Here’s the latest round up of groundbreaking developments in the world of agritech. In this issue, we unpack the ocean-cleaning powers of robotic jellyfish, discuss the potential of fluorescent plants, and uncover the latest progress in aerial crop spraying.
We’ve designed this newsletter to kickstart exciting conversations around the future of agriculture in New Zealand and beyond
Kia pai te rā,
Melissa (FutureCentre.nz) and Shane (Callaghan Innovation)
A vertical farm built inside a greenhouse in Texas has cut energy use by 75 per cent by using sunlight.
The lettuce farm in Dallas, Texas has combined the efficiencies of a greenhouse with the density of a vertical farm. The unique farming technique is shortening supply chains, reducing transportation costs, and allowing produce to be delivered to stores just one week after harvest.
The farming solution launched by Eden Green Technology has lettuce plants stacked in vertical towers to allow sunlight to come through greenhouse windows and reach every plant. They’ve also created a microclimate solution that means only the space directly surrounding each plant needs to be monitored as opposed to climate of the entire greenhouse.
Operating since October 2022, the aim is to add six more greenhouses that could produce up to 2.7 million kilograms of produce a year.
Will they actually decrease power use or increase production instead? How will the salad industry compete?
Drones have long captured the attention of tech early adopters. But on farms, they’ve largely been used for observation of land or stock - until now.
An aerial crop-spraying machine for farm fields is the first large electrical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft approved for commercial use in the U.S.
Guardian Agriculture has been given the green light by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate, and with commercial farmers moving away from tractor sprayers, autonomous aerial systems are a popular alternative. With a 20L payload, these hefty drones cover substantial acreage all without causing damage to crops, unlike tractor spraying.
Will this open the door for other drone start-ups? Could this authorisation open up possibilities for other drone-powered agritech applications?
Plastic pollution in the oceans is a major issue for many reasons, including that fish are becoming contaminated with it.
Previous mechanical attempts to clean up ocean plastic have had rigid bodies with hydraulic pumps and motors - causing noise pollution underwater and potential damage to marine ecosystems and wildlife.
The Jellyfish-Bot imitates the movements and functionality of real jellyfish to trap and extract rubbish from the ocean. Its biophilic design allows it to pulse electric energy through artificial soft `muscles’ enabling the jelly-bot to move swiftly and gracefully. Plus, being hand-sized they’re lightweight, energy-efficient, and near-silent.
How might we use less human-like design in robot creation and take inspiration from other life forms?
Might that change the way we manage fisheries? Or herd sheep (remember our Robotic Wolves story from Global Signals #7?)
California start-up InnerPlant has developed plants that glow in response to stressors such as attacks from pathogens, lack of nutrients or drought, through RNA sequencing. For the fluorescing plants to be useful to farmers, their glow needs to stand out from sunlight reflected off the leaves. So far, on-ground detectors have been successful in identifying the glowing plants in sunlit fields.
InnerPlants’ goal is to develop fluorescent responses strong enough to be seen from satellites in space which could mean hectare-level detection. The glowing sensors will help reduce the use of chemical pesticides, improve land-use via early detection, and grow healthy produce.
Could our crops be managed from afar and deliver what a crop needs by drone? See the Guardian Agriculture story above. If I combined those could I run my farm remotely?
A new matchmaking service that connects primary producers with local organisations looking to produce animal feed from farming by-products is on its way.
New Zealand's Bioresource Processing Alliance will soon allow growers to list by-products such as seeds, stalks, and low-grade produce as ingredients for existing or new food formulations.
It’s estimated that more than 200,000 tonnes of food production by-products could be redirected away from landfill or low-value uses like compost using the database if rolled out nationally.
With circularity being a huge global movement, as well as the need to reduce our dependence on imported feeds, utilising our own by-products could be one solution.
Could NZ become self-sufficient for animal feed? Do we need a food security plan for our livestock as well as for people?
From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want Rob Hopkins
In a world that so often seems to be heading for dystopia, imagination is a fundamental skill.
This book asks (and answers) some important questions such as What if we took play seriously? What if school nurtured young imaginations? What if our leaders prioritised the cultivation of imagination?
After hundreds of interviews, the book presents numerous case studies of things getting better through the application of creative thought.
Imagination allows us to create alternate futures and explore “things as if they could be otherwise”. Hopkins makes the case for finding more time for imagination in school, politics, work, and in our personal lives.
We’d love to hear your feedback so we can continue to share relevant monthly reads with you.
Don’t forget to share with us any signals or interesting innovations you’ve come across so we can spread the word. We enjoy seeing NZ companies be creative, innovative and push the boundaries, it makes for insightful reading.
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