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Powdery mildew is a widespread fungal disease that attacks many crops. And while it typically has to be treated using fungicides, special ultraviolet light-emitting robots could soon prove to be a better way to go.Continue ReadingCategory: Robotics, Te… Continue reading UV-emitting robots roam vineyards to kill fungus
The MIT Media Lab’s Open Agriculture Initiative (OpenAg) promised to revolutionize urban farming with their Food Computers: essentially miniature automated gardens that could be installed in racks to maximize growing space. Each unit would be provided with a “Recipe” that allowed it to maintain the ideal environmental conditions for the …read more
Continue reading Open Agriculture Initiative Shuttered Amid Scandal
Boston Dynamics’ dog-like Spot robot can now be remotely controlled from anywhere in the world thanks to a partnership with cloud-based software platform Rocos. To demonstrate its new capabilities the US team remotely monitored the robot working on an … Continue reading Remotely operated Spot robot herds sheep in New Zealand
As factors such as habitat loss decrease the number and variety of flowering plants in the environment, beekeepers are increasingly starting to augment their insects’ diet with artificial feeds. It now turns out that microalgae may be a particularly go… Continue reading Algae-based feed could help save struggling bee colonies
Like any good parent, it turns out that plants can use their own experience to teach their offspring about how to overcome tough times. Geneticists at Penn State University have manipulated the expression of one gene in a plant that makes them more res… Continue reading Stressed-out plants pass down “memories” to make offspring stronger
Responsible for millions of dollars in crop losses annually, the red palm weevil is a flying beetle that lays its eggs inside date palm trees. It could soon be possible to detect such infestations earlier than ever, using fiber optic cables.Continue Re… Continue reading Fiber optic tech could save date palms from infestations
When it comes to safer, less painful, slow-release alternatives to the hypodermic injection of medications, “microneedle patches” show a lot of promise. Now, MIT scientists have adapted the technology for use on plants.Continue ReadingCategory: Science… Continue reading MIT’s new microneedle patch is made just for plants
Many vegans and vegetarians swear by soy as a meat-free protein source, but concerns have been raised over the environmental sustainability of soybean farming. With that in mind, new research now suggests that specially-prepared fava beans may be a bet… Continue reading Fava beans may be a greener substitute for soy
Over 10,000 years ago, ancient human settlers began the construction of around 4,700 artificial forest islands in ancient Amazonia, according to the results of a recently-published paper. Archaeologists believe that the islands were used for farming, a… Continue reading Ancient settlers once farmed on thousands of artificial forest islands
While best known for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl wrote quite a few similarly oddball stories in his time. One of them, The Sound Machine, is about a device that allowed the user to hear the anguished screams of trees as they were cut down. Sounds …read more
Continue reading Hearing Plants Giggle Is Just As Creepy As You Think