businesses.
Some groups have also raised the possibility of legal challenges if the new rules significantly restrict intensive agricultural production. Environmental organisations, however, welcomed the legislation as an important step toward reducing nitrogen pollution and restoring Danish fjords and coastal ecosystems affected by oxygen depletion.
The new system is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027, with final nitrogen limits and implementation details still being prepared.
BASF and IRRI Extend Partnership to Advance Sustainable Rice Farming
BASF Agricultural Solutions and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have extended their OPTIMA Rice collaboration to advance climate-smart and sustainable rice cultivation. The partnership focuses on reducing methane and other greenhouse gas emissions while developing practical and economically viable solutions for farmers.
Earlier trials showed that Alternate Wetting and Drying, supported by Direct Seeded Rice, can reduce methane emissions and water use without compromising yields. The next phase will focus on soil health, particularly the role of carbon and nitrogen in maintaining long-term productivity.
The partners will also explore approaches such as biochar to improve soil fertility and increase carbon storage. Although the research is rooted in field trials in the Philippines, the findings are intended to support rice-growing regions worldwide, including India, China, Japan, Brazil and Italy.
The collaboration aims to combine scientific evidence with practical farming solutions to support farmers, climate action and global food security.
Yara Inaugurates Europe’s Largest Carbon Capture Facility in the Netherlands
Yara has officially inaugurated Europe’s largest industrial carbon capture facility at its Sluiskil plant in the Netherlands, establishing a cross-border system for capturing, transporting and permanently storing CO₂. The facility can capture and liquefy up to 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually from ammonia production.
The captured CO₂ will be transported by ship to Norway and permanently stored about 2,600 metres beneath the seabed through Northern Lights. The project is expected to capture and store around 12 million tonnes of CO₂ over 15 years.
The initiative aims to reduce emissions from fertilizer production while helping maintain industrial production and competitiveness in Europe. It also supports the development of low-carbon fertilizers, ammonia and fuels for agriculture, industry, energy and maritime applications.
The project highlights the potential of carbon capture and cross-border infrastructure to accelerate industrial decarbonization.
Bayer and Neste Partner to Scale Winter Canola for U.S. Biofuel Production
Bayer and Neste have finalized a commercial agreement to jointly scale newgold® winter canola as a feedstock for renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel in the Southern Great Plains of the United States. The collaboration aims to expand winter canola cultivation while creating a reliable supply of lower-carbon-intensity oilseed feedstocks for the growing biofuels market.
The high-protein meal generated from winter canola will also be supplied to livestock and poultry feed markets, creating an additional revenue stream from the crop. Bayer plans to launch newgold® winter canola hybrids in fall 2027, offering winter hardiness, TruFlex® technology and pod-shatter resistance.
The hybrids are also designed to deliver strong yield potential and higher oil content, while providing farmers with a profitable rotational option alongside wheat. Bayer and Neste are building a broader newgold® value-chain network with additional partners to support production, processing and market access for growers.
The companies see winter canola as an opportunity to improve land utilisation and farm income while supplying renewable feedstocks for sectors such as aviation, heavy transport and marine transportation.
Tellia Raises $5 Million to Turn Field Conversations into Actionable Farm Data
Paris- and San Francisco-based agtech startup Tellia has raised $5 million in pre-seed funding to expand its voice AI platform for agricultural operations. The technology allows farmers, agronomists and field teams to capture information through phone calls, voice notes, text messages, WhatsApp and email instead of manually entering data into farm-management software.
Tellia’s AI converts these conversations into structured records linked to specific fields, crops, crews and farm operations, making field observations easier to use across digital systems. The platform is designed to work through familiar communication channels and supports multiple languages and mixed-language conversations, addressing the challenges of multilingual agricultural workforces.
The funding round was led by Revent, with participation from Grey Silo Ventures, Jeriko and Fund F, as the company expands across the US and Europe. Tellia reports strong early adoption, including 80% daily active usage among field teams within two months of onboarding, with customers including Campos Brothers Farms, Duckhorn and KWS Saat.
The startup plans to use the funding to develop an agentic AI suite and API integrations that can connect field workers with existing agricultural software without requiring farms to replace their current systems.
