Adaptation10: Pest and disease control in argi and fish culture

Many thanks for the encouraging feedback on last month´s Adaptation10 special on the chemical industry. We plan on producing similar sector spotlights later this year. Please do get in touch with your recommendations on which industry we should dive into next. This month, we continue our hazard-centric approach, with a focus on pests.

Why Agriculture Needs Innovation to Fight Climate-Driven Crop Disease

Humans aren’t the only species whose health, habits, and habitats are being transformed by higher temperatures. All kinds of life forms are affected by climate change – including some that have long bedevilled humanity.

Insects and microscopic pests – the kind that ravage crops and undermine food security – are becoming more numerous and spreading into new regions as a result of global warming and an increase in extreme heat events. The pace and scale of this transformation threatens to overwhelm small farmers and major agribusinesses alike. The consequences for global food systems, not to mention the billions in GDP tied up in the agricultural economy, could be enormous.

A study in the journal Science suggests that greater pest damage in a world warmed 2°C could worsen yield losses for wheat, rice, and maize by 46%, 19% and 31%, respectively. Moreover, every additional degree in temperature rise could increase yield losses by 10-25%. A separate report from the OECD underlines the rapid geographic expansion of certain pests. For example, the European corn borer – a menace to maize farmers – has already shifted 1,000 kilometers outside its historical range, challenging whole new swathes of agricultural land and the people who tend them.

And it’s not only insects that pose a growing threat in a hotter world. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says higher temperatures and greater humidity are encouraging the growth of fungi that produce harmful chemicals known as mycotoxins. These can cause infected crops to sicken, and can even cause health problems to humans and animals.

Pests and disease are also a growing problem for aquafarmers. Global warming is affecting water temperature, leading to the rapid spread of infectious fish diseases. Left unchecked, these diseases can decimate fish stocks, crippling aquaculture businesses and undermining the food security of entire countries.

In the face of these challenges, old-fashioned approaches to pest management and animal and crop health are coming up short. Scaling up traditional preventative measures – for example, increasing the use of pesticides – are costly, and may have diminishing returns.

Hence why this represents a huge opportunity for adaptation startups. High-tech solutions that can protect crops, provide early warning of potential pest outbreaks, and offer continual monitoring of farmland are well-positioned to make bank in a warmer, wetter world. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said as much in a 2019 special report, in which scientists said biodiversity monitoring for pests and diseases and “adaptive climate risk management” are critical in the near term

This month, the Adaptation10 series spotlights a selection of companies providing just these kinds of solutions to inspire would-be adaptation tech founders and early-stage investors curious about this space.

Yours, 

Daniel & Louie

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Solinftec is a provider of AI and software-as-a-service for agribusinesses. Among its innovations is the Solix Ag Robot, powered by ALICE AI. This autonomous, solar-powered robot roams clients’ fields, monitoring crop health, detecting weeds and pests, and gathering real-time data to inform risk mitigation measures. With its advanced sensors and AI-powered analysis, the Solix Ag informs the efficient application of precision agriculture techniques, reducing chemical usage and its associated environmental impact as a result.

UAV-IQ Precision Agriculture is a pioneer in “aerial biocontrol” – the use of specialized drones for deploying certain mites and insects (known as “beneficials”) to counter pest outbreaks in crop fields. The technology offers farmers a chemical-free alternative to pesticides while saving on labor costs and reducing the inefficiencies associated with human-deployed beneficials. It’s an approach the company claims is better for the environment as well as farmers’ bottom lines.

Minnowtech provides a sonar-based biomass reader, the BRS-1, for shrimp farmers to accurately estimate shrimp biomass and count in ponds. By detecting sudden changes in shrimp density, the technology can also help farmers spot early signs of diseases, allowing for quick action to prevent outbreaks. The BRS-1 system also supports better feeding decisions, lowering the risk of overfeeding – which can harm water quality and increase disease risk. With its non-invasive, intelligent monitoring system, Minnowtech helps farmers maintain healthier shrimp populations and achieve more sustainable and efficient aquaculture. 

CropX  provides digital farming solutions that enhance agronomic decision-making and farm management using AI and machine learning. It boasts a digital disease management tool that analyzes data from soil sensors, weather stations, and satellite images and is capable of monitoring over 320 crop-disease combinations. These capabilities help farmers optimize their deployment of pesticide sprays, stopping unnecessary chemical use and increasing the effectiveness of treatments. In this way CropX supports healthier crops and more efficient farming practices in an age when pest and disease patterns are evolving rapidly.

Agremo  has created a field analytics platform to support climate adaptation in agriculture. The AI-powered system enables precise monitoring of crop health, pest outbreaks, and environmental stressors. Input data is supplied via drone and satellite imagery, which is translated into detailed, field-level insights. These in turn can alert farmers to potential pest outbreaks early, and inform intelligent responses.

