Nufarm acquires equity holding in crop.zone

crop.zone is a German-based agtech company that has developed hybrid-electric weed control solutions to reduce chemical application rates and residues by using a conductive liquid and electrical voltage to control weeds and desiccate crops.

Nufarm Regional General Manager EuMEA, Hildo Brilleman, said the investment will strengthen the relationship and co-operation between the two companies and build on Nufarm’s expanding portfolio of alternative solutions for farmers.

Available to potato growers

“We are committed to helping farmers produce their crop economically but also reduce the impact of agriculture on our environment and this is a logical addition to our NuBio portfolio. We launched this new technology jointly with crop.zone under the NUCROPTM brand in September last year, making it available to potato growers for desiccation for the first time this season.”

Also read: Nufarm and crop.zone launch Hybrid Electric Crop Protection

Dirk Vandenhirtz, CEO at crop.zone adds, “NUCROPTM offers farmers and contractors a real alternative to chemical and mechanical solutions at competitive prices, especially for those crops where chemical weed control options have been reduced and alternative technologies are required.”

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Nufarm and Crop.Zone say they combine chemical and physical processes to create a sustainable method of weed control. Plants are pre-treated with an organic, regulated liquid that is conductive. Then an electric charge is applied. That way, the companies say farmers can control weeds with a high degree of efficiency and lower energy consumption than conventional weeding technologies. – Photo: crop.zone

Weed-control with electrical current

The NUCROPTM combination is to control weeds efficiently with lower residues vs. chemical alternatives and better efficacy and crop safety vs. mechanical interventions. Application of the conductive liquid and actual weed-control with electrical current are carried out in a single pass.

Strong focus on potato desiccation

In the 2021 Early-Adopter program, Nufarm and crop.zone will team up with selected channel partners in Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands as well as the UK to offer farmers and contractors access to NUCROPTM technology, with a strong focus on potato desiccation. Other uses are in the trial phase and will be available to farmers shortly.