It’s estimated that disease could cost the global food system up to 20% of production and one scientist is turning to the plant itself to change that. Dr. Kyle Mohler joins us today to talk his recent win at the Rally In-Prize Pitch Competition, his work to detect disease in plants much earlier and the Insignum AgTech’s startup journey in 2024. 

Insignum AgTech’s traits allow for the farmer to detect when disease is coming – nearly a week before you would actually see symptoms – an opportunity for farmers to treat with precision and before things are past a point of no return. Kyle gets into the farmer feedback surrounding the technology in action and how it serves as a decision-making tool for their operations. 

Fresh off a win at the Rally Innovation Conference In-Prize Pitch Competition, Kyle talks scaling via test plots across the Midwest. He also talks great milestones for Insignum AgTech in 2024 and where they hope to be headed in the future. 

The Agbioscience Innovator Award recognizes outstanding innovators in the agbiosciences that have driven innovation in a way that contributes to economic growth while solving some of the world’s biggest challenges.

This award is open to start-up innovators as well as innovators within larger, more established corporations within the agbioscience community.

Nominate or apply at miraawards.com by October 15, 2024.

New consortium to focus on data-driven, holistic approach to create sustainable and resilient farming practices

On Thursday (Sept. 19), Purdue University and Bayer announced the creation of the Coalition for Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture, a public-private partnership designed to help improve the soil health of farmland while also increasing food production for a growing population.

The coalition’s mission is to generate robust, real-world data in support of regenerative agriculture practices to help farmers restore soil health and biomass, increase biodiversity, and improve the resiliency of ecosystems over time. The coalition’s new framework will also support education and outreach programs to enhance sustainable and regenerative agriculture.

The coalition will be administered through Bayer at Convergence, the company’s innovation center at Discovery Park District at Purdue.

“America’s farmers are already global leaders in providing food worldwide, supplying a substantial amount of grain, meat and other agricultural products,” said Karen Plaut, Purdue’s executive vice president for research. “But with population projections of 9 billion people in the coming years, it’s critical to provide the tools necessary to support those farmers who are called upon to produce even more while also serving as stewards of the land. As a land-grant institution, Purdue is proud to partner with Bayer to find innovative solutions to improve agronomic practices.”

The coalition’s goal is to accelerate the adoption of agricultural systems that restore soil, water and wildlife while making farms healthier and more resilient. The partners say there is a growing need for innovative solutions at scale to address environmental concerns and to create positive, measurable impact to incentivize producers.

“I couldn’t be more excited to see us working alongside like-minded partners — such as Purdue University — who are committed to helping scale regenerative ag practices,” said Bob Reiter, head of research and development at Bayer’s Crop Science Division. “Through our suite of technologies, we are able to leverage these innovations and help facilitate regenerative ag practice adoption that boosts farmer productivity and creates maximum impact for the environment.”

The coalition aims to deliver science-based recommendations and standardized metrics, tailored by crop type, region and climate, in conjunction with digital tools and robust validation systems.

To achieve this vision, the coalition will focus on several key areas:

The coalition will leverage previous investments in digital phenotyping capabilities at Purdue Agronomy Center for Research and Education (ACRE) and at the Purdue Agricultural Centers (PACs) and will utilize dynamic and relevant Extension programs, strength in collaborative research across colleges, and support for related projects that are underway. It will build on these existing strengths to create test beds for sustainable and regenerative agriculture technologies that provide demonstrations for a wide variety of agricultural production systems and technologies — regardless of farm scale or end product.

This public-private partnership is expected to evolve and expand to other partners from the agricultural sector, allowing for an even larger network of field sites to test and collect data on this more holistic approach to farming.

The newly signed agreement is the latest in an ever-expanding partnership. Following an announcement in June 2020, Bayer opened an innovation and collaboration space at the Convergence Center. It serves as the physical hub of the new coalition.

“I am thrilled to see Bayer and Purdue taking the ongoing partnership to a new level and enabling the creation of a world-class research hub focused on regenerative agriculture,” said Susana Diaz, innovation manager and head of Bayer’s innovation center at Purdue. “This initiative will help farmers produce more and unlock downstream value, while actively restoring nature.”

The announcement was made in conjunction with Bayer’s Climate Innovation Day, a two-day summit of leaders and stakeholders in agricultural innovation, climate issues and food sustainability initiatives.

