The new entity will design, manufacture and sell mass spectrometers for agriculture applications
Image: AG-TECH will develop mass spectrometers for agriculture applications. Photo: courtesy of Catkin from Pixabay.
Astrotech has launched a new subsidiary, Agriculture Technology Corporation (AG-TECH), to meet the demand from the agriculture industry.
The new company has been established to focus on the detection of trace levels of harmful pesticides in agricultural products.
Astrotech Technology (ATI), a subsidiary of Astrotech, currently owns mass-spec technology that can be used for these applications.
The agriculture field application of the mass-spec technology has been licenced to the new subsidiary company.
AG-TECH will design, produce and sell mass spectrometers for agriculture applications, including the detection of trace levels of harmful pesticides.
AG-TECH is developing AG-LAB-1000 series of mass spectrometers in collaboration with industry farmers
AG-TECH has been working with industry farmers, manufacturers and laboratories for the development of its AG-LAB-1000 series of mass spectrometers, which are being designed for agriculture applications in the field that detect trace levels (ppb) of pesticides or that need the quantification of cannabinoids and terpenes as low as parts per trillion (ppt).
The pesticide regulations have become significant across the world, with the recent passing of the US Farm Bill, (H.R. 2, 115th) and the increasing number of US states and countries that are legalising hemp and cannabis.
Astrotech chairman and CEO Thomas Pickens III said: “The Astrotech mass-spec technology has numerous applications in many diverse industries, and we have now found an immediate need in the agriculture markets that have highly regulated pesticide requirements.
“Our new AG-LAB-1000 series of GC/MS/MS mass-specs are ideally suited for those applications that need rugged but highly sensitive field instruments that are easy to operate. We are very excited about our pesticide detection series of products that will soon be providing large savings for farmers and manufacturers worldwide.”
Astrotech is a science and technology development and commercialisation company, which creates, manages, and builds scalable companies based on advanced technology that is designed to increase shareholder value.