FarmingsFuture en 1 2016 SCREEN

THE MAGAZINE FOR MODERN AGRICULTURE
1/2016
Cultivating
White Gold
Solutions for Smallholder Rice Farmers
PEOPLE AND MARKETS
Vegetable Farmers in
Australia
SYSTEMS AND SOLUTIONS
Crop-Efficiency Monitoring
for Higher Yields
SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
The Rise of the Vertical Farm
CONTENTS
6
DOSSIER
Solutions for Smallholder Rice Farmers
Cultivating White Gold

Vietnamese rice farmers are under stress. Whether
caused by pests and diseases or weather-related
calamities that threaten their livelihood, farmers are
finding new
ne ways to cope. Their overall strategy: a
more hol
holistic approach.
24
Crop-Efficiency Monitoring for Higher Yields
30
Hyper Care for Healthy Crops
On Bayers Hypercare Farms, scientists use highprecision monitoring tools to observe which cropefficiency products positively influence test plants.
From the Cities and into the Skies

As urbanization threatens to overwhelm the capacity
of available farmland, vertical farming is providing an
exciting alternative way to sustainably grow fresh
produce.
TALK
Powerful Partnerships are Key
Richard Clark, Chairman of the Grains and Research
Development Corporation (GRDC), spoke to
Liam Condon, CEO of Bayers Division Crop Science
TRENDS
Global Trends in Agriculture
12
4
PEOPLE AND MARKETS
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Solutions for Smallholder Rice Farmers:
Cultivating White Gold
Developing New Herbicide Solutions:

A Cross-Continental Collaboration
14
6
Farming in Extreme Locations:
Missions Possible
The app edition

of Farmings
Future includes
additional information such

as interactive
ideos
animations, videos
and photo gallerllerorr
ies. More information can
be found on
r.
the back cover.
16

Crop-Efficiency Monitoring for Higher Yields:
C
Hyper Care for Healthy Crops
H
24
EDITORIAL
FARMINGS FUTURE 3
Dear Readers,
Growth doesnt just happen on farm
fields: growth in how we approach
circumstances is key to finding ways
to feed the world. This issue of
Farmings Future focuses on diligent
farmers, researchers and professionals who are growing their knowledge, skills and perspective something that benefits us all.
What can a farmer do, faced with one of the worst droughts in
100 years? Dealing with uncooperative weather is just one of the
many issues facing Vietnamese rice farmers. In our cover story,
Cultivating White Gold, youll learn how rice farmers in the north
and south of Vietnam strategize to face challenges from weather,
pests and plant diseases. Youll also discover how scientists support these farmers by developing hybrid seeds for hardier crops.
38
PEOPLE AND MARKETS
Crop-Efficiency Monitoring for Higher Yields
A Twelve-Months A Year
Business
We will need to feed up to three billion more people in the world

by 2050 but how? Bayers global Hypercare Farms provide one
solution. Here, high precision monitoring tools observe crops to
check their performance. The results can lead to healthier crops
and therefore higher yields. In our story Hyper Care for Healthy
Crops as well as on our new online picture project Bigger
Picture: Wheat Breeding you can explore these high-tech
strategies in a virtual visit to one of our U.S. Hypercare Farms.
Farms located along the Australian East Coast are

famous for their high-quality vegetable produce.
ESSAY
Digital Farming:
Connecting Services for Networked Farms
by Clemens Delatre
28

From the Cities and Into the Skies:
30

The Logistics of Fresh Fruit: Fresh Oranges, Daily
34
PEOPLE AND MARKETS

Vegetable Farmers in Australia:
A Twelve-Months A Year Business
Since the amount of arable land is limited, how are we to grow

enough food? One answer may be to look upwards. Whether its
growing produce off the top of buildings or using sleek microgreen containers in your own home, different types of vertical
farming complement traditional, horizontally-based farming. Find
out more in our story, The Rise of the Vertical Farm.
At Farmings Future, weve had some growth of our own. Visit our
all-new platform to find online-first stories, expert views and additional elements, including video and interactive activities. You can
connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and at our newly designed
website. You can also access this content via the Farmings
Future To Go smartphone app. See the back cover of this issue
for more details.
38
A Day in the Life of a Dutch Farmer:

The Green Heart
42
Tell us what you think: We want to hear your opinions about this
issue and let us know about other topics youd like to read next.
COMPANY NEWS
44
Enjoy the read,
PEOPLE
Jeff Schell Scholarship for Agricultural Science:
Supporting the Next Generation
46
Beth Roden
Head of Communications, Bayers Crop Science Division
TRENDS
SEPTEMBER 2016
Global Trends
Spiralized Vegetables
Glorified Vegetables
A new trend is seen in spiralizing vegetables:

transforming them into pasta-like noodles.
Inexpensive julienne food peelers work well to
create curling vegetables. Among the best vegetables to turn into noodles are butternut
2016 is the year of vegetables as a main

dish, according to the National Restaurant Association. The Association says that chefs will be increasing
their use of vegetables as a main ingredient moving animal protein away from the center of diners plates. From a
nutritional standpoint, this is an exciting trend since evidence backs the virtues of a plant-centric meal. The
chefs themselves have another motivation to feature vegetables: The days of boring vegetable side dishes are gone.
Searing, roasting, and pulverizing are among the many
techniques that are making vegetable-based meals
more palatable to consumers.
squash, carrots, turnips, beets and

zucchini the latter of which is known as
zoodles. Top any of these with marinara
or pesto sauce for an Asian-inspired
noodle bowl, a base for a salad, or
a casserole. This new interest in
vegetables is showing up even in
supermarkets, where packages
of ready-made spiralized
vegetables are appearing.
Sources: National Restaurant Association,

U.S., www.philly.com
Sources: U.S. News
100
times more volume
Japan and U.S. Ahead

Prior to September 2016, the worlds largest vertical farm is one located
in a former semiconductor factory in Japan. Within a 2,300 square
meter building, approximately 10,000 heads of lettuce are harvested each day. According to one assessment, this is one hundred
times the volume that could be produced on a similar sized
piece of horizontally-farmed land. In September 2016, Newark, New Jerseys AeroFarms will take the title of the
worlds largest indoor vertical farm. Located inside a
converted steel factory, it will be 6,410 square
meters.
Sources: weburbanist.com, MIRAI, CO. LTD, CNN
horizontal farm
vertical farm
Orange Shipments
7.2C
3C
California
Spain
2-10C
South America
Farmers, exporters and logistics experts have to keep aware of

export and import requirements for the safe transport
of fresh foods, such as oranges. Three major orange export
regions are California (North America), South America, and Spain
and according to DHL, orange shipments from all three regions
must have a humidity level of 85-90 percent. The shipping
temperature, however, varies. While Spanish oranges must be
transported at three degrees celsius, Californias orange are to
be shipped at more 7.2 degrees.
Source: DHL FoodLogistics
FARMINGS FUTURE 5
in Agriculture
China
6.5
million tons
of cauliflower and broccoli
China the Powerhouse

of Vegetables
India
Three of the largest geographical areas in the

world are remarkably different in their vegetable
output: China is a world powerhouse when it
comes to vegetable production. From
1993-2014, China grew an average of 6.5 million tons of cauliflower and broccoli (runnerup India produced 5.2 million tons, while
in comparison the U.S., as the third largest
producer, grew only 0.3 million tons).
During the same time period, China also produced 29.4 million tons of tomatoes (in comparison, the U.S. produced only 12.3 million
tons and Russia produced 2 million tons). Overall, China leads the world in harvesting many
types of vegetables.
Source: Faostat
5.2
USA
0.3
million tons
Rice and Shrimp

In Vietnams Mekong Delta, rice
farmers have frequently alternated
between rice and shrimp
farming to adjust to the varying
weather conditions and use
their land productively throughout
the year. Shrimp farming is especially useful in cases of salinity
while this is troublesome for rice
harvesting, a moderate level of
salinity is desirable for shrimp cultivation. Increasingly, due in part
to a continuing drought, some
Mekong Delta farmers have begun
focusing on shrimp farming.
Source: Vietnam News
Bananas in the Lead

As popular as oranges are in worldwide production, they have some competition. The worlds
leading produced fruit is bananas, at 106.71
million tons in a year, followed by apples
(80.82 million tons) , and grapes
(77.18 million tons). Coming in fourth place
is oranges, at 71.45 million tons of global
production this is almost one third less than
world-leading bananas.
Source: Statista
million tons
Extreme
Weather Events
Having just experienced an El Nino weather pattern in the first half of 2016, the prediction for
rice farmers in South-Asia is that a La Nina will
follow for the winter. According to the U.S.
Climate Prediction Center in College Park,
Maryland, while El Nino patterns lead to
drought , a La Nina pattern
often leads to heavy rains.
El Nino and La Nina conditions tend
to develop every two to three years,
helping to regulate the earths
temperature.
Source: the U.S. Climate Prediction
Center, College Park, Maryland;
Bloomberg
in million tons
Bananas
106.71
Apples
80.82
Grapes
77.18
Oranges
71.45
SEPTEMBER 2016
SOLUTIONS FOR SMALLHOLDER RICE FARMERS
Cultivating
White Gold
Vietnamese rice
Vietnamese
rice farmers
farmers are
are under
under sstress.
tress. W
Whether
hether c
caused
aused
by pests
by
pests and
and diseases
diseases or
or weather-related
weather-related calamities
calamities
which threaten
which
threaten their
their livelihood,
livelihood, farmers
farmers are
are finding
finding new
new ways
ways
to
to cope.
cope. Their
Their overall
overall strategy:
strategy: a more
more holistic
holistic approach.
approach.
FARMINGS FUTURE 7
Rice growing in northern Vietnam:

farmers Do Thi Tuyen (at the front of the
boat) and Doan Thi Gai on the Halong
Bay in Ninh Binh province, Vietnam.
Too much water or too little water are
both major challenges for the rice
farmers of northern Vietnam.
SEPTEMBER 2016
Ordinarily, in south-west Vietnams

Mekong Delta, farmer Phan Van Giang can
wade through a rice field. Rising from the
regions dark, fertile water typically about
50 centimeters deep are green plants. They
taper off into feathery beige blossoms, called
panicles, which hold the grains of rice that are
the object of his attention.
Today, it is a different picture. Van Giang stands
on the mud of a 1.4-hectare rice plantation, a
farm for which he had saved over many years.
The field is bare except for a few pale reeds
jutting out of the soft earth and salinity hangs in
the air. This is what remains from the former
owners rice field. Still, Van Giang looks across
his new field as if he can already see it flowering.
He is determined despite mounting challenges.
2016 has seen the biggest drought on record
in Vietnam. Last year on his main farm, Van
Giang suffered 20-30 percent losses compared
to 2014. Still, he says, other farmers completely
lost their harvests. We consider ourselves
lucky. Despite these obstacles, Vietnam is
predicated to have only a 1.5 percent reduction
overall in rice output for 2016 but how is this
possible? One explanation may be the implementation of new strategies developed by farmers, researchers and the agricultural community.
The Challenges
Recent weather has presented an all-too typical pattern. In 2015, four weather calamities
struck Vietnam: heat, drought, salinity and
flooding, all of which led to crop problems.
Drought has been a consistent problem since
the 1980s, but 2016 marked a new record in
intensity. When there is no rainwater, the second
calamity strikes: rice paddies along coastal areas
become flooded with seawater, leading to higher
salinity. Other parts of the country experienced
flooding or all four calamities over the course
of a year. Plants already weakened by extreme
weather are even more vulnerable to attacks
from pests and bacterial diseases.
This is a particularly troubling situation for Vietnams Rice Bowl the twelve provinces of South
Vietnams Mekong Delta where up to 80 percent of the population is involved in rice farming.
The north of Vietnam also cultivates rice.

