Thursday, November 7, 2013

AgriRover brings Mars rover technology to the farm



AgriRover brings Mars rover technology to the farm

The AgriRover on patrol in a paddock

We tend to think of livestock farmers as "one man and his dog," but if AgResearch of New Zealand has anything to say, that pair may have to move over to include a robot. A team led by Dr. Andrew Manderson is developing AgriRover, an agricultural robot inspired by NASA's Mars rovers. It's a proof-of-concept prototype designed to show how robots can make life easier and more productive for livestock farmers.

The basic idea behind AgriRover is precision agriculture. That is, instead of using conventional methods of tending to entire fields at one time, the farmer uses robotics and other technologies to deal with problems on a much smaller scale.

A livestock paddock, for example, may look uniform, but under the grass there's a great deal of variability of soil and conditions. Levels of potassium, sulfur, and acidity can be very different even within a single square meter. The main reason is that livestock don't pee or poop in anything like a uniform pattern, as anyone who's seen a lawn burned by a dog can attest. Weeds also tend to grow in clumps, and a paddock can have many dry or sodden patches.

The AgriRover is designed for precision agriculture

Ideally, paddocks can be made healthier and more productive if they can be surveyed on a very small scale and each problem area addressed with individual treatment. That is where AgriRover comes in.

"We started this project in 2012 and presented the first prototypes at the [Fertilizer and Lime Research Centre] conference back in February," says Manderson. "We've come a long way since then, and have had a functional rover out in the paddock since April."

Manderson sees a practical version of AgriRover in use within 5 to 10 years. Intended to operate day and night in all weather, the idea is to have a robot that can autonomously navigate its way around a paddock, send back real-time data on each area, provide on-the-spot treatments or dye markings for each problem encountered, generate prescription maps, and return to base for recharging and resupply.

The prototype, the third in a series, was built with off-the-shelf components – many originally developed for motorized wheelchairs. AgriRover is powered by lithium phosphate batteries supplemented with a solar panel for additional range during daylight hours. It's also designed to be small enough to go under two-wire fences and gates.

"This works in all weather, all of the time, quietly going about its tasks without creating extra jobs for the farmer. It's designed to be easy to operate, and will report results as needed to a cell phone or computer," says Dr. Manderson.

The tricky bit of the development was coming up with a drive system that was both simple and able to maneuver in a muddy paddock. In addition, speed in traversing the paddock had to weighed against battery duration and the need to survey the area efficiently. The result is a 150-kg (330-lb) robot with four 180-watt motors capable of handling uneven ground at 5 km/h (3 mph) and small slopes of less than 20 degrees. Guidance is by internal dead reckoning, relative position sensors (such as laser or ultrasonics) and other aids, including buried magnets and wires.

The chassis is steel for greater strength, which is important, given the project's tight budget. "We accidentally dropped it off the back of a ute and it fell on its lid," says Manderson. "We just turned it over and away it went again."

According to Manderson, the biggest hurdle still to be overcome is finding a way to handle urine patches and small weed clumps. This requires a high degree of accurate navigation, and towing a chemical spray unit is too much for the battery-powered robot. However, once properly developed, Manderson sees AgriRover as having wider applications.

"For example, other scientists are developing robots to herd cows in for milking," Manderson says. "Likewise, we can put a camera on this thing so farmers can use it as a remotely controlled rover that they can use to check things on their farm, such as keeping a 24-hour watch on springers at calving time."

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

In-vitro success of Japanese wonder mushroom heading for commercial take | Voice of Himachal

In-vitro success of Japanese wonder mushroom heading for commercial take

October 16, 2013

After successful growth of a Japanese mushroom in the testing labs, experts are moving ahead with commercial propagation as first plant was set up at Dhangiara village under Gohar block in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh.

Having medicinal properties and wonder food quality, mushroom are being grown commercially in Japan and China, now being undergoing field trial in this state which is famous for Mushroom production .

For the first time in India major break through has been achieved as an organization was working on in-vitro and field trail successfully grew this mushroom with pain staking effort of a women mycologist for last two decades.

Dr. Maninder Jeet Kaur of Himalayan Research Group (HRG), a local non-government organisation took up the study of the prized mushroom, called Lentinula Edodes by botanists and commercially popularized it is also named as 'Shiitake' or 'Shiiya Gu'.

"It is first such kind of natural food product enriched in protein carbohydrate, lipid and vitamin, whereas it has minerals and all amino acid of protein required for man in the dietary components. It has as much protein as in fresh green pea", Mycologist noted.

She went on to obtain her doctorate degree carrying out detailed studies of physical and physiological conditions required for the mushroom's cultivation.

Its production was being done on the standardise cultivation module on blocks of poplar and eucalyptus sawdust mixture and a few other locally available enriching ingredients. Sawdust waste from saw mills of Punjab and Haryana, which otherwise is discarded, gains value by cultivating the mushroom.

