Tag: plants

Environmentally-friendly pesticides rely on plant scents or pheromones produced by female insects. With its automatic sensor solution, meanwhile, an Australian startup is focusing on fungal infestation so that agricultural firms can react to the issue in good time. The team's solar-powered system is installed in fields and operates autonomously for up to 2 years. A small fan directs ambient...

Some cosmetic containers can be composted at home. Following a similar idea, a Spanish startup has developed an ultra-thin, biodegradable packaging film from plant-based starch, which is certified for home composting. Despite being only 7 micrometres thick, the thermoplastic substitute for fossil-based film is mechanically tearproof at 114N/mm2 and manufacturing costs are comparable to traditional polyethylene products. A patent...

Pharmaceutical residues can be removed from effluent using pine bark. Now, a Singapore-based research team is looking to pomegranate peel to remove 4-nitrophenol from water. The toxin is used when producing dyes, pesticides and analgesics. The pomegranate peel is converted to biochar at 600° before being ground to nanoparticles through ultrasound treatment. The particles’ surface attracts the nitrophenol, which...

Tomato waste can protect tinned food. Meanwhile another Italian startup is aiming to extend the shelf life of fruit and vegetables - using waste from liquorice production. Certain materials in the ‘sweet root’ are effective against bacteria, viruses and fungal spores. In a patented process, root hairs from the plant are extracted then converted into nanoparticles, which are used...

Waste from beer production can be used as a leather alternative. If breweries aren’t inventing new types of beer, then maintaining the quality of hops is vital. Hops, after all, is what gives beer its distinctive taste. With climate change impacting consistent plant properties, a female-founded startup in Spain is mitigating the risk by growing hops vertically in 10m...

Foliage can be used to make sustainable paper and packaging material. Similarly, a Swedish startup is using seagrass that has been washed ashore to manufacture environmentally-friendly yarn. Until now the plant, which is present in large quantities on beaches, has simply been discarded. A recent feasibility study has shown it can be made into yarn without the addition of...

A maze-like material keeps insects away from plants. In France, meanwhile, a startup is creating sustainable pesticides from plant scents as around 80% of harmful insects are drawn to by these odours. The team deciphers which scents are particularly attractive for different species, and replicates the molecules in the lab. These can be used for the targeted defence of...

Cardamom provides protection against pathogens. And, as an Australia-based research team recently discovered, pathogens can also be held at bay using peppermint essential oil. This could be particularly important in the context of medical devices. In an initial test, plasma was used to apply an extremely thin film of peppermint oil to a urinary catheter. Enabling the oil molecules...