(More on ClimateProof) is an innovator in gene editing technology, using advanced techniques to produce more climate-resilient crops that are better able to withstand disease. Its proprietary GEiGS (Gene Editing induced Gene Silencing) technology can reduce the activity of specific genes in crops to enhance certain characteristics. For example, it can bolster their resistance to diseases and environmental pressures while maintaining the characteristics that make them popular commodities.  The company focuses on staple tropical crops such as banana, coffee, and rice, which are all threatened by rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and the increased occurrence of pathogens. For example, (X)’s work on banana varieties aims to combat Panama disease, a devastating fungal infection that is spreading rapidly due to climate change.

(More on ClimateProof) designs genetically-engineered crops that communicate when they are troubled by pests, drought or nutrient deficiency. The company’s “living sensor” plants – including InnerSoy, InnerCorn, and InnerCotton – emit signals detectable by satellite or by tractors in the field within hours of coming under stress, allowing farmers to respond quickly to problems before their spiral. (X)’s CropVoice platform also collects and analyzes signals from its specialist crops to provide insights that help farmers increase yields and reduce chemical use.

(More on ClimateProof) is a biotechnology company pioneering sustainable pest control through its proprietary gene editing innovation. The company holds the license for Precision-Guided Sterile Insect Technology (pgSIT), which is used to produce sterile male insects that can be released in pest-stricken fields to clear out infestations. Because they are sterile, the insects do not reproduce, ensuring farmers can control the insect population. (X)’s flagship product, KNOCK-OUT, targets pests like the spotted wing drosophila, a significant threat to berry and cherry crops. By offering non-toxic, species-specific solutions to pest issues, (X) aims to carve out a niche for itself in the competitive agritech space.

(More on ClimateProof) is a biotechnology company that offers pest suppression services using genetically engineered insects. (X)’s Friendly™️insects are self-limiting, in that they cannot reproduce, and tackle invasive pests while leaving other, beneficial insects like bees and butterflies unharmed. The company’s innovations offer an environmentally friendly, targeted solution the pest management that safeguards public health and boosts agricultural productivity.

(More on ClimateProof) provides digital, autonomous, and on-site testing technology for fish farms that can reduce fish mortality due to pathogenic infections. Their innovative hybrid technology combines living organisms and micro-electronic interfaces to monitor water for bacterial pathogens, offering early-warning alerts to prevent infections. Unlike traditional lab-based water testing, (X)’s system monitors water quality up to 10 times more frequently. This high-resolution, early-warning capability allows fish farmers to act quickly, reducing mortality, cutting losses, and improving animal welfare.

Illustrative STORY "Farm in trouble" - Solutions in action

Claire Dumas’ farm was in trouble. It had been a long, dry summer – for a third year running. Her lavender fields lay pale and gray under the sun, their fragrance now nothing more than a memory. But that wasn’t the worst of it. In the vineyards nearby, strange spots had begun to appear on the grape leaves. Something had invaded her crops – something almost invisible, but highly destructive: pests.

Claire, an old-school farmer, had long resisted new agricultural techniques. But climate change was forcing her to change her ways. Pests never before seen in the region were spreading like wildfire. The locals called it “a virus carried by the wind.”

One late summer evening, a stranger knocked on Claire’s door. His name was Javier, an agronomist and advisor to a network of next-generation agtech startups. “You need help,” he said, “And you need it now. The old ways won’t cut it – you have to embrace the technology of today.”

Over the following weeks, he introduced her to an array of innovative adaptation companies. First, there was UAV-IQ. The company flew drones over Claire’s fields, releasing tiny predatory mites over her vineyards precisely where the pests were attacking. No chemicals were involved: it was simply nature versus nature.

Next came a team from Solinftec. Their robot, Solix, rolled quietly through her fields, identifying sick plants, analyzing the soil, and sending real-time data to an app on Claire’s phone. It felt like she suddenly had eyes and ears everywhere.

“This is only the beginning,” Javier said. He then introduced her to InnerPlant, whose gene-edited crops could actually tell her through special signals when they were stressed by drought, disease, or pests. “Soon, your plants will talk to you – and you’ll know what they need before it’s too late.”

Claire listened to her plants – and learned.

She wasn’t the only farmer in the area struggling with pests and disease. A neighboring fish and shrimp farm was also in trouble. Javier brought in Minnowtech and KOA Biotech. Their early-detection tools helped the owners catch new outbreaks fast, preventing tens of thousands of dollars of produce from dying.

The final phase of Javier’s tech rollout saw Claire introduced to CropX, which allowed her to read weather and soil data like a novel. Then there was Agremo, which provided daily insights on the health of her fields via satellite and drone data, alerting her to the slightest changes in her crops. And when she heard of Tropic Biosciences, she realized she could have specially engineered crops that were inherently resistant to insect-borne diseases and other pathogens.

With the help of these technologies, Claire’s farm didn’t just survive – it became a model for others. Journalists chronicled her successes. Other farmers followed her lead. Whole swathes of agricultural land that were on the edge of obliteration were thriving once again.

At the year’s end, as the first rains began to fall, Claire stood among her fields – a quiet smile on her face. The world had changed. And she had changed with it.

The future had knocked on her door. And she had opened it.