Because of its predominance, rice also known
as White Gold has a powerful place in Vietnamese culture. Per capita, the Vietnamese
consume about 191 kilograms annually almost
forty times as much as Europeans eat. Rice is
also a staple food for 50 percent of the worlds
population. According to the International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI), farmers will need to
increase rice harvests by 80 million tons per
year over the next decade in order to feed a
growing world. This is even more of a concern
given mounting crop challenges and losses.
The Need for Seeds

At the beginning of 2016, the water in the
Mekong Delta was at its lowest level in 100
years. However, farmer Phan Van Giang has
been using hybrid rice seed that are specially
developed to withstand drought, salinity and
other extreme conditions. These seeds are
191 kg
The average per capita
Vietnam rice consumption
is almost 40x higher than
in the overall EU.
Source: 2015 OECD-FAO Outlook
Rice Consumption
part of Van Giangs relative success in the last

years. He also finds that he needs only 18-20
kilograms of hybrid seed per hectare normally, farmers use about 140 kilograms of
conventional seed for a space of that size.
Amit Trikha, Head of Seeds for Bayers AsiaPacific (APAC) region, explains: Quality hybrids
have a 90 percent or more germination rate.
They have the qualities fit for cultivation in a
given region. Although hybrid seeds cost more
up front, Trikha points out each seed has great
potential through multiple tillering up to 14
tillers. The hybrid seeds performance more than
compensates for the higher cost.
Trikha explains that a seeds vigor and a hybrid
seeds comparative strength can be judged
against three key elements: the Tiller-RootPanicle (TRP). The tiller refers to the number of
branches from the seed; in hybrid seeds, this
is 20 percent higher than conventional varieties.
The root quality the plants ability to absorb
water and nutrients is also stronger among
hybrids. Finally, the rice plants ability to flower
is an indicator of robustness. Hybrid seeds have
a consistently higher number of flowers, or
panicles, that will result in healthy rice grains.
At farms in the north and south, hybrid seeds
mean you have 20 to 25 percent more yield,
says Trikha. With the high average yields currently enjoyed by Mekong Delta farmers, an
additional 20 percent incremental yield represents a significant improvement in their earnings.
Trikha maintains a cautious assessment for the
future. Salination, for example, is something
FARMINGS FUTURE 9
Left: Phan Van Giang and

Bayer employee Nguyen
Thanh Hoan Hao (right)
examine the health of the
Arize rice plants growing
in the salty river water.
Farmers in the Mekong Delta need robust,

high-yielding rice varieties that can thrive even
in very salty water.
Phan Van Giang, farmer in the southern Mekong Delta, where soil
salinization is a problem. He uses a hybrid rice variety from Bayer,
which produces higher yield even in difficult years.
10
SEPTEMBER 2016
Hybrid seeds have a 90 percent or more
In the brackish
regions of Mekong
Delta, many farmers alternate rice
harvests with
shrimp breeding,
as Phan Van Giang
practices. After
repairing the fish
pots in which they
breed shrimps he
then returns the
pots to his rice
and shrimp field.
germination rate. They are developed to

have the right qualities in a given region.
Amit Trikha, Head of Seeds for Asia-Pacific Region, Bayer
farmers think will never happen to them. But

250,000 hectares in Vietnam are no longer good
for rice. His Seeds Development Team has
been working on a rice variety with high abiotic
and biotic stress tolerance. And we are almost
there with a salinity-tolerant hybrid, he adds.
For North Vietnamese farmer Do Thi Tuyen,1985
remains very fresh in her memory. As a young
woman on her familys farm in Ninh Binh, she
witnessed their entire harvest destroyed by
flooding. Unfortunately, Tuyen has experienced
other crop failures since then.
Fresh Solutions
In 2015, Tuyen saw drought at the transplanting stage, followed by heavy rains at the flowering stage and the sowing season was cold.
While the North Vietnamese terrain often traps
extreme weather it is a narrow landscape
close to both the sea and mountains recent
years have been trying, even for seasoned farmers. Heavy rains accompanied by stormy
weather cause injury to rice plants, making them
prone to Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB) attacks, in
which badly-infected seedlings and plants
wither. To meet this disease, Bayer recently
launched the BLB-resistant hybrid seed called
Arize Tej Vang. The preliminary feedback from
Vietnamese farmers has been encouraging.
The new hybrid rice variety Arize Tej Vang can
play an important role in improving the productivity of rice plants and can help to ensure a
sustainable supply of this important staple food
in Vietnam.
Experts from Bayers Much More Rice (MMR)
initiative have also been providing regionallybased training to help rice farmers optimize crop
production and yields. The MMR initiative is an
integrated rice production program based on
hybrid seeds and crop protection products,
as well as consultancy and advisory services.

It is designed to improve yields, quality and
profitability, while at the same time promoting
sustainable agriculture.
In the souths export-based Mekong Delta
region, there has been a growing adoption of
hybrid seeds. In this region, there are up to
three harvests per year. Therefore, intensive
rice farmers prefer shorter duration hybrids
that can be harvested in 100 days or less to
allow two to three crop cycles per year. In the
brackish regions of Mekong Delta, many farmers including Phan Van Giang, alternate rice
harvests with shrimp breeding. With a rich soil
quality, chemical fertilizers are not typically
needed. Another Bayer hybrid rice seed, Arize
B-TE1, has proven to be beneficial for regional
shrimp farmers. An independent, local university study demonstrated the positive impact
of Arize B-TE1 healthy root systems for keeping shrimp waters clean, providing a healthy
and balanced ecosystem favorable for shrimp.
These healthy and balanced ecosystems
are necessary to achieve bigger and betterquality shrimp harvests.
Rice farmer Do Thi
glad that she hasnt
Tuyen feeds her
lost her entire rice
ducks in northern
harvest in the past
Vietnam. She is
years.
In northern Vietnam, where farmers like Tuyen

feed local communities, many rice farmers have
not heard about hybrid seeds. Drought and
salinity are less of a problem than in the south,
but there are only two harvests per year in less
fertile soil. The challenges, are different.
Forward Thinking
For Tuyen, basic solutions such as using plastic mats to cover rice seedlings have provided
cost-effective crop protection. Tuyen has also
been empowered by her training: It includes
rice cultivation methods, identifying pest problems and using crop protection products safely.
Overall, the programs participants report
increased yields by an average of ten percent,
while saving costs on fertilizer, seeds and plant
protection. Participating farmers report a twenty
percent increase in profits a gain that allows
them to continue their profession.
In the current summer season, Tuyen has developed a number of concrete plans. One is to
focus on monitoring sanitation while using an
appropriate crop protection product. She will
also start the farming season earlier to reduce
the effects of hot weather.
FARMINGS FUTURE 11
INTERVIEW
Preventing Future Problems
Products, such as hybrid seeds, and professional support are helpful at the local level.
Bayer Seeds Manager Amit Trikha and members of the Better Rice Initiative Asia (BRIA)
are increasingly advocating a transformational
approach. In order to increase efficiency, they
encourage farmers to form co-operations, so
that they have ten or twenty-hectare farms.
This helps mechanization and allows input
on a larger piece of land, notes Trikha.
In southern Vietnams Mekong Delta, there is
increased interest in managing farms as professionally as possible. Northern Vietnam, where
farms have been less business-driven, could
also benefit, says Trikha: Farm cooperatives
are more efficient in terms of labor input and
output. And you free up land for other crops.
For rice farmers, new approaches are welcome. Their core desires remain straightforward. In northern Vietnam, Do Thi Tuyen hopes
for better weather for farming. She also wants
to continue learning. In southern Vietnam,
Phan Van Giang states, I have only one wish
to always have a good harvest and sustainable crops. Then we will not feel tired, even
though we have to work really hard.
In 2007-08, South-Asian farmers in countries like Vietnam

had such limited rice supplies that their exports were
severely limited. Rice prices rose dramatically. The result
was global unrest. Martin Maerkl, a Bayer Sustainable
Development Manager, remembers this crisis as a wakeup call for politicians and world organizations. In 2013, the
German Ministry of Economic Development, private sector
Martin Maerkl
partners and the German Development Cooperation Agency
(GIZ) initiated the Better Rice Initiative Asia (BRIA). Bayer is one of the BRIAs
founding members.
What are the main targets of the BRIA?
The BRIA targets the entire national rice
value chain and analyzes its main shortcomings, challenges in close co-operation with the Ministries of Agriculture in
Southeast Asia. The BRIA also promotes
innovations along the rice value chain
e.g. to decrease labor shortages and to
enhance water efficiency. The initiative is
working directly with smallholder farmers
to improve their livelihood.
Critics of the BRIA stress the point
that mechanization and innovations
in seed and crop protection will drive
smallholder farmers to become
dependent on multinational companies
and will burden them with high financial risks due to upfront investments.
The BRIA offers a holistic vision of the rice
farming sector with the rice farmer as the
focal point. Farming has to be developed
into a profitable business to improve the
livelihood of farmers with an eye towards

present and future crop conditions. To
continue rice farming in Vietnam as it is
today is not an option. The entire sector
has to go through a transformation. This
has big social implications on the entire
rural sector in Vietnam.
What does the transformation of the
rice sector mean?
Farms must be jointly managed. Access
to training, modern input and mechanization require a coordinated approach.
The individual smallholder does not have
a voice, which is why farm cooperatives
will have to be formed. This is, as well, a
necessity to get access to financial services. Better infrastructure, supported by
local and national governments, is also
part of the BRIAs advocacy. Overall, we
want to holistically improve the livelihood
and productivity of farmers throughout
Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
PEOPLE AND MARKETS
SEPTEMBER 2016
A NEED FOR AGRICULTURAL COLLABORATIONS
Powerful Partnerships are Key

Richard Clark, Chairman of the Grains and Research Development
Corporation (GRDC), discussed with Liam Condon, CEO of Bayers Crop
Science Division, how partnerships can tackle agricultural challenges by
applying expertise, innovation and trust.
Liam Condon The world of agriculture has
become more challenging than ever. Farmers have to manage their business under
increasingly severe weather conditions, such
as drought and flood, which shrink their cropyield potential. At the same time, more than
30,000 varieties of weed compete with crops
for resources, leading to global yield losses.
Increasingly, weed resistance to major herbicide classes is endangering broadacre crop
production on a global level. New weed control
solutions are a priority for our research. However, solving such problems is a challenge that
is too large for one company, university or even
country. The global agricultural community has
to stay up to date to find solutions to these
crucial challenges, and we need a network
of partners with complementary specializations. The Herbicide Innovation Partnership
with GRDC and Australian universities is an
excellent example of such a global network,
and we believe that it will deliver real benefits
to global agriculture.
partnership. We are pleased to acknowledge

this important milestone in the Herbicide Innovation Partnership. Weve created a crosscontinental collaborative research atmosphere
in Bayers laboratory facilities in Frankfurt to
jointly discover next-generation weed control
solutions with the help of 39 scientists and
eleven post-doctoral researchers from Australia
and New Zealand, who are working alongside
expert global researchers from Bayer.
Richard Clark Indeed, Bayer and the GRDC

are a powerful team. Together we will build
on our scientific expertise during our five-year
Liam Condon And there is even more potential

as a result of our partnership. We firmly believe
that collaboration models like the Partnership
Growers have consistently told us that managing resistant and poorly controlled weeds is the
biggest problem they face. By highlighting the
significance of the challenge, through regional
panels and cropping solution groups, growers
have directly influenced the research focus of
the GRDC and the global innovation company
Bayer, for the benefit of their local farming community. We appreciate our growers and the
industry for its support of this collaboration. We
believe this partnership will put many farmers
at the forefront of tackling herbicide resistance.
The Herbicide Innovation Partnership

with GRDC and Australian universities is an
excellent example of global networking.
Liam Condon, CEO of Bayers Crop Science Division
between the GRDC and Bayer will make the