With agricultural businesses increasingly seeking better ways to capture and interpret field-level information, Tellia is positioning voice AI as a new interface between workers and the digital infrastructure of modern farming.
Syngenta and Amoéba Partner to Bring Next-Generation Biofungicide to European Cereal Growers
Syngenta and Amoéba have signed an exclusive European distribution agreement for AXP20, a next-generation biological fungicide designed to protect cereal crops against major fungal diseases. The agreement covers cereals, excluding corn, across the EU, UK, Ukraine and Switzerland, with first commercial sales expected from 2028–29.
AXP20 is based on a lysate derived from the amoeba Willaertia magna C2c Maky and targets septoria tritici blotch and yellow rust, two major threats to wheat production in Europe. Its biological mode of action inhibits fungal spore germination while also activating the plant’s natural defence mechanisms, supporting integrated disease and resistance management.
The active substance was approved in the EU in 2025, while Amoéba received marketing authorization in France in June 2026 for AXPERA, a product based on the same technology. More than 70 field trials are being conducted jointly by the companies in 2026 to further validate AXP20’s performance across European cereal-growing conditions.
First market registrations are targeted for the third quarter of 2028, with sales in key EU markets expected by the end of 2028 for the 2029 growing season. The partnership strengthens Syngenta’s biologicals portfolio and could provide European cereal growers with a new tool as conventional crop-protection options face increasing regulatory restrictions and resistance challenges.
DCM Shriram Launches Shriram Zarwin Fungicide for Grape Disease Management in India
DCM Shriram Limited has launched Shriram Zarwin, a new fungicide in India aimed at managing Downy Mildew in grapes. The product contains Oxathiapiprolin 0.6% + Mancozeb 60% w/w WG and was introduced at an event in Nashik attended by grape growers, distributors and retailers.
Growers also shared positive feedback from field demonstrations conducted in vineyards. Shriram Zarwin is positioned for preventive disease management and offers rainfastness, helping protect grape crops under challenging weather conditions.
According to the company, the fungicide supports healthy new leaf growth and stronger, disease-free bunches, potentially improving marketable yields. The product is recommended and approved by the National Research Centre for Grapes and can also be used in tomato, cucurbits and potato.
Its launch expands DCM Shriram’s crop-protection portfolio and provides growers with another option for disease and resistance management.
PI Industries Launches CARVINT Insecticide to Tackle Key Vegetable Pests in India
PI Industries has launched CARVINT, a new insecticide containing Flometoquin 10% SC, for controlling thrips and diamondback moth in chilli, cabbage and cauliflower. The product is being introduced across key markets in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
CARVINT features flometoquin, classified by IRAC under Group 34, offering a differentiated mode of action against important crop pests. The launch comes as vegetable growers face increasing pest resistance, repeated spray requirements and shorter pest-control periods.
The new chemistry can be incorporated into resistance-management programmes through rotation with insecticides from different mode-of-action groups. PI Industries says CARVINT is designed to provide farmers with an additional tool for effective and sustained pest management.
The launch further expands the company’s crop-protection portfolio and strengthens its offering for India’s vegetable growers.
Himachal Monsoon Damage Crosses Rs 1,550 Crore, Apple Harvest Faces Further Risk
Himachal Pradesh’s cumulative monsoon damage has crossed Rs 1,550 crore as heavy rains, landslides and blocked roads continue to disrupt the hill state. The Public Works Department accounts for the largest share of losses at Rs 1,131.2 crore, while water and power infrastructure have also suffered significant damage.
The season’s death toll has reached 286, with 64 roads still blocked and rainfall expected to continue through September 15. The crisis comes as Himachal’s apple harvest is already projected to decline by around 40% to 4.36 lakh tonnes this year.
Insufficient snowfall, unseasonal rains, hailstorms and temperature fluctuations have severely affected orchards across major apple-growing districts. With harvesting underway, damaged transport routes could further delay the movement of apples to markets and cold storage, increasing risks of quality deterioration and farmer losses.
The situation highlights the growing vulnerability of Himachal’s horticulture sector to extreme weather and infrastructure disruptions.