Farming

In an effort to keep livestock safe from coyotes while not harming the predators themselves, researchers ran experiments with a remote-controlled vehicle. The solution worked, hinting at a future in which robot ranch hands could work night patrol.

Herbicide resistance represents a huge problem for the agricultural sector. Exploiting molecular similarities between bacteria and plants, researchers have repurposed a "failed" antibiotic as an effective weedkiller that's safe for humans.

About 18% of the Amazon rainforest has been cut down since the 1970s. Seeking ways to help get some of that lost forestland back, researchers have turned to a rich soil created by the activities of the Amerindians thousands of years ago.

Nobody likes the idea of herbicides in their veggies, yet hiring workers to pick weeds by hand can be prohibitively expensive. The Vulcan farm implement offers an alternative, as it automatically spots and yanks weeds while leaving crop plants alone.

While crops do sequester some atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) via photosynthesis, they could always use a bit of help. California startup Andes is aiming to provide that help, by putting carbon-capturing microbes in the soil of farmers' fields.

A new study shows that lettuce readily takes up particles produced from rubber car tires as they roll along our roadways. The research is part of a growing body of evidence that materials we use everyday are flowing back into our food supply.

Swedish electric moto maker Cake is aiming to help clean up large-scale farming operations by replacing polluting machinery with the Kibb, an electric four-wheeler that can ride like an all-terrain vehicle or serve as an autonomous cargo hauler.

After two years of development, California startup Monarch Tractor has launched the AI-packing, all-electric MK-V Founder Series, and announced deliveries to its first customer – wine and spirits producer Constellation Brands.

If you’re a farmer with a herd of hundreds of cows, keeping tabs on them can be tricky work, but we’ve seen how sensor tags might one day ease the burden. New research has demonstrated how smartwatch-style sensors could be powered by animal movement.

Farmers are increasingly being encouraged to plant cover crops, which take the place of their main crops during the off-season. According to a new study, however, the use of cover crops can actually reduce main-crop yields.

Just like many of the flowers in your garden, rice has traditionally been an annual plant – that means new crops have to be sown every year. A perennial version is now available, however, which comes back on its own over multiple growing seasons.

In an example of a building's design reflecting its purpose comes a fish eye-shaped floating event space dedicated to salmon farming. The Salmon Eye is finished in 9,500 stainless steel scales that are meant to resemble the fish's silvery skin.