difference in the battle against weeds. In the
light of the challenges to increasing productivity
and sustainability in crop production, it is even
more important that we collaborate to accelerate research activities. By finding new solutions
to the problem of herbicide resistance, Bayer,
the GRDC and our farmers benefit from this
exchange of information. There can be significant global advantages if this partnership
results in the discovery of resistance-breaking
technologies.
Richard Clark Yes, this way, farmers receive
significant support for growing as many crops
as possible. In addition, this effect will positively affect the whole supply chain growers, exporters, importers, processors, and
retailers all the way to the customer. This
partnership reaffirms GRDCs commitment to
improving grower profit as its highest priority.
It is important because a healthy, profitable
grains industry is not just in the best interests
of our growers; it is in the best interest of the
whole society. In fact, the world population can
benefit when as many people as possible have
access to high quality food.
Liam Condon Exactly. In this regard, forward
collaborative thinking should be applied on
every level. Powerful partnerships are key, and
the global agricultural community will have to
develop the worlds support structure to meet
the challenges. Luckily, the younger generation has already begun to apply this principle.
In addition, we will foster our joint knowledge
and facilitate exchange through the post-doc
FARMINGS FUTURE 13
Ribbon-cutting for the

inauguration: Liam
Condon, Bayer AG Board
Member, and Richard
Clark, Chairman of the
GRDC (right) at Bayers
laboratories in Frankfurt
am Main.
ABOUT
program that is also part of the Herbicide Innovation Partnership agreement. The program
gives postdoctoral researchers the opportunity to boost their research skills required to
identify and explore advanced technologies for
herbicide innovation, and to develop solutions
to herbicide resistance in weeds.
Richard Clark Indeed. Recently, nine postdoctoral chemists from Australia and two from
New Zealand started their two-year contracts
at Bayers weed research center in Frankfurt am Main and are working on promising
research projects in chemistry, biochemistry
and biology. I am sure that the young scientists will have an intensive exchange with
their fellow German colleagues working in the
laboratories of Bayer in Frankfurt, and will profit
from each others expertise and knowledge in

terms of herbicide resistance management.
Liam Condon We also believe that there is
a need for young leaders to be engaged in
finding sustainable agricultural solutions to
the growing global need for safe and nutritious
food. For young academics at the beginning
of their careers, a research stay abroad is
the perfect opportunity to broaden their horizons and grow professionally and personally.
Bayers Jeff Schell Scholarship provides support for junior academics in agriculture who
have international research plans. Another
example is the Youth Ag-Summit, which regularly provides a platform for young people from
all over the world involved in agriculture to
discuss challenges and to develop solutions
We believe this partnership will put

many farmers at the forefront of tackling
herbicide resistance.
Richard Clark, Chairman of the Grains and Research Development Corporation
Richard Clark
Richard Clark is Chairman of the Grains
and Research Development Corporation, one of the worlds leading grains
research organizations, located in Australia. Clark is a farmer and company
director of a specialist grain enterprise
in New South Wales, Australia. He has
also held leadership positions within a
number of agricultural bodies. He was
a councilor of the Grains Council of Australia and a councilor of the National
Farmers Federation.
on a small and large scale. Participants can

benefit from listening to each others ideas.
We are very proud to be jointly building a
sustainable global network of future leaders
and strong partners in agriculture.
Richard Clark To develop the effective solutions we need extensive collaboration between
the public and private sectors, together with
representatives of civil society. Young people
with passion and inspiring ideas have huge
potential to help drive us toward more sustainable agriculture.
PEOPLE AND MARKETS
SEPTEMBER 2016
In her daily tasks,
residue that remains.
Stephanie Bellmaine
Its a lot about mov-
works mostly with poww- ing liquids around, colders that are dissolved
d
lecting them, separat-
within liquid. Next, she

e
ing them and putting
evaporates the liquid
them back together,
to retrieve the powder
Bellmaine explains.
DEVELOPING NEW HERBICIDE SOLUTIONS
A Cross-Continental
Collaboration
Within the framework of the Herbicide Innovation Partnership, Australian
postdoctoral scientists Stephanie Bellmaine and Bruno Bai are working
at Bayers laboratories to discover new solutions for some of the worlds
worst weed problems.
With a concentrated expression, Stephanie
Bellmaine is at work in one of the laboratories
at Bayers facilities in Frankfurt-Hchst, Germany. Behind large safety glasses, Bellmaines
gaze remains steady as she evaporates a liquid
to extract its powdered version needed for her
next experiment. This procedure, which seems
trivial at first sight, can have a powerful outcome: It could lead to finding new weed control
strategies that will help farmers protect their
crops. Such strategies are urgently needed in

a world with up to 10 billion people who must
be fed in the near future.
Bellmaine is one of eleven postdoctoral
researchers from Australia and New Zealand
who have come to Frankfurt am Main, Germany
for two years. Their postdoctoral program is
part of an AUD 45 million-funded, five-year Herbicide Innovation Partnership agreement
between Bayer and the Australian Grains and

Research Development Corporation. The program gives postdoctoral researchers the opportunity to boost their research skills required to
identify and explore advanced technologies for
herbicide innovation and develop solutions to
herbicide resistance in weeds. Bellmaines
research focuses on herbicide chemistry: Herbicides help to combat weeds that grow in farmers fields. But in some cases, a herbicide affects
FARMINGS FUTURE 15
the crop plant as well as the weed. I want to

find a molecule that helps the crop plant survive,
so that only the weed is damaged, explains
Bellmaine, who recently finished her PhD at
Australias Melbourne University. Overall, Bellmaine intends to create a product that will aid
farmers: If they can apply herbicides without
any side effects on their crops, their plants will
grow better resulting in higher returns.
New Mode of Action

Another postdoctoral researcher now in Frankfurt is Bruno Bai, most recently from Australias Curtin University, as well as holding a
PhD from Queensland University of Technology.
Standing in his research lab in Frankfurt, he
describes his postdoctoral mission this way:
Since the world population is growing rapidly,
we have to increase crop yields. Currently, the
best way to do that is to make sure that weeds
do not compete with crops so we need herbicides. Though, in the long term, infinite
growth in food and feed production is not possible. Bai is working on a new mode of
action that will delay the development of herbicide resistance. This kind of research is crucial: To date, almost 250 different weed species
have evolved resistance to common herbicides, thereby reducing weed control and
consequently significantly reducing crop yields.
In this regard, he acknowledges Bayers efforts
against weed resistance and its comprehensive
experience in crop protection: It is great to
be part of this now.
Stephanie Bellmaine also feels like she benefits
from the overall scientific atmosphere in Germany: I like the strong, pro-scientific, innovative
feeling here, she states. In contrast, industrial
agriculture chemistry research in Australia does
not have the same scale, because we are a
very young country representing only a small
share of global agriculture production. This is
one of the main reasons to have partnerships
like the Herbicide Innovation Partnership. Here
in Germany, we benefit every day from the
equipment and herbicide knowledge that has
been developed over decades at the Frankfurt
laboratories. Every day, we learn something new
that takes us a step closer in finding new herbicide solutions.
Bruno Bai, postdoctoral researcher from

Australias Curtin
University is working
on the development
of new herbicides.
The best way to increase crop

yields is to make sure that weeds do
not compete with crops.
Both postdoctoral researchers believe that
their goals can only be achieved through good
teamwork. In this way, they have already had
positive experiences with their German colleagues in Frankfurt. Nothing happens in a
vacuum, says Bai. Between our faculties,
there is a constant conversation back and
forth. Its like a brain map. One thought leads
to another. And these ideas branch out. Bellmaine agrees with this assessment. She also
thinks the well-organized working structure
and team spirit at the Frankfurts laboratories
is crucial for their success: We have a lot of
meetings where we exchange our thoughts.
Ultimately, everyone is working towards the
same goal the central goal of the partnership
which is to develop a new product to help
farmers. It doesnt matter if you are working
in a different team, lab or project. Everyone is
willing to give input.
Though these postdoctoral researchers enjoy

their profession very much, they also have to
cope with one big challenge: As a scientist,
you deal with failures most of the time. You
live for the five percent of the time when you
are succeeding, says Bai. But in the other
95 percent, the experiments dont work out,
and we have to try something else.
30,000
For her part, Stephanie Bellmaine could imagine staying in Germany for good. In fact, she
also has a special affinity to Germany: I also
have a BA in German. It is my second language, and I always wanted to come here
after graduation. I really enjoy the culture, the
language and the people, she says. It was
a stroke of luck that this position was available
right after I finished my studies, she continues. Bellmaine hopes to find a science-related
job in which she can benefit humanity: I want
to do something that is beneficial and useful
to create science for a better life.
Worldwide 30,000 varieties

of weeds compete with crops
for resources such as light,
water and nutrition. This is a
major threat for yields.
Source: Statista, The Statistics Portal, 2016
Skills and Knowledge

Nevertheless, the experience gained during
this research time in Frankfurt will be beneficial. Bruno Bai hopes to apply the knowledge and skills he gains for his future work in
Australia: Part of this partnership project is
funded by Australian farmers. They invest their
private money, so that we can research herbicides targeted for Australian crops. Australian farmers hope that we bring this experience
back, and I hope to do so.
Farming in Extreme Locations
Missions
Possible
Farming in the cold and
dark, in water and deserts
is no fantasy.
Ingenuity and modern know-how are
making agriculture possible in places
we would never dream of. Engineers,
tech experts and business people
are joining forces to find innovative
ways of growing food in urban areas.
At a time of adverse weather conditions and a rising worldwide population, farming in extreme locations
whether in hot or cold regions, above
or below water, up high or down
low shows us that agriculture is
possible even in the most unlikely
and inhospitable places.
FARMINGS FUTURE 17
Beneath the Sea-
ture and plenty of
project created by
below the surface
hydroponic, sub-
is needed are
Water, Water Every-
water and light.
the Ocean Reef
of the sea. Saltwa-
strate or soil-based
scuba-diving farm-
where: Imagine a
Near Noli at the
Group has attached
ter condenses
herb gardens and
ers to pick the fruits
location where
Mediterranean,
seven biosphere-
inside the dome of
vegetable patches.
and leafy greens.
plants are safe from
Italian coast, the
bubbles to the
polymeric film and
Once started, the
pests, have a con-
Nemos Garden
ocean floor, some
drips down onto the
system is self-sus-
stant air tempera-
six to nine meters
taining. Now all that
In Icelands cold, dark winter, there is only four hours

of daylight. To compensate,
farmers use geothermal heat and
steam to illuminate greenhouses,
where they grow garden vegetables, including tomatoes and
cucumbers and flowers. Outside,
the year-round cool climate means
fewer pests, while the naturally
heated soil offers perfect temperatures for growing root vegetables
and fodder crops, such as hay.
FARMINGS FUTURE 19
Warmth from deep

in the earth
Geothermal power:
ground, high-pressure
Natural energy
steam is released and
sources allow Ice-
piped into the green-
lands greenhouses
house. Another
to grow a variety of
option is to pipe hot
produce. By drilling
spring water to the
2-3 km into the
surface for heating.
Volcanic eruptions in 18th

century Lanzarote smothered farmlands under a
thick layer of black grit. To
adapt, farmers developed enarenado, a dry farming method that
takes advantage of the volcanic
ash, known as picn, a mineral
rock that absorbs moisture and
prevents evaporation. Saving water
is crucial in this Canary Island,
where an annual rainfall of 14 cm is
less than that found in parts of the
Sahara desert. Despite this, farmers in Lanzarote harvest grapes,
almonds and other crops in this
charcoal-black soil, behind low
semi-circular walls or in shallow
craters that shelter plants from constant winds while providing shade
during morning or evening hours.
FARMINGS FUTURE 21
Protective
Vineyard Rings
Craters and Circles:
provide much needed
To grow wine, small
protection from the
craters are sur-
sometimes-fierce
rounded by Zocos,
winds and retain
volcanic stone
moisture, allowing
semi-circles. Built
the vines to blossom
for each vine, Zocos

s
and thrive.
Some 3,400 meters deep in

Colca Canyon in Southern
Peru, independent farmers grow
staple food crops on plateaus and
terraced fields, some dating back
to the time of the Incas. Pirkas,
uncemented stone walls, help to
support the earth, prevent landslides and capture rainfall. Now, as
then, farmers select the crops to
cultivate, whether potatoes, beans
or rye, depending on the soil content and altitude of the stepped
terraces. Aqueducts belong to the
ancient irrigation systems that
channel water to the fields from
melting snow or nearby rivers and
lakes.
FARMINGS FUTURE 23
Agricultural work is strenuous and complex.

