Ludovic Spiers

3 crops, 1 field, 1 seeding operation. One of my favourite ways to bring nature’s intelligence to a farm: We plant 3 crops at once and harvest them separately across the season. An innovative approach developed by our fellow agronomist Frédéric Thomas 1️⃣ August: Seeding of Canola + Clover + Buckwheat all together in the same field. 3 crops seeded in one single pass. 2️⃣ October: First harvest - Buckwheat picked just above Canola and Clover, still at early stages. 3️⃣ July: Second harvest - Canola comes off with the combine. Clover keeps growing. 4️⃣ September: Clover start flowering, offering 2 alternatives: forage harvest for livestock - or seed production for future sowing - and we're full circle! ♻️ Why this works: Different cycles = no competition. Canola has the longest cycle and will keep the Clover under control below its leaves without affecting yields, while Buckwheat is the fastest to complete its cycle, with a harvest within three months. The economics are simple: Three revenue streams from one seeding operation. Plus free nitrogen fixation and improved soil structure 👏🏼 This goes beyond efficiency… it’s mimicking how nature works. Balanced ecosystems don't grow monocultures… they grow complex communities where every plant has a role. The result: ✅ higher compounded yield ✅ lower input and mechanisation costs ✅ improved root depths and activity ✅ better soil coverage ✅ increased biodiversity (All from one planting decision) Complex rotations aren't complicated… they’re productive. P.S. While we make it look easy here, it’s a challenging process that may require several attempts before mastering the technique. 💪 Don’t try it at home alone! (call Soil Capital Farming first!)

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Upstream Ag Professional - The Big Three Stories of the Week ◼︎◼︎◼︎ An overview of what agribusiness leaders will find in this weekend's edition of Upstream Ag Professional: 1. Are food and agriculture giants sleepwalking into irrelevance? A divisive article from AgFunder's Rob Leclerc, PhD on the need for agribusiness incumbents to invest more in R&D and M&A, along with creating systems to move faster. I agree with the sentiment. But, capital allocation is complex. R&D and M&A are just two of the ~6 mechanisms for allocating capital and delivering shareholder returns and using the tech realm and 6-month post acquisition returns is insufficient rationale for sky rocketing M&A or R&D. Plus, the "clockspeed" of the industry needs to be considered. A full breakdown of where some logic doesn't hold up, what we can learn from Monsanto Company from the 90s, a schooling in capital allocation from Michael Mauboussin and much more. 2. Living in the Field 2.0: Solinftec Releases New Autonomous Robot Concepts Solinftec has a unique take on what the future of farming looks like. I covered it in 2023 (link in comments) but now they are expanding their vision for the future of farming, how they are structuring the company to accomplsih it and what the systems will look like that fit into that future. Get an exclusive look in this weekend's edition. Léo Carvalho Mario Portela Britaldo Hernandez 3. Upstream Ag Insights Highlights and Analysis of The World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO Agriculture Patent Landscape Report A breakdown of who, where and what is leading when it comes to agricultural related patent filings. Plus, a look at Stepan Agricultural Solutions business progression, whether venture returns can out deliver the S&P 500 (Connie Bowen, Rhishi P., Steve Sprieser) and much more! #agtech #agribusiness #agriculture #innovation #strategy Upstream Ag Ventures Yara International Bayer Corteva Agriscience FMC Corporation UPL BASF Nufarm CNH John Deere AGCO Corporation Nutrien ICL Group

