Farming

Keeping on top of weed growth can be an onerous task for farmers raising large-scale crops for harvest. A new robot could help them keep on top of things, however, by hunting down and killing unwanted plants with zaps of electricity.

In a move that could help feed the world's ever-growing population, researchers at MIT have developed a silk covering that is treated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria to allow seeds to grow in high-salinity soils not currently suitable for crops.

By 2050, the UN thinks there will be nearly 10 billion people on planet Earth, with 68 percent living in urban areas. New research explores whether Aztec farming techniques could hold one answer to feeding the cities of the future.

A new laser "scarecrow" is helping farmers to protect their sweetcorn crops from marauding birds.

​Russia's largest agricultural holding company has joined forces with AI development firm Cognitive Technologies to pilot autonomous crop management on 665,000 hectares of land. It is hoped that the technology will help reduce crop losses while also improving farming efficiency.​

​Imagine being able to harvest fresh veggies precisely when you need them without leaving the house. That's the promise of indoor gardens like the OGarden Smart and the Cell One. Now IGWorks is making a bid for your living space with a vertical hydroponics garden called the iHarvest.​

One of the most important transitions in human history was when we stopped hunting and gathering for food and settled down to become farmers. Now, to reconstruct the history of one particular archaeological site in Turkey, scientists have examined the salts left behind from human and animal pee.

​Not everyone has access to enough land for growing veggies, making indoor garden devices quite attractive prospects for those looking for year-round fresh produce. The latest is a multi-tier setup called the Cell One.​

​Living in a crowded inner city means that many residents don't have a garden of their own, so are unable to grow their own veggies. Last year's OGarden moved gardening indoors, mounting plants on a ferris-like wheel. The design has now been updated, resulting in the OGarden Smart.​

A team of scientists from Germany’s University of Tübingen has discovered a novel and unusual sugar molecule that shows great potential as a natural herbicide. It is harmless to animals and humans but can effectively disrupt the growth of various plants and microorganisms.

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is a highly infectious and deadly disease among pigs, with outbreaks leading to huge livestock losses. Now, researchers from Jilin University in China have genetically modified pigs to be resistant to the virus, which will also pass that down to their offspring.

A new international study into the impact of agricultural land use on climate change has found organic food production is worse for the climate than conventional farming, due to the fact that it needs greater areas of land to grow produce.