The Future of Agriculture? Smart Farming
The agricultural sector is going to face enormous challenges in order to feed the 9.6 billion by 2050. One way to increase the quality and quantity of agricultural production is using sensing technology to make farms more “intelligent” and more connected through the so-called “precision agriculture” also known as “smart farming.” It’s already happening, as corporations and farm offices collect vast amounts of information.
 
Are Shrooms the New Pesticide?
Scientists in Ireland have found that growing fungus inside barley helps the plants ward off disease. Brian Murphy, a botanist at Trinity College Dublin, has also shown that an inoculation of fungus allows plants to thrive in harsh conditions. If this technology pans out, it could replace pesticides in some situations. Instead of buying seeds coated in neonicotinoids, farmers might buy seeds coated with the spores of fungi, which would then make their way inside the crop. There are already several research groups and companies playing around with fungal treatments for ag.
 
Edible Insects: Grub Pioneers Aim to Make Bugs Palatable
Could insects be the next sushi and bug-burgers the new sirloin steak? Chapul, which makes energy bars from finely milled crickets, hopes so. More bug-based food producers are emerging, encouraged by the FAO’s championing of insects − mini-livestock − as a sustainable alternative to conventional herds. But are western consumers ready to see bugs, more typically associated with spreading disease, as dinner?
 
Turning Our Mountains of Food Waste into Graphene
Blended cocoa beans, rice, fruit skins, leeks and asparagus sounds like it should be a recipe for a disastrous smoothie. But these are just some of the wasted foodstuffs that are being treated and converted into materials, with environmental benefits. Scientists have found that they can turn coffee grounds and stale bakery goods into a sugary solution that can be used to manufacture plastic.