Farmers get up early every day and have to be
good at multitasking: Constantly monitoring the
growth and health of their crops and staying up
to date with the latest technology, all while having
to be equipped with economic literacy.
If thats not enough, some farmers around the
world have to do their work under extreme
conditions. On the Canary Island of Lanzarote,
for example, farmers cultivate their crops in
bizarre black volcanic landscapes. In Iceland,
farmers grow summer vegetables despite long,
dark nights. Israeli farmers in the Negev Desert
have to cope with blindingly bright, oven-hot
air. Extreme farming even takes place in
the depths of the sea, the canyons of the
earth, and it rises above us and in the heights
of mountains. The farming methods in these
unusual places are as varied as the terrains
themselves, but they all have one thing in common: Farmers in such regions have to shoulder
harsh working conditions in inhospitable environments along with their regular farm work.
The soil is as dry as
dust in Israels Negev
Desert (l.) and in parts
of the U.S. West (r.).
After farmers water
their crops with circle
irrigation, lush green,
round fields dot the
landscape. A system
of hoses and sprinklers moves in a circle
around a central
pump to spray water
on crops.
Extreme Circumstances
Resilience is key as farmers think up resourceful ways to adapt to these circumstances. For
example, farmers in the desert make use of a
technique known as dry farming. They till the
land at just the right time to seal the moist
winter subsoil under a layer of dry topsoil. This
process forces plant roots to grow deeper.
Although the yields can be one-third lower than
on a normal field, dry farming on these arid
plains can produce high-quality tomatoes,
melons, squash, potatoes, garlic, and even
grapes.
Highly Motivated
Why are farmers willing to cope with such challenges? Sometimes they dont have any choice.
They are born into a family farm located high
on a mountain, and dont have any other option
than to continue the family tradition. In other
cases, the motivation comes from within. Farmers want to be self-sufficient and economically
Faced with a scar-
and fall with the
city of arable land,
water level. Bam-
the Intha people
boo poles anchor
create floating gar-
the plant beds in
dens on Inle Lake in
the nutrient-rich
Myanmar. By com-
water, and village
pressing water hya-
farmers harvest
cinths, they build
their produce by
mats one meter
boat. If needed,
thick to cultivate
they can cut, move
vegetables. The
or sell their agricul-
crops gently rise
tural mats.
independent from big industrial groups. Farming in canyon depths and at its high ridges, for
example, allows them to nurture local crops
and continue traditional farming methods. Food
does not have to come from only a few limited,
central sources.
Ingenuity and Tradition

The face of farming looks different in various
regions of the world, and agriculture exists in
the most unexpected locations and environments anywhere that pragmatic, forwardthinking farmers can use creative methods to
turn challenging landscapes into productive
fields. It is often at the crossroads of these
unique and challenging environments where
farming ingenuity and cultural traditions meet.
By growing crops in such extreme locations,
these farmers can make their contribution to
the global challenge of feeding up more than
nine billion people by 2050.
SEPTEMBER 2016
This multi-functional machine is

called PhenoTracker. In contrast
to standard machines, it has highprecision monitoring attachments
that help scientists to determine
the condition of the crops.
FARMINGS FUTURE 25
CROP-EFFICIENCY MONITORING FOR HIGHER YIELDS
Hyper Care for

Healthy Crops
On B
On
Bayers
ayers H
Hypercare
ypercare F
Farms,
arms, sscientists
cientists u
use
se h
high-precision
igh-precision
monitoring ttools
monitoring
ools tto
o observe
observe which
which crop
crop efficiency
efficiency products
products
positively iinfluence
positively
nfluence test
test plants.
plants. Ultimately,
Ultimately, this
this testing
testing can
can
lead to
lead
to iimproved
mproved w
wheat
heat vvarieties
arieties a
and
nd even
even higher
higher yields.
yields.
26
SEPTEMBER 2016
Left: Agronomist
Randall Hess
drives the PhenoTracker. Right:
Infrared images
and high-precision
mointoring tools
provide in-depth
information about
crop conditions.
Its a bright summer day in Sabin, Minnesota. The blue sky perfectly contrasts the 62
hectare golden wheat field and the brown soil
underneath it. Not far away, a tractor-like
machine is visible, and a steady vibration is
audible. As this machine comes closer, it
becomes clear that it isnt a normal tractor: Its
front and back are equipped with several hightech, exotic-looking attachments. That vibration
sound is not merely the engine, but something
else is at work.
Inside the machine sits agronomist Randall Hess.
He casts some light on this mysterious device:
This is not a standard farm tractor. Its called a
PhenoTracker, and with it Ive got an experimental field station. Hess and other agronomists
like him are researchers in the field of crop efficiency, an entirely new study area focused on
yield formation. With the primary intention of
increasing yields and contributing to food security, crop efficiency research has three major
goals: optimizing the genetic potential of plants,
reducing the impact of adverse weather on them,
and improving their nutrient efficiency.
A Lab in the Field

Sitting in his PhenoTracker, crop efficiency
researcher Randall Hess continues: Basically,
Im driving a mobile, on-field lab that is equipped
with phenotyping technologies. These technologies allow not only precise measurement
of observable crop characteristics, such as
height and canopy fraction; they can also be
used to estimate physiological crop parameters
such as chlorophyll or nitrogen content, leaf
area index and biomass. Also, we test under
high resolution crop-efficiency prototypes,
like high-performance wheat varieties, and we
can test chemical or biological substances

under field conditions, Hess continues. The
attachments in the front and the back assist
the PhenoTracker in examining wheat plants
directly on the field. These attachments are, for
instance, high resolution cameras, scanners
and reflectance sensors. The PhenoTracker
can gather all of this information from one path
in the field, Hess continues.
The example of the PhenoTracker demonstrates
the high precision monitoring tools at work here,
testing plants with a maximum of care a term
DIGITAL FARMING
Managing Data
Digital farming is comprised of the act
of connecting and gathering field data
information on crop conditions by
using digital instruments such as sensors and satellites.
This technological advancement offers
farmers faster and more precise ways of
crop monitoring and decision-making.
Precise and real-time crop monitoring
data and soil health analyses are examples that can simplify their decision-making process. Farmers have the possibility
to foresee the upcoming harvests yield,
manage a variety of inputs and react to
certain changes earlier, in order to prevent potential losses. These positive
effects result in more efficiency and
increased yields that benefit a farmers
financial situation. They also increase the
sustainability of farming as well as global
food security.
used in the agricultural community known as

hyper care. The fields where these tools are
operated are called Hypercare Farms. In addition to the one in Sabin, Minnesota, USA, Bayer
established a Hypercare Farm in France. In
2016, additional Hypercare Farms are scheduled to open in Germany, Canada, and the
United States. At these locations, Bayer carefully tests its crop efficiency products and seeks
to systematically optimize crop yield potential.
High-precision Monitoring
Greta De Both, Crop Efficiency Manager for
Global Breeding & Trait Development at Bayer,
explains the purpose of the Hypercare Farm:
On these experimental fields, our scientists
can determine how the insertion of a gene into
a wheat line, or the application of a chemical
or biological treatment, changes the wheat
varietys phenotypes. These new characteristics, such as reflectance levels, cannot visually
be detected, she says. Via high-precision
monitoring, however, scientists can identify
which crop efficiency products positively impact
the test plants. Ultimately, this testing can lead
to improved wheat varieties and higher yields,
she adds.
Digital farming and crop efficiency techniques
such as Bayer Hypercare methods will become
more and more significant in the future: While
the world population is growing rapidly, farmers
FARMINGS FUTURE 27
Only if our crops deliver top

performance will the overall aim of
feeding the world be reached.
Digital analysts:
fields. The blue-
Greta De Both and
colored plots in the
Marc Bots (left to
image are cooler,
right) evaluate infra-
and crops there can
red images of trials
grow better.
conducted in wheat
221
million hectares of wheat
are grown each year
worldwide. This equals the
area of Greenland.
Source: Bayer
have to cope with increasingly frequent extreme

weather conditions and declining arable land.
Hence, farmers need to produce more crops on
less farmland in order to secure the global food
supply. That is why our scientists are working
to obtain maximum performance from arable
crops such as wheat, De Both points out.
Looking around in the field, it becomes clear
that the PhenoTracker is not the only tool that
makes this place special. In the middle of the
field, a mast rises 15 meters in the air this is
called a PhenoTower. The top of the tower is
equipped with two cameras. An infrared camera is used to measure the canopy temperature
of the plot. Randall Hess explains this highprecision tool: Every 15 minutes this camera
takes a picture of all the plants underneath it
and documents the temperature. Just like a
thermometer, this reading indicates under what
conditions the plants feel stress. This camera
itself can cover a range of up to five hectares,

he says. And whenever a question arises from
the thermal images, Hess adds, a second,
standard camera takes regular photographic
images to provide information on the operation
of the whole camera system.
health status, maturity and yield of the crop.

This information is used to determine which
approaches are successful in producing the
desired results and when this happens, these
products are advanced for further testing and
development, explains Randall Hess.
High-Tech Field
Examination
Using high-precision monitoring tools such as

PhenoTrackers and PhenoTowers at Bayers
Hypercare Farms, combined with physiological and biochemical expertise, Bayer experts
are counteracting the demanding challenges
facing global food security. Greta De Both
concludes: By treating our crops with special
care and spotting early indicators that affect
their health, we provide the basis for their
healthy development. Only if they deliver top
performance will the overall aim of feeding the
world be reached.
By using tablets, scientists also apply high tech

to capture images of plots and to collect detailed
field data from the time the plants first emerge
through harvest time. Bayers agronomists correlate the measurements and analyze the data
in close consultation with researchers. Via interpretation of this data, a research team can draw
conclusions concerning the effects of the
applied technology on establishment, vigor,
Helping hands:
Bayer spring-wheat
breeders and crop
protection specialists work together
to strengthen wheat
plants from the
inside out.
ESSAY
SEPTEMBER 2016
DIGITAL FARMING
Connecting Services for

Networked Farms
By applying digital farming tools, farmers are able to optimize their practices for healthy
fields and yields. Digital farming expert Clemens Delatre points out which chances and
challenges accompany this development and he has practical proposals at hand.
Conventional agriculture is facing a major
challenge: to provide enough food for ourselves and our livestock well into the future,
agriculture must become more efficient. Intensification is not the only solution to this dilemma.
There is not much more new land left on earth
for further agricultural development: in total,
FAO experts calculate merely four percent additional acreage. Furthermore, agricultural
machinery cannot become infinitely larger, and
even seed and crop protection can only
heighten yields up to a certain degree. In order
to further increase the efficiency of conventional
agriculture and also ensure the optimal productivity of soils in the long-term, we must use our
resources more intelligently. This applies to the
precious natural assets, such as water and soil,
but also to things such as fertilizers or crop
protection.
The networked farm is one remedy that will help
us achieve this. The concept is derived from
the idea of the Internet of Things: the consumer
market is currently talking a lot about home
automation, and there are already apps that
allow us to remotely control our homes lighting,
heating or window shutters. In this sense, agri-
culture has already developed even further. For

quite some time, GPS has made it possible to
have self-controlled farm machines rolling over
the fields. At the same time, these machines
generate yield maps or maps that represent
the varying plant health in a plot. All of this
already exists, and it is often grouped under
the term precision farming. Generally speaking,
we can assume that the decisions which farmers have to make in their daily operations
become easier and better as a measure of how
much of this precision data they have at their
disposal.
Farmers Perspective
The resulting advantages are numerous: todays
farmers are, for example, able to combine special seeds with integrated plant protection measures to achieve better harvests. Cross-linking
the information to conclude which seed thrives
best with which plant-protection product and
in which specific soil and climate this is
smarter agriculture or Smart Farming. So the
next step is to combine current and historical
weather data with satellite-based biomass and
chlorophyll measurements as well as yield data.
When added to special breed characteristics,

the result can be an optimally customized crop
management plan. This integrated approach
is so much better than the currently existing
stand-alone solutions: we call it decision farming. And many experts believe that it will revolutionize agriculture even further.
One aspect will be of particular importance: the
goal of this development is not to relinquish the
farmer. On the contrary, we must always look
at things from his perspective, and we may not
deny the knowledge that is often passed down
from one generation to the next. Nonetheless,
it will be of great support if the farmer can obtain
decision-making aids that are tailored specifically to him or herself. The farmer can then
fulfill this role more responsibly than ever
because there is a database to back decisions.
And anyone who has the will to improve processes will benefit from these systems.
Another important question to address is how
we want to organize these services. The fact
is, an increasing amount of data is being generated: the farm equipment, the satellite, the
weather station all of these items generate
Stakeholders should work together in a solutionoriented fashion to provide an information platform that
the farmer can adapt to his needs.
Clemens Delatre,
CEO and co-founder of green spin
FARMINGS FUTURE 29
data that should be automatically integrated

into the networked farm. The question is, how
can we prepare this enormous amount of data
in a way that it is of use to us? This is the task
of the service providers.
Technology and Service