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🐗 Wild Boars on Beaches: A Surprising Sight – and a Serious Biosecurity Concern From Brittany to the Côte d’Azur, wild boars have been increasingly spotted on public beaches, interacting closely with tourists - rummaging through food, crossing picnic areas, and even swimming alongside bathers. While these episodes may seem surreal or amusing, they carry a far more serious implication: heightened risk of disease transmission, particularly African Swine Fever (ASF). ASF is a highly contagious viral disease with no cure or vaccine, and wild boars are recognized as major vectors. The increased presence of wild boars in urban and recreational spaces - where hygiene controls are minimal and human movement is high - creates alarming conditions for the potential spread of ASF into domestic pig farms. 🔍 Why this matters: ASF can spread via contaminated food waste, clothing, vehicles, and direct animal contact. Tourist areas near pig farms risk becoming unintentional ASF corridors. Outdoor pig systems and smallholders are especially vulnerable to indirect exposure. 📌 Urgent considerations for authorities and stakeholders: Strengthen monitoring and control of wild boar populations, particularly in peri-urban and recreational zones. Increase public awareness on not feeding or approaching wild animals. Reinforce biosecurity protocols in pig-producing regions, especially those near tourist zones. Encourage cooperation between veterinary services, wildlife agencies, and local governments. The relaxing sight of wild boars on a sunny beach may quickly turn into a biosecurity nightmare for Europe’s pig industry. Preventive measures today are key to avoiding costly outbreaks tomorrow. #ASF #AfricanSwineFever #Biosecurity #WildBoar #PigFarming #OneHealth #AnimalHealth #VeterinaryPublicHealth #France #SwineIndustry #Zoonoses #TourismAndAgriculture https://lnkd.in/dKy8nUVN

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🚀 Another big step for AgTech Ecorobotix raises €150M to accelerate its precision spraying revolution ! A year ago, with my colleague Patrick Honcoop from the AgTech Advisory Collective, we visited a Dutch farmer using the Ecorobotix system — and once again, the feedback from the field was crystal clear: it works. No surprise then to see their commercial rollout gaining real traction today. This new €150 million funding round is another strong signal that field-proven innovation always wins. When a product is designed  and tested with farmers, it always delivers measurable results — adoption naturally follows. 🎥 My own video from the field — showing Ecorobotix in action in an onion fields Can’t wait to catch up with the Ecorobotix team next month at AGRITECHNICA to see how they’re scaling their “plant-by-plant” vision to new crops and new markets. Congratulations to the Ecorobotix team, for their pivoting, resilience, and ambitions. AgTech Market - AgTech-Pro - AGceleration Advisory Service - Recode Ventures - AVL Advisor & Coach - Metal Dog Labs #AgTech #Ecorobotix #PrecisionFarming #Sustainability #Innovation #AgriTech #Agritechnica2025

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Biologicals in Crop Protection: From Promise → Performance The dialogue has shifted. Biologicals aren't options of the future—they're now realizing field-level performance across geographies and crops. Here's what's propelling adoption today (and what's on the horizon): ✅ Field Proof — Multi-year tests now demonstrate equal or superior ROI when biologicals are part of IPM, particularly for resistance management. ✅ Technology Maturity — Breakthroughs in formulation (encapsulation, stabilisation) are addressing shelf-life & delivery challenges. ✅ Global Momentum — 👉 Brazil: mainstreamed bioinputs, now a $1.5B+ market. 👉 Europe: restriction-driven adoption speeding up. 👉 North America: R&D + digital timing solutions enable IPM scalability. ✅ Regulatory Tailwinds — FAO/OECD frameworks + more streamlined approvals for low-risk bios. ✅ Portfolio Evolution — Top agrochemical companies now creating co-equal bio + chem platforms, not "bolt-ons." What it means for you: 💼 Investors — Target delivery tech and regulator-ready platforms. 🌱 Agrochemical leaders — Integrate bio+chem hybrids into strategy. 👨🏼‍💻 Policymakers — Harmonise, accelerate, and train. 🌳 Growers — Adopt programmatic IPM — stacked, timed, digitally guided. ➡️ The shift is clear: Biologicals aren’t “alternatives.” They are becoming the backbone of modern crop protection. Want a deeper dive into biologicals’ role in food security and sustainable agriculture? Comment BIO and we’ll share the extended analysis. — Dr Minshad Ali Ansari Bionema Group Limited | The World Bioprotection Forum Nataraj Sasid #Biocontrol #Biologicals #CropProtection #SustainableAg #IPM #AgTech #RegenerativeAg #FoodSecurity

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