The cornerstone of the agbioscience economy is production agriculture. Without farmers, no amount of agtech, animal health, or plant science would ever be applicable to feed and fuel this world. Today we are joined by Leah Anderson, SVP of Land O’Lakes and president of WinField United, to talk about her drive and motivation to help the farmer – and putting it into action.

Key Takeaways:

 

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zenrelia™, a safe, highly effective, and convenient once-daily oral JAK inhibitor for control of pruritus (itching) associated with allergic dermatitis and control of atopic dermatitis in dogs at least 12 months of age.

Itching is one of the top reasons pet owners bring their dog to the veterinarian, and pet owners and veterinarians want more canine dermatology options. Approximately 17 million dogs suffer from allergic skin disease, including atopic dermatitis, food allergies or flea sensitivity.2 Among pet owners who say their dog’s itch is not under control, 60% say they’ve tried treating the itch, but nothing works.3

The approval of Zenrelia represents an important advancement in treating itchy dogs suffering from chronic, acute or seasonal itch and inflammation in a single, once daily tablet from the start. Zenrelia targets itch where it starts by blocking the pathways involved in allergic itch to break the itch-scratch cycle.4 Zenrelia offers visible improvement from the first dose and minimizes the risk of “rebound itch” which affects many dogs treated with the competitive JAK inhibitor.5-10

“Today is a historic day for Elanco with our first of several expected entries into the fast-growing global canine dermatology market, bringing veterinarians and pet owners a highly effective new solution that got more dogs back to normal levels of itch in a head-to-head study with the current JAK inhibitor on the market1*,” said Jeff Simmons, President and CEO, Elanco Animal Health. “We are excited to offer veterinarians and pet owners a solution that can relieve the burdens of itch, while also becoming just the second animal health company to offer veterinarians a comprehensive portfolio, including parasiticides, vaccines, pain and other therapeutics, and now, dermatology.”

Promising Results from a Head-to-Head Study1

Elanco conducted a head-to-head noninferiority study comparing the efficacy and safety of Zenrelia and Apoquel for submission in the European Union. The randomized, double-blind study of 338 client-owned dogs with confirmed atopic dermatitis was conducted across 25 study sites in four countries. The study shows one daily dose of Zenrelia is at least as effective as the market incumbent JAK inhibitor at the primary end point on Day 28. Additionally, there were several promising additional endpoints*:

Veterinarians And Pet Owners Need More Options

Research shows that nearly 70% of veterinarians would be willing to stock another dermatology product2 as there are still too many dogs that aren’t getting itch relief and many pet owners that would benefit from a more affordable option.

“We’re dedicated to solving these unmet needs in canine dermatology,” said Bobby Modi, Executive Vice President, U.S. Pet Health and Global Digital Transformation. “Zenrelia’s once-daily dosing is more convenient and will be affordable for pet owners with the launch list price about 20% less for nearly all dogs compared to the current JAK inhibitor. Pet owners will appreciate even greater savings in the first 14 days for Zenrelia given its single vs. twice daily dosing. Very importantly, Zenrelia minimizes the opportunity for rebound itch given its consistent once daily dosing compared to the market incumbent.”1, 5-10*

Take for example, Trooper, a one-year-old Yorkshire Terrier who enrolled in the Zenrelia clinical trial. Prior to participating in the clinical trial, Trooper’s itch level was 10 out of 10 on the pruritus visual analog scale (PVAS), a validated observation scale for canine itch. By the end of the first two weeks of treatment, he was back to a normal itch level of 1.9 and finished the clinical trial with an itch level of 1.1.** A PVAS score of less than 2 is considered a normal level of itch, also referred to as clinical remission of itch. You can read more about Trooper’s story here.

“I was excited to participate as a clinical investigator in the Zenrelia field study because it is clear we need more treatment options for itchy dogs,” said Dr. Tom Lewis, veterinarian and founder of Dermatology for Animals, a group of veterinary dermatology clinics committed to caring for pets with allergies. “I saw amazing results during the clinical field study and am eager to get many patients started on Zenrelia. Watching dogs get back to normal quickly and seeing the bond restored between the dog and pet parent was incredibly rewarding.”

Demonstrated Safety

The safety of Zenrelia has been demonstrated in multiple toxicity and clinical safety studies. The required margin of safety study for Zenrelia was conducted in healthy dogs dosed with placebo, 1, 2, 3 or 5 times the label dose daily for six months. All dogs completed the study with no serious adverse events.