Only the automated processing of data, and
their combination and interpretation, opens
up their full benefits. Today, there are many
platform solutions available that support the
idea of hosting and combining the varying data
sources in order to create a deeper understanding of what happens on the field. However, most solutions run short on delivering
their promises. What we experience is a general lack of pre-processed content at the disposal of the farmers, so that they can easily
analyze and just begin working with it.
Furthermore, the industry focused more on
creating an enormous amount of platforms,
aiming to attract farmers with their various
digital farming solutions. But currently, farmers
who are already using available technology in
precision farming complain that it feels like
they ought to use a dozen stand-alone solu-
tions in parallel because providers werent able

to integrate the solutions to increase usability.
A lot of farmers seem to be aware of this phenomenon, and they are therefore reluctant to
embrace the new technologies that were actually developed to help them make better decisions for their businesses. Instead, data maintenance and updating often make digital farming become too inefficient for farmers. Therefore, I urge the stakeholders to invest more
into connecting technologies and services, so
that farmers can truly benefit from digitized
agriculture.
No matter how we approach these developments, our industry should not overly invest
itself in competitiveness. We should not block
other services off but rather focus on openness
and interoperability; the ultimate goal is to offer
farmers as many options as possible, so that
they can continue to feed the world and help
ensure food security well into the future. The
realization of the networked farm is a big challenge, but by working hand in hand, it will also
be a huge accomplishment.
A certain degree of transparency is needed to

explain to farmers what is going to happen with
their data. In this context, I also would like to
encourage farmers to proactively inquire about
how a potential provider manages data security
before they entrust their farm data to this service. Farmers should keep in mind that only
cloud-based systems are able to handle the
sheer amount of data that is available and to
easily secure their personal farm data from loss
due to hardware failure. At least in the European
market and in North America, the trust of farmers is vital today, as it is with users and customers in general.
After earning a
degree in geography, young entrepreneur Clemens Delatre worked as a
crop analyst with a
remote sensing
company in corporate consultancy. He
is a co-founder and
CEO of the digital
agriservice provider
green spin. This
startup specializes
Partners for Agridata

in the evaluation
and consolidation
of global satellite,
weather and other
spatial data. The
company characterizes agricultural
sites based on their
yield potential and
provides this information to customers, ranging from
farmers to industrial
companies.
SEPTEMBER 2016
FROM THE CITIES AND INTO THE SKIES
The Rise of the

Vertical Farm
As u
As
urban
rban p
populations
opulations grow
grow and
and arable
arable land
lan
nd
declines, vertical
declines,
vertical farming
farming is
is providing
providing a local
lo
ocal
approach for
approach
for sustainably
sustainably grown
grown fresh
fresh produce.
produce.
FARMINGS FUTURE 31
Vertical Farming in
Singapore: Sky
Greens cultivates
vegetables, such as
kale, on towers at
ten times the volume
of a traditional open
field farms using the
same amount of
space.
In a Munich, Germany office, 27-year-old

CEO and co-founder, Maximilian Loessl,
opens what looks like a small, stainless-steel
refrigerator: instead, inside water circulates
through stacked seedling boxes. High-powered LED lighting focuses on burgeoning
plants like dill and basil, with distinctly crisp
scents. This equipment allows a consumer to
grow produce within a home kitchen; an App
provides operating support. The products
inventor, agrilution, is one of the companies
leading the world in vertical farming.
Vertical farming is the production of food in
vertically stacked layers or inclined surfaces,
sometimes integrated within other structures;
it is often used in urban areas with limited
arable land. As the worlds population is projected to reach more than nine billion people
by 2050, with particular growth in urban areas,
sustainable and supplemental farming solu-
tions are being searched for and vertical

farming is proving its potential.
The Munich
Revolutionaries
User-friendly, sleek equipment based on visionary principles Maximilian Loessl describes
agrilution as a company that provides a technical approach for a grassroots movement in the
food industry. Our company name, agrilution,
combines agriculture and revolution. Wed
like to raise awareness for healthy food, says
Loessl. He adds that while the agrilution system
cannot solve the challenge of global food
security, it can make a contribution in reinforcing overall health and sustainability: Our vertical farming method uses up to 95 percent less
water than conventional agriculture, as well as
up to 60 percent less fertilizer.
While the plants grown in this system are comparatively low calorie including microgreens
like coriander, parsley, chives, varieties of lettuce and herbs they make up for this in
nutrients: Microgreens have up to 30 times
higher nutrient levels than mature plants,
Loessl notes.
Vertical Farming in the kitchen: Maximilian

Loessl in front of his invention: the plantCube.
Our company name, agrilution, combines

agriculture and revolution. Wed like to raise
awareness for healthy food.
32
SEPTEMBER 2016
Vertical Farming in the city:

The Singaporean company
Comcrop cultivates vegetables on a rooftop farm by
applying a hydroponics and
aquaponics system.
The companys home growing devices plantCubes use broad spectrum wavelength LED
lights. This leads seedling plants to develop
more biomass, attain faster growth, and
develop richer nutrient levels, states Loessl.
Using a hydroponic method growing plants
in sponges, sand or liquid rather than soil the
system is a closed-water culture.
With a first-hand perspective, and experience
as one of the founders of the non-profit Association for Vertical Farming, Loessl predicts that
vertical farming will become mainstream in
higher-population cities within the next ten years.
This ability to produce food year-round can provide more stability regionally and even globally.
Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) a
method of growing plants, including vegetables,
inside closed systems like greenhouses to create a stable plant environment along with
related technology and LED lighting, according
to Loessl, will provide the basis for vertical farms
to flourish.
Orchards on Orchard Road

In the 19th century, Singapores Orchard Road
was an area of lush plantations today, some
of the greenery has returned. The skyline rooftops of Singapores Scape building are
stacked eight rows high with seedlings and
plants. Niyati Gupta is the CEO of Comcrop,

Singapores first rooftop commercial farm. Up
to 90 percent of Singapores food must be
imported. We dont have a lot of land or
space in Singapore. Our vision was to create
a resilient local eco-system, Gupta notes.
The current Comcrop system is divided between
hydroponics and aquaponics. In their aquaponics system, tanks of Tilapia fish feed their waste,
in the form of nitrates, to the seedlings and
plants in the hydroponic system, which then
feed their plant waste back to the fish. As Gupta
observes, this system creates a nice microecosystem. The other half of Comcrop is a pure
hydroponic farm where the nutrients are fed to
the plants rather than coming from Tilapia fish.
After this, there is a simple process: Sprouted
95 %
The vertical farming method
of agrilution uses up to
95 percent less water than
conventional agriculture.
Source: agrilution
seeds are transplanted into sponges placed into

a vertical frame system. Each group of frames
has eight to ten slanted rows stacked one above
the other; pipes circulate water through the system. Solar panels power the water pumps. The
hardware is neither strongly technical nor complicated, notes Gupta.
Singaporean Rooftop
Farming
Comcrop specializes in area markets looking
for vegetables with premium quality, due to
reduced transportation and storage time. Soon
Comcrop will open another rooftop greenhouse
nearby, focusing on leafy green vegetables.
Recent Singapore legislation has mandated
environmentally-friendly policies like green roofing, which is leading to growing local interest.
Gupta herself is optimistic: We see ourselves
owning and operating a network of farms.
People forget that agricultural possibilities
include all types of spaces even tunnels and
parking lots. There are plenty of marginalized
spaces in urban areas.
Vertical farming does have limits, Gupta
observes: With hydroponics, for example, you
cant do grains or things that grow on trees, like
citrus or avocados. Crops that work well include
leafy greens, tomatoes and cucumbers. Overall,
FARMINGS FUTURE 33
INTERVIEW
Horticulture in
the Sky
Volkmar Keuter, manager for inFARMING,
a vertical farming project by the
Fraunhofer-Institute UMSICHT in Oberhausen, Germany
The future will also combine the knowledge

resources of professionals in many fields
to support established farming methods.
vertical farming has a valuable place in the food
chain, says Gupta. Singapores traditional food
suppliers China, Thailand, and Malaysia have
become more prosperous, Gupta notes. But
they have their own populations to feed. So part
of our answer has to be a local solution.
From the Singapore Skies

and Beyond
In 2009, Jack Ng, a Singaporean engineer and
businessman, began looking toward semiretirement and he became more conscious
than ever of his hometowns dependence on
imported food: Singapore has achieved selfsufficiency in water but not in food. My passion
is to change this. The Sky Greens vertical
farming system began as a prototype in 2010
with support from Singapores Agri-Food &
Veterinary Authority (AVA). Sky Greens has
now been in operation for four years.
Singapore has
this. Jack Ng, Sin-
achieved self-suffi-
gaporean engineer
ciency in water but
and businessman;
not in food. My pas-
inventor and founder
sion is to change
of Sky Greens
The Sky Greens system is soil-based, though

it can also be adapted for hydroponics. It
resembles a slow nine-meter tall Ferris wheel,
completing one revolution in 16 hours. Vegetable trays rotate down to obtain sufficient
water and then up to the top of the tower for
maximum sunlight. Overall, each tower needs
only 40 Watts of electricity, the equivalent of
one light bulb.
So far, Sky Greens has been able to grow
anything that could be planted in pots,
explains Ng. A majority of their plants are commercial Asian leafy vegetables and kale at
ten times the volume of a traditional open field
farm in the same space.
As an engineer and businessman, Ng provides
an analytical assessment: Vertical farming
solutions can address challenges of urbanization such as encroachment of farmlands. The
company continues to grow: overseas projects have been completed in Thailand and
China. Sky Greens is also exploring opportunities in Malaysia and around the world.
Ultimately, Ng compares Sky Greens to a
building or engineering project: Hydroponics,
which is common in vertical farming, has new
automation processes, like controlled mixing
of nutrients, but we always have to consider
the cost viability for specific crop cultivation in
different markets. Ng pauses reflectively.
Vertical farming needs to make business
sense and preserve the environment. We
actively work with other greenhouse technologies and continually innovate to create
solutions for sustainable food production.
Volkmar Keuter is the manager for

inFARMING, a vertical farming project
by the Fraunhofer-Institute UMSICHT in
Oberhausen, Germany. From the scenic
Ruhr area of northwest Germany,
inFARMING is developing high-tech
horticultural systems that can be integrated into new and existing buildings.
Keuter spoke with Farmings Future
about the vertical farming world.
What are the most modern ideas in
vertical farming?
Todays vertical farming looks at controlling
environmental factors within these systems,
like light, water and climate control.
Whether on a micro or macro level, indoors
or outdoors, such as on a rooftop, vertical
farming may include greenhouses, where
light is boosted via LEDs.
As the project manager for a vertical
farming project with Fraunhofer
UMSICHT, did you have a special Ag
background that led to this project?
Im a process engineer. Most of the time I
was working with water and waste-water
treatment processes, so its not too bad to
now be working on hydroponic systems. In
the projects first year, my colleagues and I
decided that we shouldnt only look at the
greenhouses but at the whole system
what we are calling inFARMING, integrated
farming and develop efficient systems
consisting of closed loops between greenhouses and the buildings, for example.
What are some of the advantages of
vertical farming?
Shorter transportation paths are beneficial
for the environment. The crops are also
fresher, with high nutritional value for the
customer. However, vertical farming is only
one module of future farming. The future
will also combine the knowledge resources
of professionals in many fields to support
established farming methods.
inFARMING is a registered trademark of
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Frderung
der angewandten Forschung e.V.,
80686 Mnchen, Germany
SEPTEMBER 2016
THE LOGISTICS OF FRESH FRUIT
Fresh Oranges, Daily

