Fly fat extract eradicates crop-killing bacteria

Just like us, crop plants are subject to bacterial infections. And while antibiotics are often used to kill those microbes, compounds extracted from fly larva fat may prove to be a more eco-friendly alternative.Continue ReadingCategory: ScienceTags: An… Continue reading Fly fat extract eradicates crop-killing bacteria

Soybean oil-coated sand could be a green alternative to plastic mulch

In order to keep water from evaporating from the soil, farmers will often cover the ground around their crop plants with sheets of polyethylene plastic. There could soon be a more eco-friendly alternative, though, in the form of soybean oil-coated sand… Continue reading Soybean oil-coated sand could be a green alternative to plastic mulch

CRISPR creates “surrogate sires” that produce prize-winning donor sperm

In a breakthrough that promises to revolutionize the precision breeding of animals, an international team of scientists led by Jon Oatley, a reproductive biologist with Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, has for the first tim… Continue reading CRISPR creates “surrogate sires” that produce prize-winning donor sperm

eUtility Electric Tractor is powered by a battery, not diesel

If you were a farmer, wouldn’t you prefer to just recharge your utility tractor, instead of refuelling it from your limited onsite supply of diesel? That’s exactly where the eUtility Electric Tractor is designed to come in.Continue ReadingCategory: Env… Continue reading eUtility Electric Tractor is powered by a battery, not diesel

Extended-range agri-drone wouldn’t be limited by batteries

While crop-spraying drones do have some advantages over full-size piloted aircraft, they’re limited by their battery range. Dutch startup Drone4Agro is developing a solution to that problem, though, in the form of a range-extended electric multicopter…. Continue reading Extended-range agri-drone wouldn’t be limited by batteries

“Molecular sponge” could replace the pesticides used for ant control

It’s a quandary – leafcutter ants cause a great deal of damage to tropical crops, but applying pesticides to those crops harms the environment. Scientists have developed a possible solution, in the form of a high-tech material that uses an odor to trap… Continue reading “Molecular sponge” could replace the pesticides used for ant control

Buildots raises $16M to bring computer vision to construction management

Buildots, a Tel Aviv and London-based startup that is using computer vision to modernize the construction management industry, today announced that it has raised $16 million in total funding. This includes a $3 million seed round that was previously unreported and a $13 million Series A round, both led by TLV Partners. Other investors include […] Continue reading Buildots raises $16M to bring computer vision to construction management

Pigs fed on liquor leftovers are less stressed, giving better meat

A team led by researchers at the University of Tokyo has shown that feeding pigs on the waste barley waste left over from the distillation of the Japanese liquor shochu makes for more relaxed pigs and results in tastier pork.Continue ReadingCategory: S… Continue reading Pigs fed on liquor leftovers are less stressed, giving better meat