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Agriculture

People working on small farms often find they have back problems after a few years, say researchers who are developing a robotic farming aide. Image credit - Sony computer science laboratories
agriculture | industry
21 April 2020

The robots weeding organic farms and patrolling for greenhouse pests

Robots that use artificial intelligence to recognise the health of fruit and vegetable crops and when they’re ready to harvest are being trialled to help small, organic and greenhouse farmers with weeding and patrolling for pests.

The discovery of Xyella fastidiosa in European olive trees in 2013 caught European researchers off-guard. Image credit - Sjor/Wikimedia commons, licenced under CC BY-SA 4.0
agriculture
17 March 2020

The fight to save Europe’s olive trees from disease

A plant disease spread by sap-sucking insects has been devastating olive and fruit orchards across southern Europe, but scientists are inching closer to halting its spread with the help of insect repelling clays, vegetative barriers and genetic analysis.

A seed-sharing network would allow European farmers to manage their own seed resources rather than depend on what big agribusiness want to sell. Image credit - Pixabay/ StockSnap, licensed under pixabay license
environment | agriculture | frontier research
08 August 2019

Sharing seeds could help farmers grow better food

Tapping into the genetic diversity contained within the seeds of wild relatives and forgotten crop plants could help farmers decrease their dependency on global agribusiness and grow food better suited to local conditions.

Analysing chicken genetics could help identify which strains are more responsive to a particular microbe. Image credit - Pexels, licensed under the pexels licence
health | agriculture
05 August 2019

Coming to a farm near you: The humble microbe boosting Europe’s food industry

Farmers who want to produce bigger chickens, fewer greenhouse gas-filled cow burps or healthier animals are increasingly able to turn to one tiny source: microbes.

Farm waste is often full of nutrients that take time to break down before crops can use them. Image credit - Pxhere, licensed under CC0
environment | agriculture
18 July 2019

Green fertiliser made from cow dung and chicken feathers could transform big agriculture

A raft of strategies is being trialled in Europe to turn nutrient-rich farm waste such as chicken feathers, cow dung and plant stalks into green fertiliser. Full of phosphorus and nitrogen, recycled products could help reduce intensive agriculture’s emissions and reliance on fertiliser imports.

Recording the true production levels of small farms could help farmers access greater support, according to researchers. Image credit - Flickr/Rick Obst, licensed under CC BY 2.0
agriculture | environment | frontier research
12 June 2019

Small farms produce more food than statistics show

Small farms sometimes get overlooked as a feasible solution for feeding a growing population, but researchers say they should be given greater support, with some producing more food than official statistics report.

There is concern that climate change is happening too fast for forests to adapt, so scientists are giving them a helping hand. Image credit - Mehdi Pringarbe/INRA Avignon, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
agriculture | environment
21 March 2019

Genetic diversity maps to help forests survive climate change

Forests have a special magic for many of us. Steeped in folklore and fantasy, they are places for enchantments, mythical creatures and outlaws. But if they are to survive into the future, they may also need a helping hand from science.

A freesia's root architecture helps the plant store food to survive seasonal weather conditions. Image credit - Brian Atkinson
agriculture | environment
16 October 2018

Root architecture discoveries could help breed drought-resistant crops

We should breed new varieties of crops based on their root architecture rather than just focusing on the top half of the plant, according to scientists looking at how to cultivate plants that use water more efficiently and better withstand drought conditions.

Agriculture should be a good example of a circular economy, but modern farming practices and international markets have changed that. Image credit - Hemmo/ Pixabay.
environment | agriculture
24 September 2018

Recharging soils with carbon could make farms more productive

Turning crop waste and discarded paper into a material called biochar could help to capture carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil while also helping to enrich farmland.

LED-vertical-farm-hydroponics
agriculture | environment
12 June 2018

Indoor farms could fine-tune the flavours of our food

A new way to farm indoors using different wavelengths of light could boost the taste of fruits, salads and herbs, while also increasing food supply and nutritional value.

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