Food logistics how produce moves from farm to
consumer is not well known by the public.
These behind-the-scenes steps are vital to ensure
quality, safety and traceability in a global food supply
notably in the case of world-popular oranges.
At dawn on Evaldo da Costa Mellos citrus farm in Paranapu, a small town within
the So Paulo region of Brazil, you can see
the fields overflowing with citrus trees. Hanging from these trees, under thick green leaves,
await the multi-colored jewels that ripened
overnight: Chinese Honey Oranges, Indian
Sweet Limes, Sweet Oranges, Sour
Oranges,and even Papaya. This day, like every
day from 7:00 am until 5:00 pm weekdays,
the workers pick the freshly ripened fruit in the
scented fields. The farms staff all permanent
employees with well-trained eyes toward quality are busy every season. After harvesting,
sorting, storing and packaging, da Costa Mellos farm sends out 20 million kilograms of this
colorful bounty during the year.
This level of activity might be expected from
a farm within Brazils Citrus Belt, composed
largely of So Paulo. Brazil, overall, is the

worlds largest single producer of oranges,
providing more than one-third of the worlds
fresh fruit supply and half of the worlds orange
juice supply. 80 percent of these oranges come
from the Brazilian Citrus Belt region. To
accomplish this level of production, there are
a number of steps that these farms have to
take to ensure quality.
The Citrus Farmer:

Creating Quality
At da Costa Mellos citrus farm, after employees pick the fruit, its carried to the packing
house. The fruit harvested on a Monday, for
example, is processed on Wednesday it is
purposely left to sit a few days in order to
reveal any possible damage, so any lessthan-perfect citrus can be removed.
Meanwhile, the farms packing house prepares the non-damaged fruit to leave promptly
and securely. The time between harvest and
arrival at CEAGE-SP, South Americas largest central fruit and flower market, is only two
to five days, including travel time. Maintaining fruit quality is a major priority, da Costa
Mello explains: After the fruit is harvested
and taken to the packing house, it is washed
and dried. A carnauba-based (palm leaf) wax
for gloss and durability as well as a preventive fungicide are applied. Damaged fruit
is removed and sent to the juice industry, for
juice extraction.
Da Costa Mello supports his business by having professional guidance: We have a consultant, and there is the team at the farm, comprised of an agronomist and technicians, who
monitor production.
FARMINGS FUTURE 35
A treasured fruit: Globally,

orange farmers harvested
over 45 million tons of this
popular citrus in the 20152016
growing season.
36
SEPTEMBER 2016
Ready to roll: Boxed
on their way to their
and loaded on trucks,
final destinations
Alfacitrus oranges are
within Brazil.
During the year, we process about

1.5 million 40 kilogram boxes.
To get products from the citrus fields to the first
marketplace, there are always challenges: for
a citrus farmer like da Costa Mello, maintaining the quality of his delicate prizes is a constant priority.
The Orange Exporter:

Managing Orange Safety
500 kilometers southeast of Paranapu is the
Alfa Citrus farm and export company. For its
owner, 59 year-old Pedro Luiz Favero, and the
staff, food safety is a primary concern as well
as the safety of farm workers: in order to ensure
sanitation, personal protective equipment is
inspected, harvested material is disinfected and
all harvest material is separated according to
the property it came from. This avoids bacteria-contaminated material from being loaded,
says Favero.
Favero explains that the fruit is harvested during the day and processed over the following
days; like Edvaldo da Costa Mello, Pedro Favero
also holds over the fruit in order to inspect it.
Harvested fruits are put into boxes, palletized
Pedro Luiz Favero, owner of Alfa Citrus farm and

export company in Paranapu, Brazil
and then moved to the packing house. This

step is necessary because it preserves the fruits
and keeps quality from being compromised,
Favero adds. During the year, we process
about 1.5 million 40 kilogram boxes. 95 percent of the fruit we market is produced at our
companys own farms.
when and how to move the fruit keeps it safe

for retail customers and public consumers.
The Food Logistics Manager:

Directing the Orchestra
All day long, Favero has an eye on food safety,

given his work with multiple large retail distribution networks. We oblige ourselves to supply products that meet food safety standards.
Chemical analysis reports are issued by the
major networks, and our company is audited
to make sure we are within the required standards.
One ocean and almost 10,000 kilometers away

from the Brazil citrus farms are the headquarters of DHL Freight, a corporate division of the
Deutsche Post DHL Group in Bonn, Germany,
a worldwide leading postal and logistics company. Andreas Lenz is the manager of DHL
FoodLogistics. He guides the flow of food
across Europe and throughout the world. This
means he and his team may, literally, be anywhere they are needed.
To achieve this level of food safety, the entire

process is a carefully-timed choreography. In
no more than 24 hours, harvested fruit arrives
at the packing house, says Favero: After the
processing and packaging process, the fruit
reaches its destination four hours to 15 days
later, depending on where consumption will
take place, since we supply the entire country.
For farmer-exporters like Alfa Citrus, knowing
The five-hour time difference between Brazil

and Germany is an advantage: While the farms
of Brazil are still asleep, Lenz keeps the fruit
moving, overseeing all of the logistics steps
that ensure consumers have oranges and all
other foods in their markets as quickly as possible. At the same time, he aims to save transportation resources and energy: The better
we keep an eye on logistics timing, the less
The Journey of an Orange From Plantation to Supermarket
TRANSPORTATION TO
ORANGE PLANTATION
HARVEST
QUALITY CONTROL
AIRPORT / SEAPORT
FARMINGS FUTURE 37
food we waste. We do our part to ensure that

the world is fed sustainably.
Lenz has expert knowledge of food producers
and their key markets. As an example, he
explains that for European consumers, Spain,
Turkey, and Egypt are the main suppliers of
whole oranges, whereas Brazil is the main supplier of orange juice concentrate, NFC (non-frozen concentrate). For Lenz and his team to get
these oranges and NFC to their markets or
to markets anywhere in the world careful
advance planning is the key.
About six to eight weeks before products arrive
on the market or at the additional processor,
customers such as farmers or exporters, the
shippers and the recipients such as major food
chains make a coordinated plan with Lenz. Considerations include shipping volumes, quantity
and the type of product. In the case of oranges
and NFC, Lenz and his team have to under-
Fresh Orange Production

in Selected Countries
2015/16, 1,000 tons
Brazil
China
European
an Union
United States
Mexico
Egypt
Turkey
South Africa
Morocco
Argentina
Total World Production
14,350
7,000
6,055
5,371
3,535
2,750
1,700
1,560
925
800
45,763
Source: Foreign Agricultural Service/USDA, July 2016
TRANSPORTATION
BY AIRPLANE / SHIP
The key is preparing the

product properly, so that it can withstand
transport time by sea.
stand the farming harvest periods throughout
the world as well as seasonal consumer
demands so that the transportation process
is precise.
Lenz also maintains expertise in the regulations
of international import and export of live foods.
With laws varying by country, a logistics company has to understand how transportation timing will affect food quality. Lenz and his food
logistics team must also monitor whether something falters in the transportation chain: Every
extra day longer in the transport process ultimately shortens the products shelf-life.
Transporting solid oranges has additional special considerations: Unlike bananas, oranges
are harvested when they are ripe. But they cannot be overripe because they will not survive
transport. Oranges originating within Europe
are predominantly sent to European consumers via trucks. Intercontinental transport like
South America to Europe, or between Europe
and Asia is primarily based on sea transport,
which is more economical than air freight: The
key is preparing the product properly, so that
it can withstand transport time by sea.
No two days are alike for Lenz and his team;
their tasks range from joint farm visits with cus-
Andreas Lenz, manager of

DHL FoodLogistics
tomers all the way through making sure that the

same fruit arrives safely at a market anywhere
in the world. Overall, DHL FoodLogistics manages separate parts or the entire logistics chain
for customers. The public, Lenz adds, is unlikely
to be aware of this specialized division within
the company. And many people are under the
impression that logistics is done by pressing a
button. Using the example of citrus, we can see
that every case is special.
High Quality Care

Lenz takes pride in his role in the fruit logistics
chain not the least of which is due to the end
result: We provide high quality care at every
step, so that food is available at acceptable
prices for consumers. In the end, the oranges
are available and customers are supported at
every step along the way.
Not long from now, Andreas Lenz will end his
working day; meanwhile, the farmers and exporters in Brazils Citrus Belt will still be picking, sorting and packing. Oranges are being sent from
ports, airports and highways, and the transport
process is being monitored. In every hour, somewhere in the world, another step in the logistics
process continues and quality oranges keep
coming safely to our markets.
TRANSPORT TO
STORAGE
SUPERMARKET
SUPERMARKET / CONSUMER
PEOPLE AND MARKETS
SEPTEMBER 2016
VEGETABLE FARMERS IN AUSTRALIA
A Twelve-Months
A Year Business
Farms located along the Australian East Coast are famous
for their high-quality vegetable produce. By applying
clever farming strategies, many Australian vegetable farmers
perform a year-round business.
Its a sunny but rainy day at Koala Farm
in the Lockyer Valley a vegetable region
located 90 km west of Queenslands capital
Brisbane, on the Australian East Coast. A rainbow glows in the horizon. The rain seems
welcome by the parched soil.
At once, the soft splashes of rain grow stronger. Normally this heavy rainfall is an alarm
signal to farmers because floods could occur.
However, Anthony and Diane Staatz stay
calm. They put on their rainboots and walk

outside to the nursery. Their expressions suggest it is a normal day at work. Anthony
presses a button on a wall panel. He and
Diane watch as, above, the nursery roof
smoothly closes. In moments, the sound of
the rain is merely a faint hum. The lettuce
plants inside the nursery are safely enclosed
by the nursery roof. This ability to move the
sky when needed gives their business enough
flexibility to produce vegetables year round.
Moving the Sky
A retractable nursery roof allows Koala Farm

to supply customers with consistent vegetable quality twelve months a year.
In the continent known as the Down Under,

this is not necessarily expected. Australia is the
driest continent on Earth. Its interior has one
of the lowest levels of rainfall in the world. Consequently, the amount of water that Australian
farmers have available for irrigation is crucial.
By moving the sky instead of moving the
plants, we can react to each weather condition
in a flexible way to achieve the best climate for
our crops, says Anthony Staatz. This way, we
can supply customers with consistent vegetable quality twelve months a year.
FARMINGS FUTURE 39
Anthony and Diane Staatz are the

owners of Koala Farm in Gatton
a vegetable region located 90 km
west of Queenslands capital Brisbane,
on the Australian East Coast.
40
PEOPLE AND MARKETS
SEPTEMBER 2016
Continuous growth:
Founded in 1912,
Rugby Farm (left) has
expanded its business locations substantially during the
past ten years. Its
director, Matt Hood,
is proud of this development.
Thats what differentiates us from most others, he continues. He and his wife Diane
established their family-owned business in
1990. Besides their location in Gatton, they
also grow lettuce, such as the romaine varieties
Twin Pack Baby Cos and Midi Cos, and broccoli in the city of Cambooya, which is located
in the Australian heartland, about 60 km from
Gatton. Compared to Gatton, the climate in
Cambooya is even drier and has even less rainfall throughout the year. This combination of
locations gives our business enough climate
diversity to produce vegetables twelve months
of the year, states Anthony Staatz.
Expanding Continously
Another farm that also benefits from having
multiple locations is Rugby Farm, which began
as a family business in 1912. Through continuous expansion, this farm now belongs among
Australias largest vegetable producers, operating on 14,000 acres of vegetable crops each
year in four regions throughout Queensland.
This strategy of economy of scale is crucial
to remain profitable, says Rugby Farm director
Matt Hood.
Rugby Farm has expanded its business locations substantially during the past ten years in
order to meet its primary objective of supplying
produce twelve months a year. According to
Matt Hood, this business development reflects
a global trend: The bigger farms are taking
over the majority production globally, he
states. The traditional model of the mother
and father family business is certainly under
pressure in Australia.
In line with farming modernization, Hood sees
significantly more automation today: The days
where we rely on one man to do one job are
over. Its been about getting bigger tractors,
bigger implements, so you can get more work
out of that one man. In the future, many smaller
pieces of machinery are doing what one man
in one tractor did in the past, he says. Accordingly, Rugby Farm has done large investments
in farmland to produce both a seasonal and
full-year vegetable supply. In the last five years
a lot of investment has been in the post-harvest
side of the business, upgrading food safety and
By having expanded our business

substantially, we are now able to produce
twelve months a year.
Matt Hood,
director of the Rugby Farm
Originally from the

