Tag: agriculture

Orange, they say, gives off positive vibes. Likewise, plants react to colour and can even be strengthened at night by UV light. A schoolboy from England has developed a lighting system aimed at improving crop growth. After experimenting with different colours, the 12 year-old discovered that the optimum mix was 80% red and 20% blue. Next he programmed a...

Biowaste makes for good fertiliser. CO², meanwhile, is used in greenhouses, because it accelerates the process of photosynthesis, and helps plants grow up to 50% quicker. Now, a startup from the Ukraine has built a machine that extracts CO² from the surrounding air and diverts it to greenhouses. The best thing: the gas is ‘harvested’ locally. Meaning no lengthy...

Knowledge is passed from generation to generation. Now, Shropshire University has launched the UK’s first degree in Sustainable Food and Farming. Undergraduate courses and training modules will showcase the latest thinking and research on livestock and arable farming. Teaching takes place online with additional ‘on-farm learning’. Courses on agricultural farming, veterinary practice and nutrition are delivered by leading field...

We use around 46,500 liters of water per year. Most of it winds up in wastewater treatment plants. Now a research team at the University of Gothenburg is on the hunt for a sustainable solution that ensures the water in fish farms is kept clean and the fish healthy. Contamination can be caused by fish sludge, made up of...

Flowers and herbs can be used in many ways. Some are edible, others help to heal. An IT specialist from Pune, India, realized the potential of dried leaves. The ones from the backyard of her apartment were burned, as is often done in India. But leaves are biodegradable. Through chat groups, she found someone who composted the leaves to...

One person's waste is another person's gold. Used coffee grounds, for example, make for excellent fertilizer or briquettes. Now the research team of a Spanish institute is experimenting with fertilizer made from organic and agricultural products. So-called bagasse, made from beer brewing waste, is mixed with the leftovers from rapeseed oil production and fresh cow dung. As part of...

Whether in our gardens or out in the fields, they are always an unwelcome guest. Weeds. Snatching water and nutrients away from a farmer’s crop. Now a startup from Seattle is taking action to prevent the use of pesticides that cause damage to our health and surrounding environment. They developed a robot that combines artificial intelligence, laser modules and...

Smart Home applications regulate our heating and shutters so that we feel comfortable in our homes. Plants also require optimal temperatures to flourish. That's why greenhouses exist. Still, while plants need every ray of sun in winter, in summer things can often get too hot. Cue a Dutch PhD student and his intelligent windows. These can automatically adapt their...