Ag movers & shakers for Sept. 2025: John Deere makes appointments, Origin Agritech restructures board
John Deere makes a series of executive changes amid market headwinds, as Beijing-based Origin Agritech switches up its board of director
Robotics, automation & equipment
Digging deep: Agricarbon to lead soil carbon assessment across Northern Ireland
The soil carbon measurement specialist will deliver deep soil carbon sampling as part of one of the world’s most comprehensive nutrient and carbon mapping schemes
‘We had no margin for error’... What went wrong at Guardian Agriculture?
The US drone company’s downfall stemmed from a restrictive policy and regulatory environment coupled with not enough money to take risks, says its former VP of business development and regulatory affairs, Matt Beckwith
Precision ag start-up Aksata plans California expansion, following Israel success
Drone maker Aksata Technologies plans to launch its drone and precision agriculture technology in California to help specialty crop growers in the state manage pest and input costs more efficiently
NeoFarm breaks ground on Europe’s largest agroecological vegetable farm following €30m fundraise
French agtech pioneer accelerates rollout of robotized organic farming infrastructure across Europe
Robots vs. mildew: Angus Soft Fruits turns to tech after scorching summer
UV-powered robots help Scottish berry growers protect crops and boost yields amid climate challenges, the company reveals
Vertical farms release more emissions than fields, study warns
A new study led by the University of Surrey in the UK has found that while vertical farms dramatically increase lettuce yields and use far less water, the carbon footprint still exceeds traditional lettuce farming – raising important questions about how...
Can new satellite project boost grazing efficiency, reduce methane?
A new methane busting initiative has been launched this week to help farmers in Latin America and Africa monitor pasture availability and determine optimal grazing time
Nofence upgrades virtual fencing tech to collar rural area connectivity
Virtual fencing company Nofence has launched a new collar-to-collar communication system that improves connectivity for its virtual fencing collars, especially in remote areas with poor mobile signal
The Reservoir cuts ribbon on robotics hubs, sets sights on Arizona
Reservoir Farms welcomed additional partners and its first tenants, as the ag robotics innovation accelerator lays the groundwork for future locations
Autonomous tractors… a cornerstone of a more environmentally sustainable food system?
Driverless machinery on farms offers a host of eco-friendly benefits compared to traditional heavy agricultural equipment, says a farmer who uses the same innovation as Jeremy Clarkson
John Deere continues automation push with acquisition, farm show presence
John Deere made its commitment to agriculture automation clear this week by acquiring agtech sprayer company GUSS Automation and showcasing its autonomy building blocks at the 2025 Farm Progress Show
From rural roads to blue skies: How Kelly Hills is making automation a reality for growers
Kelly Hills is enabling agriculture automation with ground and aerial capabilities from its partners, as the company enters the software game with the launch of SpraySense
Start-up profile
From cow herder to unicorn… What’s behind Halter’s hefty market value?
Virtual fencing start-up Halter became one of New Zealand’s rare unicorns when it raised $100m in June this year from a sweep of Silicon Valley tech investors at a $1bn valuation. Its president Andrew Fraser explains its allure
PowerPollen prototypes autonomous ground fleet to address pollination problems
PowerPollen’s autonomous robots are the next step in the company’s tech evolution, which takes preserved pollen and applies the substance to produce seeds
John Deere, the Reservoir partner to support the future of high-value crop robotics
John Deere and the Reservoir are empowering start-ups to create the next generation of agtech, with developer tools and a field to test their solutions
John Deere identifies AI opportunity amid declining earnings in Q3 2025
John Deere revenues declined in its third quarter (Q3) of 2025, but the company remained committed to agtech innovation, including AI and its satellite connectivity service, despite tariff headwinds
‘The benefits are clear’: Saga Robotics on why it’s the chasing the American dream
The Norwegian company behind the Thorvald autonomous robot – which zaps powdery mildew with high-intensity UV-C light – has raised £8.4m to scale operations both in the UK and US
Electric aircrafts take flight over Brazil to protect crops
California-based aerial automation company Pyka signed a 60-plane order with Latin American aviation leader Synerjet
Specialist lenders step in amid financial stress in UK agriculture
Specialist lenders are looking to provide financial products and tailored lending solutions as agricultural firms and farmers feel the impact of a drop in agricultural sales
Robotics start-up raises $5.5m in seed funding to scale chemical-free way to treat strawberries
TRIC Robotics’ automated agriculture robots called Luna address pest and disease problems without chemical inputs, while also addressing labour challenges for US strawberry growers
What’s behind Kubota’s open innovation strategy in Europe?
