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The International Congress on Biosolutions will take place over three days during Macfrut. (Image source: Macfrut)

Event News

The International Congress on Biosolutions is scheduled to take place during the upcoming Macfrut 2025 trade fair that will be kicking off from 6-8 May at the Rimini Expo Centre in Italy

The congress is an integral part of the Biosolutions International Event (BIE), dedicated to natural products for plant protection, plant nutrition and biostimulation. The two key themes of the event include:

1. A deep dive into the needs of the peach market in Italy and around the world.

2. Emerging issues and related innovative biosolutions that can make peach growing a profitable and sustainable business.

The first session will feature presentations on the market for peach trees and the problems affecting them, followed by two international case studies. The second session will feature presentations on innovative biosolutions. The event will take place over three days during Macfrut and will include an exhibition area in the central South Hall with around 70 companies, the Biosolutions Innovation Award for innovative products, Technical Round Tables for exhibitors and sponsors, and meetings with foreign buyers of biosolutions, which are open to all exhibitors.

The camel thorn tree grows naturally and requires minimal agronomic inputs, making it a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to conventional grain-based feeds. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Livestock

A study published in the Meat Science Journal found that Vachellia erioloba, commonly known as camel thorn tree serves as an efficient natural feed supplement in lamb feed, when paired with ammoniated maize stover 

The leaves of this tree which thrives in arid regions of Africa including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, southwest Mozambique, Zambia, Eswatini and the western reaches of Zimbabwe, are found to be a protein-rich and highly digestable plant resource. Moreover, the tree grows naturally and requires minimal agronomic inputs, making it a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to conventional grain-based feeds.

The co-ingredient, maize stover, is a common agricultural by-product that lacks adequate nutrition on its own. However, when treated with ammonia and supplemented with Vachellia erioloba leaf meal, the resulting feed obtained contains significantly high levels of protein that can promote weight gain and feed efficiency in lambs. 

Research carried out on the meat obtained from lambs who had consumed this enriched feed showed an improvement in fatty acid composition. The meat was found to contain higher levels of omega-3 and omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids that are essential for human health. Moreover, a notable improvement in meat texture and taste, owing to higher water-holding capacity, was also observed. 

 

 

The X-ray inspection system Dylight S combines a compact design with precise foreign body detection and efficient quality control. (Image source: Minebea Intec)

Processing & Storage

One of the world's leading industrial weighing and inspection technologies, Minebea Intec has introduced the new Dylight S, an X-ray inspection system that enables manufacturing companies to guarantee the highest product safety and quality at an affordable price 

The evolving needs of the food and pharmaceutical industries makes advanced technologies crucial to ensure sustainability, while maintaining high product quality, safety and affordability. Regulations such as the pre-packaging ordinance or supplier audits require complete documentation. At the same time, sustainable packaging materials make the use of advanced X-ray technologies essential. This is where the new X-ray inspection system Dylight S comes in. 

Featuring sideshooter technology, this compact system has been specially developed to ensure the quality of products in upright containers. It enables more precise detection of foreign bodies in products with light and complex packaging. The X-ray inspection system not only enables reliable detection of metallic and non-metallic foreign bodies—including glass, rubber, stones or plastic parts—in containers such as PET bottles, liquid food cartons or plastic cans, but also offers functions for completeness checks and fill level inspections. Thanks to a wide range of interfaces, Dylight S can be seamlessly integrated into digital production environments

"The X-ray inspection system Dylight S is characterised by its extremely compact design. This enables easy integration into existing production lines," said product manager at Minebea Intec, Mengqi Liang. "Another key advantage of the Dylight S is using the monoblock generator without an external transformer, which reduces technical complexity and simultaneously lowers the total cost of ownership (TCO)."

Furthermore, to boost production efficiency and improve accuracy, Minebea Intec is introducing another innovative feature with the X-ray inspection system Dylight S: autonomous parameter adjustment. This function optimises the product set-up process and inspection process by automatically adjusting the settings to reduce false rejects. Another notable feature is the image acquisition function that uses innovative software technology to generate a second X-ray image from an acquired image, enabling the operating personnel to subsequently optimise brightness, contrast and scaling and to detect the foreign bodies that have been missed in the original images. 

 

 

The technology is designed for simple and efficient application, at speeds of up to 25 mph. (Image source: CNH)

Machinery & Equipment

Case IH recently launched the new SenseApply technology, purposefully designed to maximise the output of every input

Comprising a single cab-mounted camera system, the technology is an economical and adaptable automated Live variable rate application solution that offers multi-season uses for unmatched versatility and productivity without compromising quality or functionality. It has various multi-application uses including:

  • Selective spray: This includes a one-time activation fee eliminating both per acre fees and annual fees for the life of the device. It offers two options – the Green-on-Brown Spot Spray offering upgraded weed management and the Base + Boost option that applies a consistent base rate over the entire boom while boosting individual nozzle sections to a higher rate when passing over areas with higher weed pressure.
  • Live Variable Rate Application (VRA): This includes lifetime Live VRA use and offers five options – Burndown VRA, Nitrogen VRA, Harvest Aid VRA, Plant Growth Regulator VRA and Fungicide VRA. 

The technology is designed for simple and efficient application, at speeds of up to 25 mph, with the camera self-calibrating to the crop within the first 150 ft during Live VRA. The SenseApply camera – which is mounted on top of the cab to maximise field of view – senses plant biomass and responds accordingly, depending on the application type the operator selected.   

SenseApply also integrates with Case IH FieldOps and Raven Slingshot, enabling operators to connect and manage application data through their preferred platform. This integration increases overall operator efficiencies by providing real-time data analysis and decision-making capabilities, while making it easier to align with agronomist recommendations. The technology's multi-purpose functionality enables operators to use it throughout the year irrespective of the seasons. 

“SenseApply offers unparalleled flexibility, with a range of application methods that were previously unavailable in a single solution,” said application equipment customer segmentation lead at Case IH, Leo Bose. “It is also a cost-effective solution with no annual subscriptions or per acre fees, driving efficiency and profitability for a grower.” 

 

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