The Zenrelia label includes a boxed warning on safety related to concurrent vaccine administration based on the results of a vaccine response study. In this study, eight, 10-month-old laboratory beagles received primary vaccinations while being treated with Zenrelia at 3X the label dose. Two dogs were immunosuppressed and euthanized during the study. Antibody responses were evaluated following vaccination. All but one dog responded successfully to modified live vaccines, and two of six dogs responded to inactivated Rabies vaccine at the primary endpoint.

Dogs should be up to date on vaccinations prior to starting Zenrelia. It’s important for veterinarians to read the entire package insert, including the Boxed Warning, before prescribing Zenrelia.

“Zenrelia has been demonstrated to be safe and highly effective in a number of studies,” said Dr. Mara Tugel, veterinarian and Dermatology Medical Strategic Lead at Elanco. “We recognize that veterinarians need clinically relevant data to guide treatment choices, and plan to pursue additional studies to evaluate vaccine response in Zenrelia-treated dogs. We will continue to work to improve the label over time.”

Veterinarians in the U.S. can learn more and place orders for Zenrelia now at Zenreliaforvets.com. Orders are expected to begin shipping in the coming days.

Elanco will conduct a conference call on Friday, September 20, 2024 at 8:00 am eastern time to discuss the Zenrelia approval with the investment community and other interested parties. A live webcast of the conference call can be accessed through the link that will be posted on Elanco’s website at https://investor.elanco.com/events-and-presentations/default.aspx. A replay will also be available on the website shortly following the call.

Corteva to invest $25 million to acquire equity stake in gene editing innovator, Pairwise Strategic collaboration to also form a joint venture to accelerate gene editing solutions

Corteva, Inc. (NYSE: CTVA), a global leader in agricultural technology and Pairwise, a technology company pioneering the application of gene editing in food and agriculture, announced a collaboration today to accelerate the delivery of advanced gene editing solutions to farmers, ultimately benefitting both the environment and everyday consumers. Gene editing uses a plant’s own DNA to make precise improvements, providing growers with another critical tool to keep pace with the challenges facing food production, including those presented by climate change.

Anchoring the collaboration is Corteva’s $25 million equity investment in Pairwise, made under the umbrella of Corteva Catalyst, the company’s new investment and partnership platform focused on accessing agricultural innovation to drive value creation. The investment aims to help expand the reach and benefits of gene editing to a wide variety of staple and specialty crops.

In addition, Corteva and Pairwise have formed a joint venture to accelerate and expand the delivery of advanced gene edited technologies aimed at increasing crop yield for food, fuel and fiber production, despite increasing climate change.

The joint venture, which spans five years, will leverage both companies’ advanced gene editing capabilities to accelerate the delivery of gene edited products by generating and evaluating unique gene edits across multiple traits in a range of crops. Building on Corteva’s longstanding leadership in plant breeding and genetics, the companies will collaborate on the development and deployment of gene edited products that are more resilient to extreme weather events and climate change.

“Gene editing is a transformational technology for agriculture that will advance climate resilience in farming and drive the increased farm productivity needed to feed and fuel the world’s growing population,” said Sam Eathington, Corteva’s chief technology and digital officer. “As a gene editing technology leader ourselves, we are proud to work with Pairwise to accelerate the benefits of gene editing not only to farmers, but ultimately to those who rely on the availability of sustainably grown and affordable food – and that’s all of us.”

“Gene editing is poised to revolutionize agriculture, enabling the cultivation of crops that are more adaptive to climate change, are more nutritious and convenient for consumers, and deliver greater economics for growers,” said Tom Adams, Pairwise CEO and co-founder. “Through our Fulcrum™ Platform, we’re proud to be at the helm of applying this transformative technology in agriculture and, alongside partners like Corteva, accelerate the realization of these benefits across global stakeholders.”

Pairwise is a leader in using gene editing to make differentiated crops. Last year, the company launched the first CRISPR food in North America, and has multiple products in development across significant crops, including corn, soy, wheat, canola, blackberries, and more. The Pairwise Fulcrum™ Platform includes proprietary gene editing tools that provide the ability to not only turn a characteristic on or off but also, with base editing and related technologies, “tune” it to find it’s sweet spot for highest performance. Pairwise’s novel editing tools allow scientists to precisely tailor a wide range of genetic variation to develop new, distinctive plant varieties much faster and more effectively than through conventional breeding alone.

