AgTech at a Crossroads: Capital, Innovation, and Resilience

AgTech at a Crossroads: Capital, Innovation, and Resilience

In this final episode of the Climate-Ready Agriculture series, agtech investor and innovation advisor Mark Brooks shares insights on how new technologies, research, and business decisions are shaping the future of agriculture. The conversation explores emerging trends in agtech, how climate challenges are influencing real-world decisions across the food system, and why stronger collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry will be key to building more resilient agricultural systems.

AI-Powered Plant Breeding with Avalo

Mariano Alvarez, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Avalo, shares how AI and machine learning are reshaping plant breeding. From genomic prediction to advanced modeling and data-driven decision-making, we explore how advanced tools are accelerating crop development and helping breeders tackle complex traits like heat tolerance, drought response, and nitrogen use efficiency.  The conversation highlights how AI is reshaping the speed, cost, and impact of modern crop development—from the lab to the field.

MRV: From Measurement to Impact with Bill Salas

In this episode, Bill Salas, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Regrow, explains how MRV—measurement, reporting, and verification—is helping agriculture quantify environmental and agronomic outcomes at the field level. The conversation explores how satellite data, models, and farm-level information come together to support climate-ready agriculture, enable regenerative programs, and help growers and agri-food companies make informed, data-driven decisions.

Soil Microbes and Crop Resilience with Dr. Amy Grunden

Dr. Amy Grunden, professor of microbiology at NC State University, discusses how soil biology and plant–microbe interactions play a critical role in crop resilience under heat, drought, and other climate stresses. She shares insights into how microbial diversity supports nutrient cycling, disease suppression, and overall plant health, and how interdisciplinary research is deepening our understanding of resilient cropping systems. Find out what these discoveries could mean for growers and the future of climate-ready agriculture on this episode.

Using Biologicals to Tackle Resistance and Protect Global Food Systems

Dr. Louise Thatcher of CSIRO shares insights into how biological crop protection tools are helping address resistance challenges and support more resilient food systems. The discussion highlights the science behind microbial discovery, the journey from lab to field, and why consistency, grower trust, and regulatory alignment are essential for scaling biologicals globally. The conversation offers a global perspective on how nature-based solutions can play an impactful role in sustainable agriculture.