Agriculture is the cultivation of land and the breeding of both animals and plants for the purpose of sustaining life. The development of agriculture allowed the expansion and growth of the human race. The major agricultural products are grouped into foods, fuels, fibres and raw materials. then sub-groups such as cereals, vegetables, fruits oils etc. within food.
Modern
Modern agronomy, plant breeding, pesticides and fertilisers have massive enhanced the yields from cultivation. However, the effects of these have caused widespread ecological and environmental damage. Problems are also present when concerning selective breeding. Although the results are prosperous there are active concerns about animal welfare. Backlash against the environmental effects of conventional agriculture. This resulting in organic, regenerative and sustainable agricultural movements.
Two new pilot projects funded by the UK Space Agency are exploring how satellite data and digital technologies can help farmers make better decisions, improve productivity, and care for the environment.
Nicolas Friggens at the French Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) discusses cattle farming resilience and efficiency with genomics in breeding programmes
Aarthi JanakiRaman, Research Director, Chemicals and Advanced Materials at TechVision, explains the need for an integrated approach to improve adoption of biological control agents for soil and pest management.
Laura Arneson Horn, Owner of the Wild Bee Project considers the ecological value of hedgerows, crop pollination by diverse wild bees and restoring biodiversity
With farmers using electric toothbrushes to pollinate tomatoes, scientists are using micro-robotic tech to figure out how 'buzz pollination' can be replicated.
Experts warn that an increasingly unhealthy diet is not only bad for humans, but also global agrobiodiversity – slowly damaging human health and the Earth.
Mark Gleason, Professor, Iowa State University Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology in the U.S., describes the pesticide problem and in this vein, why testing new options is needed to sustain apple production.
Cattle production is under serious economic threat due to the increasing heat stress placed on the animals – facing a financial loss of up to $40 billion yearly.
Professor Apichart Vanavichit, Director of the Rice Science Center offers insight into how the next generation of glutinous rice varieties are critical to food security in Thailand and Laos.
Plant ecologists suggest that people should be eating more insects and using the insect waste to grow crops, as it gives added nutrients to the soil we use.
David Green, Executive Director of the U.S. Sustainability Alliance, highlights agricultural innovation and its challenges, including how the USDA’s NIFA is supporting this policy area.
