The Van Trump Report

Agriculture

Solinftec Brings Autonomous Scouting and Spraying to Row Crops

Solinftec’s Solix robot and ALICE AI platform are being positioned as a practical, in-field autonomy stack for row crop producers. The solar-powered machine lives in the crop, paired with software that turns its data into decisions and, in some cases, fully autonomous actions. Solix is built as a lightweight, autonomous platform that patrols fields on …

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How “Designer Proteins” Could Rewrite Weed Control for Farmers

“Quercus Biosolutions” is part of a new wave of agricultural startups trying to rethink crop protection from the ground up. Instead of relying on conventional chemistries alone, the company is developing AI-designed “mini proteins” that could unlock new modes of action and help tackle herbicide-resistant weeds. Quercus Biosolutions is a St. Louis–based startup founded in …

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USDA’s New Proving Grounds Network Could Help Build Trust in Ag Tech

The USDA’s new “National Proving Grounds Network for AgTech” (NPG-Ag) could mark an important shift in how agricultural technologies are evaluated, marketed, and adopted across the United States. Rather than leaving farmers and ranchers to sort through bold claims, demo videos, and limited pilot data, the program is designed to test tools in real-world conditions, …

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Tenth Annual “Feeding the Economy” Report… Food and Agriculture Contribute Over +$10 Trillion to US Economy! 

The tenth annual “Feeding the Economy” report, a comprehensive study analyzing the economic contributions of the entire U.S. food and agriculture supply chain, finds that America’s food and agriculture industries generate more than $10.4 trillion in economic activity, an increase of nearly+ $894 billion year-over-year. That represents nearly 20% of the U.S. economy, and supports …

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Can GM Seeds Make US Farmers Love Wheat Again?

Wheat, amongst many, has become the low-tech stepchild of US row crops. Over the last 30 years, America’s farmers have increasingly ditched conventional wheat acres for more profitable genetically modified (GM) corn and soybeans. This year, they intend to plant the fewest wheat acres since the USDA began keeping records over a century ago. But …

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Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern Merger on Collision Course With Ag Groups

The proposed Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern rail merger is shaping up as one of the most consequential transportation deals in decades. And US agriculture is emerging as one the most worried – stakeholder groups. While the railroads pitch a coast‑to‑coast network that boosts efficiency and reliability, farm organizations warn it could tighten an already constrained rail …

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