Category: Farming

Researchers at the John Innes Centre have made a groundbreaking discovery that could transform agricultural practices, making them more sustainable and reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. Their research has identified a biological mechanism that helps plant roots foster better relationships with beneficial soil microbes, which could significantly reduce the need for harmful chemical fertilizers.

The widespread use of nitrate and phosphate fertilizers in modern agriculture has led to environmental concerns due to their overuse, such as water pollution and soil degradation. In light of these challenges, researchers are increasingly turning to natural solutions, like the mutually beneficial relationships between plant roots and soil microbes, to improve nutrient uptake. This approach not only enhances plant health but could also help reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers.

Continue reading… “Breakthrough Discovery Could Revolutionize Sustainable Farming by Reducing Fertilizer Use”

Baby red romaine lettuce growing in a vertical farm, technology made possible thanks to space agtech innovation.

• Space innovation can transform terrestrial agriculture, as it has other sectors.
• Vertical farming and LED lighting are two past examples of agtech developed in space.
• Seeds could be the next frontier for space agtech.

The effects of climate change are impossible to ignore, particularly as record-breaking temperatures, tides and weather events wreak havoc across the globe. Worldwide, 12 million hectares of land valuable to agriculture are lost every year, and global agriculture production will need to increase by 70% to meet the demand of an expanding population. It’s no surprise that we are seeing steady growth, investment and, most importantly, innovation in the agtech market, including the space industry.

The value that space innovation has already created here on Earth is immeasurable. NASA says its return on investment on the US economy is more than three times its annual budget. From cellular data and hurricane predictions to robotics and health science, many aspects of our lives are made significantly easier, more efficient or more enjoyable thanks to the breakthroughs and utilization made in space. We are now seeing tremendous potential for research and technological advancement for agtech in space, with applications that will both enable future prolonged extraterrestrial habitation, as well as improve agricultural practices here on Earth. 

Developing sustainable and scalable food sources for astronauts will be critical to our ability to successfully establish and expand new destinations in space. A few commercial companies, including Voyager, are actively developing new commercial space stations to replace the International Space Station (ISS), and with these new destinations comes a need to provide nutrient-dense food for inhabitants. 

Continue reading… “To boldly grow: how space agtech shapes farming on Earth”

The building will produce 2 million pounds of greens per year, in a country that currently imports nearly all of its food.

BY ADELE PETERS

If you walk into a grocery store in Dubai, the spinach on the shelves will probably be from Europe—or even from as far away as the United States. Because of limited arable land and water, the United Arab Emirates imports about 90% of its food. But inside a warehouse-like building near the Dubai airport, a new vertical farm is now beginning to grow more than 2 million pounds of local leafy greens per year.

Continue reading… “Dubai is now home to the largest vertical farm in the world”

BY MARK ALLINSON 

Carbon Robotics, an agricultural robotics company, today unveiled its 2022 LaserWeeder implement, an autonomous, laserweeding pull-behind robot that seamlessly attaches to the back of tractors.

The new LaserWeeder is a precise, organic, and cost-effective weed control solution for large-scale specialty row crops.

In addition to an updated build, the 2022 LaserWeeder features 30 industrial CO2 lasers, more than 3X the lasers in Carbon Robotics’ self-driving Autonomous LaserWeeder, creating an average weeding capacity of two acres per hour. 

Growers who use Carbon Robotics’ implements are seeing up to 80 percent savings in weed management costs, with a break-even period of 2-3 years.

Paul Mikesell, Carbon Robotics CEO and founder, says: “We’ve proven the effectiveness of our laserweeding technology and the immense benefits it offers farmers, including healthier crops and soil, decreased herbicide use, and reduced chemical and labor costs.

Continue reading… “Carbon Robotics unveils new farm tech that kills weeds by zapping them with a laser”