Latest news with #WageningenUniversityandResearch
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
University Trial Confirms Persist® PAF Enhances Plant-Beneficial Microbes
VGrid partnered with Wageningen University and Research, a global leader in controlled-environment agriculture, to conduct this hydroponics tomato cultivation trial. CAMARILLO, Calif., June 10, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A recent university study found that Persist® PAF, a liquid enhancer for plants and soil, boosts the growth of beneficial microbes in biochar—leading to lasting improvements in the root zone of hydroponic tomato plants. The study, conducted in the Netherlands, compared pistachio shell biochar—produced by VGrid's Bioserver® units—with standard coir slabs, untreated biochar, acetic acid-treated biochar, and biochar pre-treated with PAF. Researchers evaluated microbial activity in both the growing medium and tomato rhizosphere over a 23-week cultivation period using advanced qPCR and DNA metabarcoding methods. In the trial, PAF-treated biochar showed significantly higher levels of beneficial bacteria—especially those involved in nutrient cycling and plant resilience—compared to untreated or acid-only treatments. The result is a more biologically active root zone that supports better plant growth and productivity. Key Findings: Biochar treated with PAF resulted in the highest overall tomato yield and bacterial abundance compared to all other substrates, including coir, untreated biochar, and biochar treated with acetic acid. The bacterial phyla Nitrospirae and Firmicutes, which are known to promote nutrient cycling and plant resilience, were substantially more abundant in the PAF-treated biochar. PAF had a lasting impact on the microbiome of the biochar substrate and the tomato rhizosphere, resulting in a more diverse and beneficial bacterial community throughout the cultivation period. These findings highlight the potential of PAF to enhance crop and soil productivity, reduce reliance on synthetic inputs, and advance sustainable, organic, and regenerative agriculture. Jeff Norton, Vice President of Business Development with VGrid, commented, "We're excited with these results. They further confirm what we've seen in previous trials and the field—PAF improves plant vigor and drives positive change to the microbiome. The PAF-treated biochar also significantly outperformed acetic acid-treated biochar, showing that PAF's benefits aren't just about lowering pH—its unique chemistry is driving the results." For more information, visit or email info@ About VGrid: VGrid Energy Systems is a carbon-negative, renewable energy producer on a mission to reverse climate change. The company's innovative Bioserver® processes agricultural waste into renewable electricity while creating valuable biochar and bioliquids that naturally improve crop yields and soil productivity. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Jeff (805) 482-9040 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Spectator
28-05-2025
- Science
- Spectator
Should we give weight loss jabs to children?
I have seen the future of food. And some of you won't like it. On a research trip to the Netherlands last week, along with the fellow partners of my firm, Bramble, I took a speedboat tour of the port of Rotterdam. One of the most awesome sights was the so-called 'Innocent Blender' – a vast smoothie-making fortress, box-shaped and silver – glinting over the water. This is where the British-based, Coca-Cola-owned company makes its 'tasty little drinks'. The factory location makes sense: most of Europe's imported fruit comes via Rotterdam. Massive tankers – 600ft long and filled with 40,000 tons of chilled orange juice from Brazil – move through constantly. The Blender is completely electric, runs on renewable energy and uses robots to purée, bottle and package. There isn't anything wrong with this, even if it doesn't quite chime with Innocent's cutesy image. The global food system is stretched to capacity, struggling to cope with global instability and the extreme weather of climate change. As a species, we need to harness cutting-edge science if we are to feed ten billion people (the projected population of 2060), while also giving some land back to the ecosystems we've been chewing through for decades. On our second day, we visited Wageningen University and Research – the epicentre of food system innovation. There we were shown a pill containing a miniaturised computer which, as it passes through your gut, sends live readings to your phone: temperature, acidity, location and transit time. The next model will take fluid samples at precise locations, providing a full readout of your microbiome. You then pass it in the usual fashion, give it a rinse – and hand it on to the next person. Vertical farms, growing vegetables under LED lights, without sun or soil, are familiar.