Explaining the technique, Dr. Kaur said steam-sterilised sawdust blocks were inoculated with culture of Shiitake and incubated at room temperature. It took around 45 to 60 days for colonisation of sawdust block at ambient temperature of 23°C to 25°C. Mushrooms started appearing after the temperature was lowered to 12°C to 18°C. The required humidity was maintained by sprinkling water on the block.

She said standardised cultivation modules did not require specialised infrastructure like compost unit and cropping facility. Natural shiitake cultivation in temperate climate started in February and March and ended around November and December.

It could be grown in temperate climate at minimal cost by stacking the sawdust blocks in temporary sheds and household rooms. A 10x10x10 feet  room could accommodate about 500 blocks of a kg each in a three-tier arrangement to produce 500 kg of mushroom, which yielded 100 percent profit at the lowest rate.

HRG director Dr. Lal Singh said that the achievement would not have been possible without the sustained support of the department of science and technology. The marketing was initially a problem, as people hesitated to purchase the mushroom due to lack of awareness and even considered it poisonous as it looks like wild mushroom. However, the dried produce displayed in exhibitions helped in breaking the ice.

The HRG plans to carry out commercial production over 5,000 to 6,000 blocks at its field station in Gohar for consumption of general consumers in Mandi and Manali areas. Once it became popular among consumers, interested farmers would be trained in its cultivation and provided with colonised blocks to establish their household enterprises, he said.


Monday, September 30, 2013

AIKS to held protest against lifting of import duty on Apple | Voice of Himachal


AIKS to held protest against lifting of import duty on Apple

July 31, 2013

All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) is planning to hold a demonstration on 1st August, 2013 against lifting of import duty from import of apple.

Press secretary of Himachal Kisan Sabha (HKS), Satyander Chauhan said in a press release that this decision was taken in 33rd All India Kisan Sabha Conference held at Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu from 24th to 27th July, 2013.

HKS leaders will launch a massive campaign against the proposed lifting of import duty from apple from the year 2014. They will mobilize the apple growers of the state and there will be a warning demonstration on this issue at tehsil, block and sub-division level on 1st August, 2013.

Mr. Satyander Chauhan said that 9 members delegation from Himachal had participated in the conference in which HKS General Secretary, Dr. Onkar was elected as Central Kisan Committee Member and HKS President, Dr. Kuldip Tanwar as All India Kisan Council Member.

Dr. Tanwar who attended the AIKS conference at Tamil Nadu raised the issues like lifting of import duty from apple, wild animal menace and issue of alternative policy for the development of Himalayan region states. He blamed the central government for carrying on the agenda of World Trade Organisation (WTO) and World Bank and said that under the influence of WTO, government is forcing anti-poor and anti-farmer policies in our country.

"The government is lifting the quantitative restriction on import and also lifting the import duty from 2014 on apple coming from outside of the country.", farmer leader said. He also stated that after the lifting of quantitative restrictions and import duty from apple, the domestic market and producers of apple will have to face stiff competition from America, China and other European countries. At present apple growers are already facing challenges and hardships due to the misuse of South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA).

Menace of wild animals was also discussed in the conference. Many states reported that they are also facing the problem of wild animals in their respective states. The state of Rajasthan is badly facing the menace of wild boar and blue bull.

"In Himachal, including monkey, wild boar, blue bull there are dozens of wild animals and birds who are destroying the apple, vegetable and cereal crops of thousand crores.", HKS leader said adding that the wrong policies of centre and states are responsible for creating this problem.

There is a need of aggressive and intensive campaign to fight out with this issue. At the national level coordination committee will be formed to devise the strategy to tackle the issue of wild animal menace.

State delegation from Himachal Pradesh also raised demand of alternate development policy for hilly states. As on today there is a binding for hilly states to retain 60 percent green cover out of the total area of the state. Because of this condition there is very little area for agriculture, horticulture and other farming related activities in these hilly states.

There is not much scope of industrialization in hilly region. Therefore, unemployed youth of Himalayan states do not have any alternative employment and they are forced to migrate to other states in search of employment. Central government is not giving any amount of compensation to these states in lieu of protection of environment and green forest. Kisan Sabha will prepare an alternate development policy for Himalayan states and will submit it to the central government.



Sent from my iPad

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Device that harvests water from thin air wins the James Dyson Award

Device that harvests water from thin air wins the James Dyson Award

Edward Linacre has won the 2011 James Dyson Award for his Airdrop irrigation concept

Edward Linacre has won the 2011 James Dyson Award for his Airdrop irrigation.  

Young Melbourne-based inventor Edward Linacre has won the 2011 James Dyson Award, making it the second year in a row where the prestigious prize has gone to an Aussie. Linacre stole this year's competition with his Airdrop irrigation concept that collects water from thin air. The Swinburne University of Technology design graduate was driven to transform an ancient cooling technique into a new sub-surface irrigation system, following the enduring Australian drought that saw high levels of farmer suicide along Australia's Murray- Darling Basin.