Netherlands, Peter
Schreurs established the farm in
1964. Now his sons
Darren (pictured),
Paul and Mark

manage the
business, which is
called Peter
Schreurs and Sons
Vegetable Farm.
60%
Australian farmers export
around 60 percent of what
they grow and produce.
Source: National Farmers Association,
Australia, 2012
trying to bring automation into the highly laborintensive parts instead of actually physically
packing the product into a market in retail
form, Hood continues.
There is another challenge for vegetable farmers Down Under: Our labor costs are the third
highest in the world, equaling one third of our
final costs, states Matt Hood. He is especially
feeling this pressure in regards to Asian export
markets: Currently, we supply produce for
Singapore, Malaysia and New Zealand. Fifteen
years ago, we used to do a lot more than that.
We also used to go into Taiwan, Japan and
Hong Kong. But our continuously increasing
labor costs put our business under an uncompetitive advantage. They shrank our Asian
exports. For Australian growers, this situation
can be a particular challenge. Asia remains an
attractive export continent, experiencing high
population growth as well as increased wealth.
FARMINGS FUTURE 41
Third-generation
farmers Paul (pictured right), Colin
and Andrew Gazzola operate a vegetable business in
Somerville, which is
in the Southern
section of Victoria,
Australia. To stay
successful, they
monitor their fields
We use every tool
weekly, using modern crop protection.
we can to assist
nature. We give nature
a hand to help us.
Paul Gazzola, Australian Farmer from Somerville
Savvy Strategies
South Australian vegetable farmer Darren
Schreurs from Devon, Victoria, is also confronted with the problem of losing Asian export
markets: Though we still do air freight to Japan,
we are more and more losing the market
because there is no return in it. For many years,
our Japanese customers asked us to drop the
price. But we keep it the same because our
costs are going up all the time. The statistics
are revealing: In 2009-10, for example, Australian vegetable exports to Japan increased by
43 percent. By 2014-15, Japan still was Australias leading Asian export destination for vegetables, with a total value of around 32 million
US dollars. However, this value was almost ten
percent lower than the previous financial year.
Nevertheless, Schreurs says there is a positive
aspect: This situation drives Australian farmers
to become very innovative. Schreurs and his

family developed strategies to reduce their
expenses in other business areas by using strategies including Integrated Pest Management
(IPM). This is an ecosystem approach to crop
production and protection that combines different management practices. As Schreurs
explains, We use composted chicken manure
and put this in between the rows of the leeks.
In this composted chicken manure, we find that
there are mites that help control the lifecycle of
pests. That helps keeping the pest numbers
down. Over the years, we found that this works
really well.
Another proponent of IPM is third-generation
farmer Paul Gazzola from Somerville, in the
Southern section of Victoria. With the support
of agronomists and entomologists, Gazzola
monitors his fields weekly, using modern crop
protection: We use every tool we can to assist
Vegetable Export Statistics for Selected Asian Countries

JAPAN
SINGAPORE
INDONESIA
UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES
2012-13
39,179,105
17,780,990
9,362,563
14,308,294
2013-14
35,703,430
19,697,466
8,342,830
17,865,720
2014-15
32,235,377
25,291,271
4,407,740
22,049,720
in US Dollar
TENDENCY
Source: Global Trade Atlas, Status: June 2016
nature. We give nature a hand to help us. For

example, there is a lot of new chemistry at the
moment that is extremely beneficial to an IPM
program, he says. If nature is doing its job
properly, we dont go and spray. If it needs a
hand, well go and spray a product that is very
specific to the pest that is in the crop. We make
a decision on what to do to minimize our crop
input and maximize the outcome at the end of
the day, Gazzola continues. This concept
seems to work well for Gazzola Farm: We plant
between 800,000 and 900,000 plants a week
in the ground annually.
Giving Nature a Hand

Gazzola Farm, Koala Farm, Schreurs Farm and
Rugby Farm: These vegetable farming businesses utilize the innovative approaches along
Australias East Coast region. By applying clever
farming strategies, they are able to overcome
challenges both specific to Australia and shared
by farmers globally. Their ingenuity allows them
to farm fresh produce twelve months a year.
Sitting under rainy sky at his farm in Somerville,
Paul Gazzola is unfazed. He summarizes the
recipe of success for vegetable farmers in Australia: You have to treat your vegetables like
your baby. You have to look at them, feed them,
water them. And if you dont do that you dont
get a good result in the end. But I believe that
the future for vegetable farming is bright.
PEOPLE AND MARKETS
SEPTEMBER 2016
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DUTCH FARMER
The Green Heart
Amsterdam
Het Groene Hart

Den Haag
Sixth-generation farmer Jasper Roubos grows

nstrates
potatoes in the Netherlands. At his farm, he demonstrates
one of his core principles: sustainable farming.
Dutch farmer Jasper Roubos

applies sustainable agriculture
techniques on his ForwardFarm, Het Groene Hart.
The Netherlands
FARMINGS FUTURE 43
I want to farm
without harming the
environment.
While cleaning his machines, Jasper
Roubos uses the Phytobac waste water
management system which biodegrades
residues and prevents them from getting
into sewage systems.
Surrounded by brown-black stone windmills and colorful tulips lies the Dutch farm
Het Groene Hart the Green Heart. Located 20
km south-west of Amsterdams Schiphol Airport,
the farm lives up to its name: almost every shade
of green can be found on the field on this damp
day in May. Even the solar panel-equipped farm
buildings are painted bright green.
Jasper Roubos, the farms owner, exits one of
these buildings, the potato storage. He swipes
sweat off his forehead; he just helped load 35
tons of potatoes onto a truck, which he will sell
to a French-fry manufacturer. Beside onions,
sugar beet and winter wheat, potatoes are one
of our main sources of income, states Roubos.
If his potatoes meet specific requirements from
the French fry industry, he achieves a good
price: The perfect potato to make French fries
is large, round and has a good, golden color.
The inside of the potato is just as important.
When the French fries are baked, they will turn
golden and crisp.. Finally, the ratio of water to
the total mass must be balanced, and the outer
potato skin may be not damaged.
Excellent Crop Conditions

In fact, Het Groene Harts region provides excellent conditions for healthy crop development.
Since it is located five meters below sea level,
Roubos crops grow on 50 hectares own land,
made of fertile polder dike soil. Fortunately, it
rains a lot in the Netherlands. Therefore, we
only need a little artificial irrigation, he explains.
Roubos doesnt only rely on the good regional
conditions. In order to ensure the high quality
standard during the whole cultivation process,
Roubos decided to participate in the Bayer

ForwardFarming program.
Bayer ForwardFarms are sustainable agriculture
in practice. As one of them, the Het Groene
Hart farm proves that economic success can
exist alongside a responsible environmental
approach. I want to farm without harming the
environment. To reach this goal, Roubos is in
regular contact with Bayer experts. I have productive discussions with the specialists that
come to my farm. Im able to implement new
ideas and raises my farms sustainability to a
higher level. Roubos eyes wander to Het
Groene Harts nearby apiary. As he gets closer
to the hives, a vibrating hum fills the air. Therefore, Roubos raises his voice to be heard: Bee
health is another component of our ForwardFarming initiative. At our farm, 270,000 bees
live in a safe haven of nine bee hives, where
they can nest in a protected atmosphere. In
the spring, each Het Groene Harts queen bee
lays up to 2,000 eggs a day. Flowers of vibrant
colors, such as yellow and orange poppies,
surround the bee hotel: Bees are an important
part of sustainable agriculture because they

pollinate a large part of all crops in the world.
Thus, we also work here with bees and this is
working quite well. Our flowering strips are an
additional source of food for bees especially
later in the year.
Raising Sustainability
Before Roubos working day ends, he cleans
his tractor and machines. While doing this, he
also has the environment in mind. Whenever
Roubos fills or cleans his spraying equipment
on the farm, he uses Phytobac, a simple but
highly effective waste water management system. It biodegrades residues and prevents them
from getting into sewage systems or nearby
bodies of water.
As Roubos parks his clean tractor, the evening
sun sets on Het Groene Hart. Its time for him
to have dinner with his wife, Eveline and their
two small children Sam and Jenna. Thinking
about his family, Roubos feels a big responsibility: Im a sixth-generation farmer, and I want
the farm to exist at least for
another six generations. So
its my job to farm sustainably in order to ensure the
soil and water quality for the
next generations.
Het Groene Hart supports
bee health: 270,000 bees
live in a safe haven of nine
bee hives, where they
can nest in a protected
atmosphere.
COMPANY NEWS
SEPTEMBER 2016
INNOVATION NEEDS KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE AND PARTNERSHIPS
Novel ideas to increase productivity

With its program Grants4Traits, Bayer supports
ideas that lead to innovative commercial seed
products. Researchers all over the world are
encouraged to participate in this program,
which develops traits that provide yield
enhancement, insect, weed and disease control in agricultural crops.
Agriculture urgently needs new solutions.
Crops worldwide are facing increasing pressure from weeds, insects, diseases and unfavorable climate conditions. We at Bayer see
innovation as the main driver to solve this,
said Dr. Adrian Percy, Head of Research and
Development at Bayers Crop Science Division.
Yet, this challenge is too big for one company
alone. This is why big or small companies,
universities and other research institutes need
to join forces in order to sustain innovation
and find the best solutions for sustainable
agriculture together.
Grants4Traits is the next open innovation project of Bayers Crop Science division, following
the successful launch of Grants4Targets, an
initiative to find new crop protection modes,
in February 2016. Since then, around 67 pro-
Researchers worldwide working on traits that

improve crop productivity are encouraged to
participate in Bayers new program.
WEED SCIENCE CONGRESS
FRUIT LOGISTICA 2016
INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
Scientists discuss
new solutions
Commitment to
supporting partners
Driving sustainability
in banana production
Bayer is welcoming guests at its exhibition

booth to showcase its expertise in weed control and integrated weed management.
At the Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Bayer connects partners along the value chain enabling
quality and sustainability.
Gil de Diego Salas (Grupo Calinda, middle)

and Julian Picado (Bayer, right) examine
freshly harvested bananas in Costa Rica.
At the International Weed Science Congress

in Prague, scientists from 57 countries came
together to discuss the way forward in weed
control and possible solutions against the
global problem of weed resistance. As a leading innovative company and platinum sponsor
of the Congress, Bayer sent its weed research
experts to speak about the latest developments in weed control research and its solutions for herbicide-resistant weeds.
At the 2016 Fruit Logistica in Berlin Bayer

presented its Food Chain Partnership initiative,
which connects partners along the value chain
enabling safety, quality, affordability, transparency and above all sustainability, from seed to
shelf. This partnership showcases our broad
portfolio in integrated crop solutions, and thus
reflects Bayers holistic approach in sustainable
agriculture, said Silke Friebe, Head of Food
Chain Management.
A number of threats are challenging the daily

farm operations of banana producers in Asia
and Latin America. At the International Banana
Congress in April, Bayer showcased its broad
portfolio solutions that support the success
and sustainability of the banana industry.
Experts presented recent product innovations
that contribute to safeguarding a high-quality
fruit supply.
posals have been submitted with Bayer supporting more than 20 projects of these.
FARMINGS FUTURE 45
At a glance
Sustainable Agriculture
COLLABORATION WITH UNIVERSITY OF HAMBURG
In May, 2016 Bayer and the agricultural supply chain manager Cefetra
announced the start of a Food Chain
Partnership designed to drive sustainable cultivation of agricultural commodity crops. The major goal of the
partnership is to support local farmers
in implementing agricultural practices
that are environmentally sound, socially
adequate and economically viable.
New digital solutions

