About VerdanTech Solutions
Who are we? VerdanTech Solutions LLC is a CA company established to develop alternative solutions to fumigation for protecting post-harvest nuts from insect damage. Although the Founder and CEO, Dr. Brian Duggan, is based in Melbourne Australia, the Company’s primary focus is on the Californian tree nut industries, given that most of the world’s nuts are grown in that state. Dr. Duggan’s professional career spans 25 years in agricultural research, at CSIRO, Dow AgroSciences and Nufarm in Australia, as well as Oregon State University and Monsanto in the US. More recently, he has advised startup companies investigating the control of storage insect pests. A chance discussion with people involved in the Californian almond industry provided him the insight to create VerdanTech Solutions.
What is VerdanTech’s objective? Phosphine, currently used to control insects in stored nuts, is under regulatory pressure just as the pests are becoming increasingly tolerant to the fumigant. An alternate is urgently required. The effectiveness of fumigation is short-lived and nuts are often readily reinfested in their storage bins. Nuts damaged by insects have substantially reduced value in the marketplace. Accordingly, the industry is seeking a safe, long-lasting insecticide treatment that will reliably kill insects, leave no residue, and remain active for months.
VerdanTech Solutions has a ‘’double pronged attack” for achieving post-harvest insect control. The first is to develop a patented, autonomous sweeper to collect mature nuts from the ground as opposed to the currently-used vacuum harvesters. This robotic equipment is under development at UC Merced’s School of Engineering. The second prong is the mechanical application of an organic pesticide which will be applied to the hulled nuts prior to their placement in storage. This pesticide has been shown to protect the stored products for several months, whilst avoiding unacceptable residue levels on the kernels.
Public-Private Partnership for Product Development The sweeper is currently under development at UC Merced Engineering department, as is the application methodology to distribute the pesticide. Experiments to provide data in support for registration of the pesticide on nuts is being conducted at UC Berkeley’s Entomology Department.
VerdanTech’s ESG awareness. Doubtless the use of phosphine will be banned in California and the tree nut industries must be prepared for this eventuality. Moreover, the current vacuum system for collecting nuts creates voluminous, long-lasting dust, causing an environmental hazard with poor air quality over many miles. The combination of a low dust collection system and an organic pesticide protectant for the multi-billion dollar tree nut industry will be a significant advance toward and ever-cleaner, greener, healthy California crop of almonds, pistachios, and walnuts.
Expected Timeline. Trials using the robotic sweeper and the registered organic pesticide will begin early in 2024.
The Team