b'A look at seed industry developments around the globe.Bangladesh looks toSTATUS BANGLADESH egory 1 status of the individualHi-Power variety are grown in reinforce the seedThe International Riceproduct. three greenhouse compart-sector with a new seedResearch Institute (IRRI),Accompanying its pro- ments at WURs research Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujiburposal, the Commission alsofacilities in Bleiswijk. The certification course, theRahman Agriculture Universityannounced its intention tocontrols are different in each Netherlands looking to(BSMRAU), and Bangladeshassess, as part of a broadercompartment: there are two Seed Association (BSA) havemarket analysis, the impactcompartments with autono-grow cucumbers using AI,entered into a strategic part- that the patenting of plantsmous greenhouse controls: and the EU Commissionnership to enhance the qualityand related licensing andthe Digital Twin, and the and productivity of the agri- transparency practices mayReinforcement Learning releases its new proposalculture sector in Bangladesh. have on innovation in plantalgorithm. In the third com-on New GenomicThe collaborative activitybreeding.partment, the reference Techniques.will provide specialized train- compartment, cultivation is ing in seed certification andcontrolled by a group of crop quality assurance for develop- STATUSand irrigation experts.ing the capacity of the privateNETHERLANDS The Digital Twin algo-seed producers. Wageningen University &rithm controls everything: the Research is growing cucum- climate (heating tempera-bers using artificial intel- ture), watering (determining STATUS EU ligence. The public-privatewhen to apply irrigation), The EU Commission pre- partnership project AGROSwhen to turn lights on and sented its long-awaitedaims to realize an autono- off, what CO2 concentration proposals on New Genomicmous greenhouse in whichto achieve in the greenhouse, Techniques (NGTs) and Plantcultivation is remotely con- and even crop strategy. The Reproductive Material (PRM).trolled by artificial intelligenceReinforcement-Learning They will shape the future for(AI). Intelligent algorithms andalgorithm is trained to control Europes seed sector as welladvanced sensors monitorthe greenhouse climate. By as for farmers and vegetablekey crop characteristics andrunning millions of simula-growers and have a strongsupport the decisions made totions, this form of artificial impact on the entire EU agri- achieve profitable cultivation.intelligence learned to find the food chain. AGROS is led by Wageningenoptimal controls to control the The first proposal onUniversity & Research. greenhouse climate com-NGTs suggests differentiatingThe dot on the horizon is apletely autonomously. plants resulting from targetedfully autonomous greenhouseThe frame of reference is mutagenesis and cisgenesissystem based on sensor data,a group of crop and irrigation methods from the transgenicremotely controlled by anexperts from the AGROS part-GMO products as regulatedintelligent algorithm, with anner companies. These experts more than two decades ago.objective goal, in this case therepresent grower knowledge It provides for two specifichighest possible net profit. Inand current best practices. categories of plant prod- recent years we have devel- They grow cucumbers in the ucts, each with adaptedoped the building blocks forthird compartment. SWregulatory requirements andthis: the physiological knowl-authorisation processes. Here,edge of the crop, the sensors, conventional-like categoryand the intelligent algo-1 plants, i.e., plants that couldrithms. This is now all coming also result from older breed- together in a validation trial, ing methods or be found assays Anja Dieleman, AGROS natural mutations, would beproject leader and researcher brought under a new regimeat the WUR business unit that establishes a verificationGreenhouse Horticulture.procedure to confirm the cat- Cucumbers of the 66/ SEEDWORLD.COMSEPTEMBER 2023'