@AGROBiz September/October 2025 | Page 14

14 TECHNOLOGY @ AGROBiz | September-October. 2025

14 TECHNOLOGY @ AGROBiz | September-October. 2025

Farming with smart water

SOUTH Korean tech innovation company Deepvelo has unveiled ZOECORE, an ecofriendly water treatment device that promises to raise crop yields while lowering environmental costs.

The innovation comes as concerns grow over the long-term impact of chemical-based farming, which has boosted production for decades but polluted groundwater and harmed ecosystems.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation( FAO) has warned that reliance on such methods poses a threat to human survival.
ZOECORE, developed under the belief that“ the core of life( ZOE) is water,” restructures water molecules using high-voltage electric fields. This process enables plants to absorb water more efficiently through their root channels, enhancing overall growth.
Based on trials conducted, certified experiments reported an 11 per cent increase in water absorption, a 16 per cent improvement in photosynthesis, and average yield gains above 30 per cent. In the United States, hemp farms using ZOECORE saw yields rise by 43 per cent and quality improve by 8 per cent.
Similar benefits were observed in crops such as kale, tomatoes
, cucumbers, peppers, and mushrooms.
“ We found research showing that water molecules structurally change under high-voltage electric fields. I became convinced this could be applied to agriculture,” said Chief Executive Officer Sunguk Hong, who has a background in thermal-fluid engineering.
Unlike costly smart farm systems, ZOECORE requires minimal infrastructure and can be installed in open fields, greenhouses, or integrated into existing farm operations. The company expects this accessibility to help farmers achieve results without heavy upfront investment.
Deepvelo is initially targeting three markets: North America’ s hemp industry, water-intensive golf courses, and South Korea’ s greenhouse farming sector, where subsidies are expected to support the adoption of its technology.
The firm projects profitability by 2026 and aims to sell 170 units annually by 2027, generating revenues of 16.5 billion won.
“ ZOECORE is a sustainable technology that boosts productivity while reducing environmental burdens. We want to contribute to solving the global food crisis through the worldwide spread of K-AgriTech,” Hong added.
SMART
WATER FARMING: Deepvelo’ s eco-friendly agricultural water treatment device ZOECORE
WATER FOR GROWTH: The water molecules restructured by ZOECORE help plants absorb nutrients more efficiently.

CabbioShield: farming’ s new guard

A NEW innovation by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute( MARDI) is expected to strengthen the country’ s organic farming sector.
The institute officially launched CabbioShield, a biopesticide developed using microbial inoculants, at the National Organic Agriculture Seminar( Skor) 2025 in Bangi, Selangor.
The product, designed to counter soft rot disease in cabbage, has shown encouraging results in field trials. According to MARDI, CabbioShield reduced crop attacks by 77.4 per cent and increased marketable yields by 55.8 per cent, providing both economic and environmental benefits for growers.
MARDI chairman Dr Azman Ismail highlighted the importance of such innovation in advancing agriculture.
“ The launch of CabbioShield is strong evidence of MARDI’ s commitment to exploring local technological solutions to simultaneously support organic and conventional agriculture with a sustainable, environmentally friendly and economical approach,” he said.
He added that organic farming must become one of the pillars of Malaysia’ s food system, in line with the Malaysia MADANI policy and the Sustainable Development Goals 2050.
Currently, certified organic land in Malaysia accounts for less than one per cent of total farmland, although projects such as the Organic Padi Initiative in Kelantan demonstrate the sector’ s viability.
Since the introduction of the
HEALTHIER HARVESTS: MARDI recently launched CabbioShield at the National Organic Agriculture Seminar 2025 in Bangi.
Malaysian Organic Certification Scheme( myOrganic) in 2003, more than 700 hectares have been certified nationwide.
Several of these include MARDI’ s own farms, which function as research and training hubs for organic practices.- @ AGROBiz