Friday, March 29, 2024

Award-winning MagGrow hits the mark

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Up to 70% of pesticides miss their target but an Irish company has come up with an innovation to change that, solving the compromise between drift and coverage associated with conventional spraying.
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MagGrow won the International Innovation award at the New Zealand National Fieldays last month for a simple innovation that results in higher pesticide coverage on and inside the plant canopy.

The technology is a two-component system that uses permanent rare earth magnets and can be retrofitted to existing sprayers or installed on new sprayers. 

Pesticides pass through the magnetic fields, changing the physical properties of the fluid, thereby optimising the spray droplets. The unique spray characteristics and optimum droplet size deliver superior spray drift control and crop coverage.

The innovation award judges said they were impressed by MagGrow’s deep understanding of both science and farming, applied to an innovation that can improve both environmental and commercial outcomes globally.

“They tick all the boxes in terms of saving money, reducing chemical use and saving water. A really practical, straight direct impact on-farm right now, easy to understand and apply,” awards guest judge Brendan O’Connell said.

The Irish win continues a strong farming connection between Ireland and NZ, with businesses from both countries regularly competing each other’s innovation awards, providing a stepping stone into markets on the opposite side of the world.

“This dynamic connection allows us to share knowledge and support our local entrants as they look to work in the Irish market,” Fieldays Innovation Awards event organiser Gail Hendricks said.

“Covid-19 has highlighted the fundamental role of agriculture and food production around the world.” she said.

MagGrow says it has already spent €10 million (NZ$18m) developing the technology and recently raised an additional €6 million (NZ$10.8m) from international investors for a commercial roll-out, working with partners including Trimble Ag. 

The funding will be used for additional research and to build manufacturing capability.

The company claims farmers who adopt the technology typically see a return on their investment within a year thanks to using less chemicals and less diseased crops due to the increased coverage.

“A key selling point for farmers is the fact that there is virtually no maintenance with no moving parts, cables, electrical wires or power supply,” MagGrow said.

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