Tag: agriculture

The farming industry could greatly reduce its pesticide use. But using natural solutions such as messengers released by female insects is better still. The Nobel prize-winning founder of a California-based startup has developed a process to produce these messengers, or pheromones, from raw materials and bio-catalysts. When sprayed on plants, these mask the pheromones naturally produced by female insects,...

Waste from sugar production can remove harmful pesticides from the water. Meanwhile, a Swiss-based startup has developed a new smart system for the farming industry which limits their use in the first place. The team’s precision field sprayer reduces the use of pesticides by up to 95%. Cameras mounted on the device scan the field sections underneath while driving,...

Lunar micturition comes with unexpected benefits. The role human excretions play on earth has recently preoccupied an American-based research team. More specifically, the biochar made from solid human excrement, which has proved ideal as fertiliser once microplastics and chemicals have been removed from it. Mixing the biochar with nutrients from urine could provide 15% of the phosphorus needed to...

An armband concept detects and prevents hot flushes. Meanwhile, an Irish startup is focused on females of other species. The team’s sensor recognises the start of contractions in pregnant cows and heifers, denoted by specific movements of the tail. The sensor is registered in an app and connected with two telephone numbers. 3-4 days before calving it’s attached to...

Wastewater has already been used to make beer. Now, a research team from the UK is focusing on how to make cow dung contribute to the circular economy. Cellulose fragments were extracted from dried manure using a salty liquid and an organic sulphur compound. Turning them into fibres was more complex and involved adapting a previously developed technology called...

Thanks to 3D printing, walls could soon be in full bloom. Meanwhile a Toronto-based startup is thinking in smaller dimensions - at least in terms of its new soil alternative. It starts life as a small, 3D-printed sphere, is derived from corn and made for use in hydroponics. The locally produced substrate provides seedlings with nutrient-rich water for at...

Banana paper protects potatoes from parasites. After harvesting, potato stems are often burned, since they are hard to compost and unsuitable as animal feed or fertiliser. A London-based startup has recognised their value. In their patent-pending process, fibres are extracted from stems using biological and mechanical processes and spun into yarn. Like cotton, linen or synthetic fibre, it can...

Mushrooms can play a vital role in computer technology. And are equally good at dealing with noise pollution. They also form part of an underground network which supplies trees with nutrients, helping them to grow. If trees are felled and uprooted, however, these networks also disappear. Now, an Edinburgh-based startup is restoring this ecosystem by preparing individually-tailored pellets containing...