More data for
efficient processes. Farmer
Rolf Schmidt
inspecting crops
of oilseed rape
at Laacher Hof,
Monheim,
Germany.
Vegetable Seeds
Bayer has signed cooperation with the
non-profit organization Fair Planet and
will participate in the Bridging the Seed
Gap project in Ethiopia. The project is
designed to provide new opportunities
to smallholder farmers by providing
unique and long-term technology transfer processes.
Improve Agriculture
Bayer and the aerospace technology
company Planetary Resources, based
in Redmond, Washington, USA, have
signed a memorandum of understanding about the development of applications and products based on satellite
images. Bayer intends to purchase
these data to create new agricultural
products and improve existing ones.
The goal: to provide farmers with practical decision-making aids based on the
precise evaluation and combination of
diverse data.
Seed Congress
Bayer presented its product portfolio in
the field of seed treatment and seeds at
the ISF World Seed Congress in Uruguay. The focus was on new developments in soybeans. Bayer supports the
International Seeds Federation (ISF) and
is actively engaged in best practices in
the areas of plant breeding innovation,
sustainability and stewardship.
Bayer and the University of Hamburg have agreed

to enter into a five-year research partnership
aimed at jointly developing new, digital solutions
for sustainable agriculture based on geo-informatics methods and models. The project will
leverage relevant geo-basic data such as soil,
climate, terrain and usage parameters for IT-
based visualization of the consequences of agricultural processes. These models will help farmers all over the world make operational decisions,
particularly regarding seed selection, the targeted
use of crop protection agents and agricultural
production inputs, and appropriate scheduling
of site-specific arable farming measures.
BAYER AND GRDC ON THE SAME MISSION
Herbicide Innovation Partnership

Under a five-year Herbicide Innovation Partnership agreement, the Grains Research and
Development Corporation (GRDC) of Australia
and Bayer have joined forces for the discovery
and development of innovative weed management solutions.
The partnerships major goal is to provide growers with new technologies to break herbicide
resistance and support the sustainability of modern crop production systems. Weeds cost
Australian growers about AUD 3.25 billion per
year. Growers have told us that managing resistant weeds is the biggest problem they face.
Welcome to Frankfurt! Nine post-doctoral

chemists from Australia and two from New
Zealand recently started working on promising research projects of the Herbicide Innovation Partnership.
This partnership will put Australian farmers at

the forefront of tackling herbicide resistance,
states Richard Clark, Chairman at GRDC. Part
of the AUD 45 million-funded, five-year partnership agreement is a program that trains postdoctoral researchers from Australia and New
Zealand in advanced industrial research techniques. At the beginning of 2016, the first
postdoctoral scientists started to work on promising research projects in chemistry, biochemistry and biology at Bayers laboratories in
Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
PEOPLE AND MARKETS
SEPTEMBER 2016
Anna Zimmermanns project

dealt with the functional characterization of transcription
factors regulating gene
expression during photosynthesis. She completed the
research part of her Master
Thesis at the Universidade
Nova de Lisboa.
JEFF SCHELL SCHOLARSHIP FOR AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
Supporting the Next Generation

Innovative ideas from the minds of talented up-and-coming scientists
can revolutionize the future of farming. Therefore, the Jeff Schell
Scholarship supports students like Anna Zimmermann.
For an ambitious young scientist, few things
are as educational and professionally beneficial
as a research period abroad. The Jeff Schell
Scholarship, funded by Bayer, provides this
experience by supporting students and graduates in international research exchanges.
Recent German scholarship recipient Anna
Zimmermann seized this chance: the bright masters degree student just returned to Germany
from Portugal, where she completed a research
stay at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, in Lisbon. I joined a big international research project
and profited from the insights I gained during the
scholarship period, says Zimmermann.
The goal of her Portugal research was to

establish a more efficient mechanism of photosynthesis in crop plants such as wheat and
soy, so as to increase their yield. More efficient photosynthesis is important since we
need to produce enough food for a growing
population despite decreasing arable land and
drier conditions caused by climate change,
Zimmermann notes.
In the scope of my masters thesis project, I
investigated five different regulatory proteins
which may play an important role in photosynthesis. Her results provided a good start: We
could detect six different interactions among
the five regulators. To what extent they are

biologically relevant will need to be evaluated
in further experiments.
Launching Talent
The scholarship was named for Jozef Jeff
Schell, who became famous in 1983, along with
his colleague Marc Van Montagu, for the discovery of a gene transfer mechanism between a soil
bacterium and plants. By chance, Anna Zimmermann met with Schells former colleague,
Van Montagu, when he held a presentation
in Portugal during her research period. The
experience was deeply inspiring: It was really
FARMINGS FUTURE 47
You should not take the predefined path

just because it is easier that was one of the
most important lessons for me.
Anna Zimmermann, Jeff Schell Scholarship Recipient
impressive. He has enormous knowledge of the

progress in plant research and how innovations
can be used today.
Besides the scholarships academic and personal benefits, the programs financial support
was also very important: It enables you to focus
on your research instead of worrying about the
funding, says Zimmermann. She found her
entire experience in Portugal highly valuable
and recommends the scholarship to anyone
who desires a research stay abroad.
Meeting Leaders
Another aspect that scholarship holders benefit
from is direct exchange with Bayer researchers.
The fellows are invited to the Crop Science headquarters in Germany, where they can experience
a tour through the research institutes on-site.
Moreover, the annual Bayer Foundations Alumni
Dialogue fosters the exchange between junior
researchers and Bayer employees. Each year,
scholarship recipients are invited to interact with
experienced, award-winning scientists. After
meeting with Bayer experts, Zimmermann landed
an internship at Bayer that will follow her masters
thesis. She feels that this internship will allow her
to find out exactly where her interests are: During my stay in Portugal, I learned how essential
it is to take the time you need to figure out what
your goals are and what you want to reach in

life. And that you should not take the predefined
path just because it is easier that was one of
the most important lessons for me, she states.
Following her internship, Zimmermann now plans
to do a doctorate. In the meantime, she will finish her masters degree in plant biotechnology
at Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany, with
an internationally-based thesis.
For Zimmermann, her research experience
was a big step in her academic career: It gave
me the chance to broaden my horizons and
make contacts with many interesting scientists
abroad. Furthermore, she appreciated the
chance to improve her knowledge of methodology, since the necessary research methods
are not taught in the same way at her faculty
in Germany. My laboratory work was an enormously educational experience.
Education @ Bayer
Bayer aims to encourage young people to think
about global food supply and sustainable agriculture. New solutions and creative ideas are
needed to provide healthy food for current and
future generations. The Agricultural Education
Program encourages the next generation to get
active, discuss, come up with ideas, research
and explore the future of agriculture.
Jeff Schell Scholarship

For young academics at the beginning of their
careers, a research stay abroad is the perfect
opportunity to broaden their horizons and
grow professionally and personally. Bayers
Jeff Schell Scholarship provides support for
junior academics in agriculture that have
international research plans. During their stay
abroad, the scholarships financial assistance
enables recipients to focus entirely on their
agricultural projects. Furthermore, various
personal and academic benefits await. Scholarship participants can join a network of international researchers, get in touch with pioneers in agricultural science and meet Bayer
experts. With this program, Bayer supports
capable and inspired young talents who can
make a difference in the future of farming.
Further information on the application
process is available online at:
www.bayer-foundations.com
FARMINGS FUTURE
Published by
Bayer CropScience AG
40789 Monheim am Rhein, Germany
Responsible for content
Beth Roden
Editorial office
Ute Bode, Bernhard Grupp,
Agency Transquer, Munich
Layout
Cosmonaut Network, Brhl
With contributions from:
Gabriele Polensky, Kronberg, Germany
Printing
HH Print Management Deutschland GmbH,
Dsseldorf
Photo credits
Cover: Getty Images Jakkree Thampitakkull;
pp 6/7: Peter Ginter; pp 8/9: Armin Stelljes;
pp 10/11: Armin Stelljes, private; pp 12/13:
Bayer; pp 14/15: Nicolai Stein; pp 16/17: Getty
Images Olivier Morin; pp 18/19: Mauritius;
pp 20/21: Mauritius; pp 22/23: Mauritius,
istock by Getty Images; pp 24/25: Kubikfoto ;
pp 26/27: Greta de Both, Kubikfoto, Peter
Ginter; pp 28/29: Transquer; pp 30/31: Sky
Greens Pty Ltd, Transquer; pp 32/33: Comcrop,
Sky Greens Pty Ltd, Nicolai Stein; pp 34/35:
Monty Rakusen; pp 36/37: Bayer do Brasil,
DHL FoodLogistics, Kubikfoto, Monty Rakusen,
istock by Getty Images; pp 38/39: Kubikfoto;
pp 40/41: Kubikfoto; pp 42/43: Nicolai Stein,
Bayer; pp 44/45: Peter Ginter, Bayer; pp 46/47:
Bayer
Editorial address
Bayer CropScience Aktiengesellschaft
Communications
Alfred-Nobel-Strae 50
Phone: +49 21 73 38 35 40
magazine.cropscience@bayer.com
www.cropscience.bayer.com
This is an internationally published brochure,
which is not intended to be a commercial
advertisement or product offer. It may contain
information on products that may not be registered in the all countries. We kindly ask our
readers to observe national registrations.
Forward-Looking Statements
This publication may contain forward-looking
statements based on current assumptions and
forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup
management. Various known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors could
lead to material differences between the actual
future results, financial situation, development
or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those
discussed in Bayers public reports which
are available on the Bayer website at www.
bayer.com. The company assumes no liability
whatsoever to update these forward looking
statements or to confirm them to future events
or developments.
September 2016
Alfred-Nobel-Str. 50
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FARMINGS FUTURE TO GO
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THE MAGAZINE FOR MODERN AGRICULTURE

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PEOPLE AND MARKETS

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2016 is the year of vegetables as a main

squash, carrots, turnips, beets and

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Sources: U.S. News

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of cauliflower and broccoli

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Three of the largest geographical areas in the

of cauliflower and broccoli

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of cauliflower and broccoli

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

SOLUTIONS FOR SMALLHOLDER RICE FARMERS

Rice growing in northern Vietnam:

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Ordinarily, in south-west Vietnams

The north of Vietnam also cultivates rice.

The Need for Seeds

part of Van Giangs relative success in the last

Left: Phan Van Giang and

Farmers in the Mekong Delta need robust,

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Hybrid seeds have a 90 percent or more

germination rate. They are developed to

farmers think will never happen to them. But

as well as consultancy and advisory services.

Rice farmer Do Thi

glad that she hasnt

Tuyen feeds her

lost her entire rice

harvest in the past

In northern Vietnam, where farmers like Tuyen

Preventing Future Problems

In 2007-08, South-Asian farmers in countries like Vietnam

livelihood of farmers with an eye towards

PEOPLE AND MARKETS

A NEED FOR AGRICULTURAL COLLABORATIONS

Powerful Partnerships are Key

partnership. We are pleased to acknowledge

Richard Clark Indeed, Bayer and the GRDC

Liam Condon And there is even more potential