Collaborate Disseminate
The spraying of orchards and vineyards certainly isn’t an eco-friendly process, with tractors spewing exhaust as they douse crops in herbicides and pesticides. That’s one of the main reasons the electric, autonomous Prospr robot was created.Continue Re… Continue reading Crop-spraying robot is designed to reduce emissions and use less herbicide
It’s always best if farmers can detect drought stress before crop plants become wilted, weakened and lower-yielding. An experimental new portable device could help in that regard, as it uses ultrasound to spot such stress in its earliest stages.Continu… Continue reading Portable device spots drought-stressed crops before it’s too late
Most of us don’t eat as much fruit and veggies as we know we should, but that goal might now be a bit more achievable. Scientists in Spain have engineered a new “Golden Lettuce” with 30 times more nutrients than the regular green stuff.Continue Reading… Continue reading “Golden Lettuce” genetically engineered to pack 30 times more vitamins
Glass-fragment waste typically just ends up in landfills, but perhaps that doesn’t always have to be the case. A new study shows that ground glass particles can be mixed with soil to produce a plant growth medium that’s actually better than soil alone…. Continue reading For a better plant growth medium, just add ground glass
Everybody loves roses, but we’d probably love them even more if they didn’t have those sharp thorns. Well, scientists have found a way of growing thornless roses, and their findings could lead to easier-to-harvest crops.Continue ReadingCategory: Biolog… Continue reading Genetically engineered thornless roses pave the way for better crops
Watering and fertilizing crops to provide enough food for a changing world is a major challenge in agriculture. Now, scientists at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a “smart soil” that can keep plants better hydrated and provide a contro… Continue reading “Smart soil” grows 138% bigger crops using 40% less water
Scientists have replicated the ingenious seed-delivery system used by wild oats, resulting in a seed-carrying bio-hybrid “robot.” Scores of the tiny devices could one day be utilized for much easier, more effective aerial seeding of crops or even new f… Continue reading Video: Self-planting bio-hybrid “robotic seeds” inspired by wild oats
Inspired by a carnivorous plant, scientists have created a sticky spray that could kill pest insects as effectively as traditional toxic pesticides. And what’s more, it’s derived from plain ol’ vegetable oil.Continue ReadingCategory: ScienceTags: Wagen… Continue reading Sundew-inspired spray may turn crop plants into pest-catchers
Specially tagged “sentinel plants” could soon provide an early warning of crop problems such as insect damage or bacterial infection. These plants would utilize two “glowing” sensors that react to stress-related compounds in the leaves.Continue Reading… Continue reading “Sentinel plants” could save crops via stress sensors in leaves
A worm-filled gel has been shown to protect crops from pests, without the use of environmentally-unfriendly pesticides. Its not-so-secret ingredient is scores of tiny nematodes, which ordinarily can’t survive outside of their underground habitat.Contin… Continue reading Eco-friendly agricultural gel replaces toxic pesticides with worms