EarthDaily Agro Announces Support for Farmerhood Charitable Initiative Providing Direct Support to War-Impacted Ukrainian Farmers

May 31, 2023

MINNEAPOLIS, - EarthDaily Agro, a division of geospatial analytics provider EarthDaily Analytics Corporation, announced today their support for Farmerhood, a global charitable collective comprised of leading agricultural companies to provide humanitarian relief to Ukrainian farmers amidst the ongoing disruptions to their livelihoods caused by Russian military aggression.

"It's impossible to overstate the impact of the war in Ukraine," said Dave Gebhardt, General Manager of EarthDaily Agro. "Ukrainian farmers, who are struggling to stay afloat through Russia's invasion, are a powerful example of the continued impact this ongoing crisis is creating. The need for support is pressing, and in response, EarthDaily Agro has mobilized a group of leading agriculture partners, all united in standing with Ukraine."

Through the program, Ukrainian farmers with up to 1,200 acres (500 hectares) located in regions impacted by war are eligible to receive sustaining services to support their critical work as they grapple with the challenges of hostile military invasion. Funds raised through the program provide support to Ukrainian farmers across five key focus areas:

Agricultural inputs such as seeds and crop protection
Precision farming services that support the efficient use of limited resources
Fuel to enable field operations
Restoration to help repair facilities and machinery
Financial support to cover additional needs such as rent, salaries and taxes

EarthDaily Agro's contributions to Farmerhood include best-in-class analytics services to help Ukrainian farmers monitor crop health, use resources efficiently and detect early warning signs of negative environmental trends — ultimately helping the farmers of Ukraine maximize their yields to keep their operations afloat and support food security both in their own communities and across the world at-large.

"Around the world, a shared camaraderie exists between farmers," Gebhardt said. "Farming is one of the most challenging careers a person can choose, and that creates a bond that can't be broken no matter where you live. As an individual who grew up on a family farm myself, I am immensely proud to support our farming brothers and sisters in Ukraine through Farmerhood."

In addition to EarthDaily Agro, Farmerhood's Coalition Partners include Syngenta, Feodal, Kernel, Dar Foundation, Alight and Land O'Lakes. Additional partners include Arriba, You Control, Latifundist, Zeep, Growex, Kartoza, Agrilab, Baker Tilly Ukraine, AgroNews, Deep State, the All-Ukrainian Congress of Farmers, UAC Agro Connection, OKKO, Epicentrk and Trend & Hedge Club.

"The response from the industry has been loud and clear — rallying to support the farmers of Ukraine is a commitment that many organizations are passionate about," Gebhardt said. "Our goal through this initiative is to put intentions into action by uniting some of the best agricultural companies in the world to help our fellow farmers in need. And the industry has eagerly stepped up to help."

Farmerhood is one of several initiatives that were created in part through the Support Ukrainian Farmers Coalition, launched by EarthDaily Agro in April 2022 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"Russia's military aggression has substantially impeded Ukrainian farmers' ability to feed themselves, their families, their communities and the world," Gebhardt said. "In the face of such profound challenges, every incremental unit of a farmer's production takes on heightened importance. Ukrainian farmers feed the world, and today, they need our help. Farmerhood is our way of harnessing power of goodwill and unity to support these worthy, hardworking individuals in their time of need."

Source : Newswire.ca

Video: Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Understanding how a plant responds to stress is one thing.

Using that knowledge to make better management decisions is another.

Systemic acquired resistance, or SAR, is the plant's more direct defense response. When stress or infection occurs, the plant begins signaling throughout its system and preparing defensive compounds.

But if we know that response exists, can we help prepare the plant before the stress arrives?

The answer starts with understanding what triggers the response and what the plant needs to carry it out.

The Trigger and the Fuel

Salicylic acid plays an important role in triggering the SAR pathway.

Think of it as turning the truck on.

The engine may be running, but it still needs fuel to do the work.

In this case, manganese plays an important role in supporting the enzyme systems involved in the plant's defensive response.

This makes manganese status an important part of the conversation. Whether a producer is using tissue testing, sap analysis, or simply scouting for visible deficiency symptoms, the goal is to make sure the plant has adequate manganese available.

Manganese is required in relatively small amounts, but that does not make its role small.

If the plant receives a signal to defend itself but lacks the nutrition needed to support that response, it may struggle to carry out the process efficiently.

The trigger matters.

The fuel matters too.

Prepare Before the Stress Arrives

The best time to think about stress management is before the plant is overwhelmed.

Once a crop is already struggling, management can quickly turn into a game of catch-up.

This is similar to nitrogen management. Once a plant becomes severely deficient, correcting the problem does not necessarily erase the time and yield potential already lost.

Plant defense can work the same way.

Low-rate, targeted approaches designed to support the SAR pathway may fit best ahead of an expected stress event rather than after significant damage has already occurred.

That requires producers to think about predictable stress.

We may not know exactly what the weather will do tomorrow, but we generally know summer heat is coming. We know certain field conditions increase disease pressure. We know a herbicide application can temporarily stress a crop as the plant processes the chemistry.

Even a properly timed and labeled herbicide application can create a temporary response in the plant.

That does not mean the herbicide is bad.

Weeds can create significantly more yield loss than the temporary stress caused by controlling them.

The question is not whether we should eliminate every stressor.

The question is whether we can better prepare the plant to manage necessary and predictable stress.

Not All Stress Is Bad

Stress is a normal part of plant growth.

A perfectly stress-free environment does not exist in the field.

In fact, some stress is necessary for normal plant development. A plant responds to wind, temperature, moisture, sunlight, and countless other environmental signals throughout the season.

The environment is stress.

The plant's job is to manage it.

Problems begin when the stress load becomes greater than the plant's ability to respond.

Extreme heat, drought, high salt concentrations, disease pressure, and even certain management practices can add to that load.

This is where understanding SAR becomes useful.

Instead of waiting until the plant is visibly struggling, producers can begin identifying periods when stress is likely and make management decisions around those windows.

ISR Starts With the Soil

While SAR is a more direct defense response, induced systemic resistance, or ISR, brings the conversation back to soil health.

The longevity of a farm is closely connected to the health of its soil.

Carbon plays a major role because it supports biological life within the soil. Bacteria, fungi, and other organisms interact with plant roots and influence how the plant grows, accesses nutrients, and prepares for stress.

This is why soil health cannot be reduced to one product or one application.

It is a system.

Keeping living plants in the field longer can support biological activity. Cover crops may fit some operations. Better water management can improve soil conditions.