The Japanese multinational’s strategic partnerships and acquisitions accelerate the speed to market of cutting-edge automation and robots, says Daria Batukhtina, senior strategic business development at Kubota Innovation Center Europe
Winning the mushroom-growing game: 4AG Robotics raises $40m CAD to scale harvesting robots
4AG Robotics is deploying Series B funding to bolster its ability to make mushroom-harvesting robots, which are digging into the root challenges facing mushroom growers today
Agtech consolidation? Bonsai Robotics acquires specialty crop automation start-up Farm-ng
The ag robotics market remains robust, but deals like Bonsai Robotics acquiring Farm-ng might be a sign of more consolidation to come
Saga Robotics unveils tie-up to drive actionable data for strawberry growers
Saga Robotics, the company behind the Thorvald robot, has announced a new three-way partnership in the UK with Bitwise Agronomy and Chambers Farm
Bonsai Robotics launches telemetry service, autonomizing specialty crop operations
Bonsai is following up its Series A round with a new service for autonomizing specialty crop production
New tech promises to bring new crops to once unsuitable arid regions
Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) claim to have discovered new cooling technology that can enhance crop yields and introduce new crops to arid regions like Saudi Arabia at affordable costs
Jeremy Clarkson champions autonomous tractors
The star of the documentary series Clarkson’s Farm, which follows the broadcaster’s experiences as a farmer, has praised the precision and efficiency of the AgBot T2 autonomous tractor made by the Dutch company AgXeed
Why collaboration, co-development, and co-design are essential to drive adoption
Modern farmers are increasingly recognising the need to embrace new agricultural technologies. But despite growing interest, some barriers to adoption remain
RootWave targets becoming global player in weed control after raising $15m
The British company – which uses electricity to eliminate weeds and replace chemical herbicides – celebrates raising $15 million from international investors and the UK government. It will be used to accelerate sales and expand RootWave’s product...
AI for bees? Beewise nears profitability, boosted by $50m Series D round
Beewise projects profitability in 2026, as the tech company finds adoption among major food producers
Ag automation start-up Farm-ng hits commercialisation stride, updates software
Farm-ng expects to grow its robot sales threefold in 2025 as it unlocks further capabilities with a recent software update
Seafood automation start-up Shinkei Systems hooks $22m in Series A funding
Vertically integrated seafood automation company Shinkei Systems developed a more humane way to process fish, creating tastier and longer lasting animal protein in the process
Kubota’s agtech innovation strategy: The OEM turns to Agtonomy for specialty crop automation
Kubota’s partnership with Agtonomy is just one piece of the tractor maker’s broader innovation strategy
Paul-Tech’s soil station ‘world’s first’ to display real-time nitrate nitrogen availability, company claims
Estonian-based precision ag expert Paul-Tech has updated its soil station – which monitors nutrient movement through the soil – to measure nitrogen availability in real time. It claims the development is the first time this data is available to farmers...
The Reservoir, Tanimura & Antle partner on location for 40-acre robotics incubator
Agtech innovation accelerator Reservoir Farms is one step closer to opening its robotics hub, while the firm works to modernise the agriculture capital markets to boost liquidity in the sector
Applications open to join California’s ‘Olympic village of agtech’
A new on-farm incubator in the Salinas Valley offers real-world testing and farmer insight
Ag innovation faces headwinds from policy and market shocks
‘Consistent, reliable capital is needed to scale innovation in agriculture and animal health’
Autonomous vehicles: trust is the foundation of adoption, says AgriRobot
Safety concerns remain one of the biggest barriers to full-scale adoption of automotive technologies, says Henrik Lynge Jacobsen, co-founder and CCO, AgriRobot
Can Verdi switch on farmers to the benefits of automated irrigation?
Canadian company Verdi – which has just raised $6.5M CAD ($4.7 million USD) to expand – retrofits existing farm irrigation equipment with smart, wireless devices and a digital management platform. The strategy can make irrigation automation accessible to...
PowerPollen celebrates patent for ‘groundbreaking’ pollen storage tech
Powerpollen’s plans to scale its on-demand crop pollination service to global seed companies and farmers have been boosted after receiving a US patent for its method of protecting pollen during storage
From emissions to exhalomics: GreenFeed unlocks rumen health insights
C-Lock is eyeing smarter sensors to track heat stress, ketones, and feed intake in cows.
‘The goal is not to remove farmers from the farming process’: CNH talks autonomous vehicle innovation
With a three-decade career at the company, CNH International’s chief technology officer Jay Schroeder has significantly boosted R&D in the agriculture segment. We caught up with Schroeder at the recent World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco...
Comment
Agtech casualties serve up warning about operational costs
It’s been a bad week for seed company Benson Hill and robotics firm FarmWise.
Overheard at World Agri-Tech: 8 talking points for the sector to ponder
The World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit hit San Francisco last week. Here’s some topics that stood out.
Under the hood of Yamaha Motor’s agriculture launch
The Japanese car giant has unveiled new company Yamaha Agriculture as it warns that labour shortages are becoming an existential crisis for global speciality crop growers. Can its high-tech solutions succeed in what it admits is a quintessential...
Denmark’s Cordulus launches rain forecasting model tailored to European farmers
Cordulus, which provides AI-powered weather forecasting, has unveiled its newest rain prediction model, which it claims sets a new benchmark for accuracy in weather forecasting.
Up in the air: How would US restrictions on Chinese drones impact the crop-spraying market?
American drone makers believe that innovation and competition will grow as the government considers curbs on Chinese vehicles over security fears. But Chinese drone makers are fighting back against what they call ‘baseless allegations’, while...
Country profile
Agriculture: the next hero of South Korea’s economic miracle?
With a declining birth rate, rising life expectancy and little arable land, South Korea desperately needs to increase its agricultural productivity. How’s it faring?
Sabanto says automation and robotics can thrive amid Trump tariff uncertainty
Autonomous farming technology company Sabanto is eyeing opportunities as changing market conditions in the US potentially increase demand for efficiency-boosting technologies in agriculture.