This is the first joint venture and major equity investment in gene editing made by Corteva Catalyst, the company’s new investment and partnership platform. The investment reflects Corteva’s nearly century-long track record (through its Pioneer brand) of championing innovation through partnerships, including with the global scientific community.

By: Geoff Zentz, Senior Director of Innovation, AgriNovus Indiana

 

Innovation is absolutely essential to the future of the agbioscience economy, a point made quickly from the start of the 2024 Producer-Led Innovation Challenge kickoff call. A record number of 50+ teams – from students to venture-backed companies – will compete in this year’s challenge focused on tackling the administrative burdens farmers face in their operations.

In partnership with the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance, the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge is a nine-week accelerator that empowers innovators with tackling farmers’ most pressing operational challenges. Participants develop market-ready solutions, vying for a $25,000 prize to accelerate commercialization of their solution.

And the proof is in the pudding when it comes to this program. Every winner of the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge has either received follow-on funding or has gone on to be acquired. Whether it’s 2020 winner iYOTAH Solutions’ completion of a $2.8 million round this year or 2022 winner Aker Technologies being acquired by Intelinair, emerging technologies that focus on the farmer continue to be rewarded.

The value of the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge spans well past a check being cut, though. Participating teams are given access to guidance from leaders they likely won’t find anywhere else: farmers, scientists, investors, academics and innovation leads at agbioscience companies, to name a few. The goal for innovators? A custom nine-week accelerator experience that allows entrepreneurial minds to know their next steps, regardless of whether they win.

Administrative burden is a broad approach, so what will innovators work on in this year’s challenge? It is simply not good enough to be a solution in search of a problem.  A winning solution will aim to solve in at least one of the following areas:

 

 

As we work alongside these participating teams over the next several weeks, a focus on the farmer must remain clear.  Recent work done by The Directions Group (formerly Aimpoint Research) alongside Indiana producers dives into their needs at the farmgate to feed people sustainably and efficiently while also driving net farm income and managing environmental pressures. Read that study here and listen to Mark Purdy, EVP for The Directions Group, talk about this study on the Agbioscience Podcast.

 

More updates to come as we move through our fifth Producer-Led Innovation Challenge. Interested in learning more? Let’s chat – [email protected].

As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced today a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $1.559 billion to Wabash Valley Resources, LLC (Wabash Valley Resources). The loan guarantee would help finance a commercial-scale waste-to-ammonia production facility using carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology in West Terre Haute, Indiana. The project will have the potential to be the world’s first, carbon-negative ammonia production facility—underscoring the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued commitment to ensuring the United States leads the world in clean energy manufacturing. The project would repurpose an industrial gasifier to utilize petroleum coke while permanently storing carbon dioxide to produce 500,000 metric tons of anhydrous ammonia annually. This project would play a critical role in securing domestic fertilizer supply for the region commonly known as the Corn Belt, contributing to both food security and climate goals. LPO’s conditional commitment of up to $1.559 billion would be part of a total investment of $2.4 billion that Wabash Valley Resources would secure for the project through private investment.

Wabash Valley Resources would be the first domestic producer located in the Corn Belt to produce low-carbon ammonia for local farmers and co-ops in the region. This low-carbon ammonia would be cost-competitive compared to existing ammonia imports, helping to drive down costs for local businesses and consumers. In addition to its environmental benefits, the facility would also support hundreds of high-quality union jobs in West Terre Haute.

Today’s announcement reinforces the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to support good-paying, high-quality job opportunities in communities across the country. The project is expected to create 500 construction jobs and 125 operations jobs—boosting the regional economy and adding to the nearly 16 million jobs created since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office. If the loan guarantee is finalized, Wabash Valley Resources would redevelop a former coal-fired power plant site near several closed coal mines, building on the Administration’s actions to spur new economic opportunities in communities that have helped power the nation for generations. Based on a third-party analysis, the Wabash Valley Resources project could create eight indirect permanent jobs for each of the 125 operations jobs created at the facility, resulting in 1,100 total permanent jobs, in addition to at least 500 union construction jobs.

Ammonia-based fertilizer is a crucial element of the U.S. agricultural system, but its production is a significant contributor to climate change. Globally, ammonia manufacturing accounts for 1% to 2% of all CO2 emissions. By producing low-carbon ammonia and permanently sequestering 1.6 million metric tonnes of CO2 annually, Wabash Valley Resources would contribute to the United States’ efforts to reduce its agricultural industry’s emissions.

