farming

Undersea beds: Nemo’s Garden takes terrestrial farming to new depths

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It may look like the setting for a science fiction thriller in these photos, but this underwater research farm for terrestrial plants is exploring novel agriculture Technology 2 March 2022 By Gege Li Agency Nemo’s Garden by Ocean Reef Group THIS otherworldly, underwater environment is more than just a cool diving spot. It is a sunken farm for … Read more

Solar panel add-on pulls water from air without consuming electricity

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The system uses day-night temperature differences to extract water from the air while slightly increasing electricity generation by cooling solar panels Environment 1 March 2022 By Michael Le Page A prototype of the water-harvesting device Renyuan Li A three-month trial in Saudi Arabia has shown that a solar panel add-on system can harvest water without … Read more

Air pollution makes it harder for pollinators to find plants

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A field trial found that levels of nitrogen oxides and ozone similar to those near roads led to a 70 per cent drop in the numbers of bees and butterflies on mustard plants Environment 19 January 2022 By Adam Vaughan A marbled white butterfly (Melanargia galathea) feeding on a greater knapweed flower (Centaurea scabiosa) robertharding … Read more

Can electric fields help plants grow? New claims met with caution

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A study suggests that a small device powered by wind and rain can boost crop yield, but other researchers have cast doubt on the findings Life 13 January 2022 By Adam Vaughan Pea plants growing in a greenhouse Andreeshcheva Katerina/Shutterstock A team of researchers claims to have shown that a high-voltage electric field generated using … Read more

Gene-edited food: UK plans to embrace technology shouldn’t harm animal welfare, say ethicists

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Gene-edited foods may one day be sold in UK shops, but ethicists warn that using the technology in livestock may exacerbate animal welfare issues if, for example, it leads to the creation of disease-resistant animals that can be housed together more densely Environment 1 December 2021 By Adam Vaughan Gene editing could exacerbate animal welfare … Read more

Impossible Foods in talks with UK farmers to swap livestock for trees

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Exclusive: CEO of plant-based “meat” firm plans to show economic and climate change benefits of planting trees on land used for cattle and sheep production Environment 2 December 2021 By Adam Vaughan Pat Brown with Impossible Foods’ plant-based burger ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images The chief executive of Impossible Foods is in talks with UK … Read more

Tropical forests: Some abandoned farmland reverts to forest within 20 years

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In the tropics, trees are cleared to make way for farmland that is abandoned once the soil is no longer productive – but these sites can become forest again surprisingly quickly Environment 9 December 2021 By Chen Ly Pasture and young secondary forest in Anhembi, Brazil Rens Brouwer Tropical forests can re-establish themselves quickly on … Read more