High-throughput in-ovo sexing of chicken eggs using hyperspectral imaging & Raman spectroscopy

Commercially, chicks can only be sexed after they hatch, requiring producers to devote time and resources to incubating male chicks, only to cull them. Yearly, over six billion male layer chicks are culled when hatched because there is no commercial use for them. This research team is using hyperspectral imaging and Raman spectroscopy to develop a commercially applicable optical technique for sexing hatching eggs by extracting and analyzing small droplets of the embryos’ allantoic fluid at the eighth day of incubation.

Project Ella

Commercially, chicks can only be sexed after they hatch, requiring producers to devote time and resources to incubating male chicks, only to cull them. Yearly, over six billion male layer chicks are culled when hatched because there is no commercial use for them. This research is further developing and scaling in-ovo sexing technology that measures a naturally occurring biomarker within the embryos’ waste fluid. This fluid differs between the sexes, allowing sorting the eggs by sex on the ninth day of development with high accuracy.

Egg-Tech Prize Phase II Finalists

Plant-XR: A New Generation of Breeding Tools for Extra-Resilient Crops

As the pace of climate change picks up, speeding the development of resilient crops is urgent. CropXR is building, supporting and facilitating a development pipeline for more resilient, sustainable and climate-adapted varieties of agricultural crops. The research combines plant biology, computational modelling and artificial intelligence to create computational, functional plant models to predict and guide rational, targeted breeding and cultivation strategies.

FoodShot Global Challenge #2 Precision Protein, Deep Dive GroundBreaker Prize (Netherlands)

FoodShot Global’s GroundBreaker Prize recognizes rising scientific stars whose research has identified technological and ecological tools that enable farmers to optimize yields and the long-term health of the land. Dr. Hannah Van Zanten, Associate Professor in Farming Systems Ecology at Wageningen University, received $150,000 for developing a European circular food systems model (CiFoS), which is now extending to a global model.

SKY HIGH Consortium Agreement

Vertical farming provides greater control of climate and nutrition conditions than outdoor or greenhouse facilities. Crops grown in vertical farming environments have the potential for enhanced nutritional value, longer shelf life, better taste and a shorter supply chain – plus they require little water and do not need pesticides. Yet, there are few researchers adapting crops to make them economical and sustainable in these production systems. SKY HIGH: Vertical Farming, a revolution in plant production, is a program to advance vertical farming by researching plant genetics and indoor growing conditions that help crops thrive and enhance desired qualities.

Innovative On-Farm Broiler Welfare Assessment Using Imaging Techniques

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring which can be inaccurate and time consuming. Wageningen University researchers are using an affordable camera-based system and artificial intelligence that automatically and continuously monitors broilers’ ability to walk and other activities. This grant was awarded through our SMART Broiler research initiative.

FoodShot Global Challenge #1 Innovating Soil 3.0, Deep Dive GroundBreaker Prize (Netherlands)

FoodShot Global’s GroundBreaker Prize recognizes rising scientific stars whose research has identified technological and ecological tools that enable farmers to optimize yields and the long-term health of the land. Dr. Gerlinde de Deyn, Professor in Soil Ecology, Wageningen University, received a $250,000 GroundBreaker Prize to determine soil components that enhance plant productivity and allow for better absorption of nutrients, suppress disease and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.