Agriculture
-
Each day we’re learning of new, devastating impacts of climate change, and what's now brewing has researchers sounding the alarm on the future of European beer, thanks to a steady decline in the quality and quantity of high-quality hops from the region.
-
The spotted-wing drosophila is a type of fruit fly that can destroy berry crops if not killed by insecticides. According to a new study, the smell of a crop-damaging fungus could provide an eco-friendly alternative to such toxic chemicals.
-
Plant parasitic nematodes are microscopic soil-dwelling creatures that damage crops by feeding on their roots. Scientists have now developed a greener and more efficient means of eradicating them, using a modified plant virus.
-
Hog barns typically aren't the nicest places to be at the best of times, but try living in one during a heat wave. Scientists at Indiana's Purdue University have developed a self-activating hog-cooling pad for just such situations.
-
Although the gel of the aloe vera plant is used to treat sunburn, moisturize skin and boost gut health, its peels are usually discarded. New research now suggests that those peels could also be used, to make non-toxic insecticide for use by farmers.
-
Farmers have long known that it's a good idea to rotate crops. A Swiss study now indicates that wheat yields are boosted when those crops are planted in fields previously used to grow maize, which altered the soil's microbiome.
-
Move over, cow burps. A team of scientists has shifted gears from the front to the back end of these methane-production powerhouses, using algae to curb gas emanating from their poop. It's a crap gig, but nature's best methane inhibitor is on the job.
-
Just like their field-dwelling counterparts, plants grown in greenhouses are preyed upon by flying insects. The Dutch-designed PATS system is designed to help, by sending tiny drones to chop those insects up in mid-air.
-
Great strides are being made in the field of lab-grown meat, but its price remains a barrier to wide use. British startup Moolec has created what it claims is a less costly alternative, in the form of soya plants that produce pig-protein-rich beans.
-
There are now several devices that help you keep food waste out of landfills by converting it to compost … but what if you don't have a garden? Well, the Mill converts such waste into dried grounds which are sent off to feed chickens.
-
While farmers have to perform a number of difficult tasks, tending to the grain stored inside grain bins (aka granaries) is particularly arduous – not to mention dangerous. That's where the Grain Weevil grain bin management robot is made to come in.
-
Aquaponics operations combine aquaculture and hydroponics, with nutrient-rich water from the former being used to fertilize plants in the latter. Soon, such systems could also be powered by methane biogas derived from their own fish feces.
Load More