The market for ammonia can be volatile, subjecting farmers to price fluctuations. For instance, the Russian invasion of Ukraine significantly increased ammonia costs for U.S. farmers. The Midwest, an agriculture-rich region of the United States where farmers rely on large amounts of nitrogen fertilizers to grow their crops, has driven steady demand growth for anhydrous ammonia. Currently, the region is lacking supply of locally sourced nitrogen fertilizers and requires imports from Canada (via trucks) and overseas (transported via pipelines and barges) to meet its demand.

Increasing domestic fertilizer production would help ensure the security and independence of the U.S. food supply chain. Today’s announcement is part of broader efforts by the Biden-Harris Administration to strengthen critical supply chains, support farmers, and rebuild industrial capacity in the United States.

Petcoke, a feedstock for the facility, is a waste product generated during the oil refining process. The United States is currently the world’s largest exporter of petcoke to low-income countries where it is combusted, causing significant adverse environmental effects. The Wabash Valley Resources project would be the first in the United States to utilize petcoke to produce ammonia and store the associated CO2 emissions via permanent geologic sequestration. Wabash Valley Resources intends to demonstrate a commercially and environmentally viable end-use alternative for petcoke.

These investments advance the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to build an equitable and inclusive clean energy future, LPO borrowers are expected to develop and ultimately implement a comprehensive Community Benefits Plan (CBP). CBPs ensure borrowers meaningfully engage with community, environmental, and labor stakeholders to create good-paying jobs, improve the well-being of residents and workers, and minimize and mitigate any environmental impacts. Wabash Valley Resources has engaged the community and collaborated with various stakeholders, such as the Central Wabash Valley Building and Construction Trades Council and the Indiana State Building and Construction Trades Council.

Workers at the Wabash Valley Resources facility are expected to be represented by several unions, such as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Boilermakers Local 374, Bricklayers Local 4, Cement Masons Local 692, Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 157, and Operating Engineers Local 841.  The project has been approved under the National Maintenance Agreement (NMA), a national collective bargaining agreement overseen by the National Maintenance Agreement Policy Committee. The NMA, to which all local building trades unions are signatories, helps to ensure high-quality work conditions and mitigate project delays. To attract a sustainable and diverse workforce, Wabash Valley Resources plans to partner with the Indiana Plan for Equal Employment to create a pathway for identified candidates into apprenticeship and training programs. To continue its commitment to the Justice40 initiative and reduce the harmful effects to historically disadvantaged communities, Wabash plans to improve the quality of water by supporting the revitalization and conservation project for Wabash River that runs through Vigo County. Wabash shall redevelop the existing 50-acre brownfield property, which will support the State of Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s goal of redeveloping communities and building capacity at the local level.

Wabash Valley Resources plans to engage with four local colleges that may offer training in the skills necessary to operate the anhydrous ammonia plant: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Indiana State University, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, and Ivy Tech Community College. The company will also be pursuing a collaborative program for pre-employment testing and certification.

This conditional commitment is being offered through the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program under Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Section 1706, first authorized and appropriated by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. EIR can finance projects that retool, repower, repurpose, or replace energy infrastructure that has ceased operations or enable operating energy infrastructure to avoid, reduce, utilize, or sequester air pollutants or greenhouse gas emissions. This project will repower existing energy infrastructure that has been nonoperational and support reinvestment in the community, underscoring the Biden-Harris Administration’s deep commitment to ensuring no community is left behind as we build America’s clean energy future.

While this conditional commitment indicates DOE’s intent to finance the project, DOE and the company must satisfy certain technical, legal, environmental, and financial conditions before the Department enters into definitive financing documents and funds the loan guarantee.

Innovation in agbioscience has never been more critical. In today’s tough economy, farmers are looking for new ways to generate margin and with geopolitical instability around the world, food’s stabilizing force around the world is taking center stage. Former Army Colonel and Executive Vice President of The Directions Group (Aimpoint Research) joins today to talk forces of change in our food system, food security as national security and innovation for the farmer. 

Key Takeaways:  

Read the study, Producer-Led Innovation Challenge Opportunity Identification, at agrinovusindiana.com/research. 

TechPoint Mira 2025 Award Submissions are now open through October 15.

Learn more, see the categories and make your submissions here.

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