  • The Airdrop irrigation concept is a low-tech design that uses the simple process of conden...
  • Utilizing a turbine intake system, air is channeled underground through a network of pipin...
  • Linacre is a Swinburne University of Technology design graduate (image: James Dyson Award)
  • Airdrop is a new sub-surface irrigation system (image: James Dyson Award)

The Airdrop irrigation concept is a low-tech design that uses the simple process of condensation to harvest water from the air. Utilizing a turbine intake system, air is channeled underground through a network of piping that quickly cools the air to soil temperature. This process creates an environment of 100-percent humidity, from which water is then harvested. The collected water is stored in an underground tank, ready to be pumped out via sub-surface drip irrigation hosing. The Airdrop design also features an LCD screen displaying water levels, pressure strength, solar battery life and system health.

Utilizing a turbine intake system, air is channeled underground through a network of pipin...

"The one that I made in the backyard at mum's house was creating about a liter of water a day," Linacre told Gizmag. Although the backyard trial was successful on a small scale, Linacre did prove that it could be implemented on a large agricultural scale. "The low-tech solution is perfect for rural farmers," explained Linacre. "[It's] something they can install, something they can maintain ... taking water out of the air and irrigating their crops."

The James Dyson Award is an international competition that attracts designs and inventions from young creators all over the world. As the winner, Linacre will receive GBP10,000 (US$14,000), with a further GBP10,000 (US$14,000) going to Swinburne's Faculty of Design.

Advanced soil moisture monitoring technology saves water

Advanced soil moisture monitoring technology saves water

December 5, 2007 Effective use and management of precious water resources is increasingly a key concern for many countries. Two products from Agrilink offer optimization of irrigation scheduling via advanced soil moisture monitoring technology that promise vast water-savings for the environment.

AquaBlu is an intelligent domestic watering system regulator that oversees garden watering to ensure plants are never over-watered and watering is done to a pre-defined soil wetness level. The system consists of a sensor that accurately measures the wetness of the soil and is cabled to a smart controller, which is connected to the watering system controller. It oversees the scheduled watering program and determines whether watering is needed. If the sensor reads that the soil is dry then normal watering is carried out, but if the sensor reads that the soil is already wet then watering is suspended to prevent unnecessary water use. The system easily connects with most domestic and urban automatic watering systems and the soil moisture level is controlled via a simple dial setting on the AquaBlu regulator. Multi-zone installations ensure correct watering where different plants have different watering requirements and the easy installation of the sensor to any required depth means it is ideal for monitoring the soil moisture levels of shallow-rooted plants, such as grass.

The Aquaspy is a multi-probe technology, ideal for golf, turf, commercial (cotton, viticulture, horticulture, tree crops, vegetables, and pasture and broad acre applications), government and residential applications. Easy to use and durable, the system challenges the inefficiencies of traditional methods of irrigation with a simple 'plug and play' technology. A radical new design for both above ground and subsurface installation delivers improvements in both sensor accuracy and reliability. A sensor every 4 inches (10cm) provides comprehensive information on soil water dynamics, enabling irrigation to be matched to crop water requirements for improved yield, quality and enhanced water sustainability.

The payback for the customer for use of these products is a potential reduction in water use for irrigation of anything from 20-70% depending on the application. The technologies are robust, flexible and cost efficient. Created in Australia in conjunction with design firm Tiller + Tiller, both the AquaSpy and AquaBlu have international distribution in the US, New Zealand, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, the Middle East, China, India and Europe.

Aquarius: intelligent automated sprinkler design

Aquarius: intelligent automated sprinkler design

Aquarius intelligent automated sprinkler design

September 11, 2008 Looking more like an alien spacecraft than a sprinkler, Aquarius is an irrigation control system designed by Aydin Oztoprak and Ozgur Ruhi Ulvan. Solar powered and remote managed, Aquarius automatically adjusts its water flow depending on the soil, crop and weather, conditions making it one very intelligent piece of eco-friendly water design.

  • Aquarius: intelligent automated sprinkler design
  • Aquarius: intelligent automated sprinkler design
  • Aquarius: intelligent automated sprinkler design

The design includes sensors attached to its shaft to enable detection of humidity at different levels of soil. The idea is to deliver the most efficient way of irrigation to combat the massive use of water by agricultural irrigation. It's definitely a concept with massive potential.

WaterBee puts crop irrigation on a smartphone

WaterBee puts crop irrigation on a smartphone

WaterBee demonstration at Castelldefels, Barcelona

With robots doing everything from milking cows to crop dusting, farming has come a long way since they days of plodding along behind a horse and plow. Irrigation practices are also benefiting from advances in technology. The large-scale WaterBee smart irrigation and water management system is a case in point: it allows farmers use their smartphones to not only switch on the water where and when it's needed, but also to get up to the minute information on field conditions.

According to the World Wildlife Foundation, the world uses 2,500 trillion liters of fresh water every year for growing crops. Unfortunately, it estimates that 60 percent of this is wasted due in part to inefficient irrigation systems. One way to counter this is by taking a page from precision farming, which relies on precisely attending to small areas or even individual plants on farms. In this case, WaterBee tries to cut the water bill by making a detailed study of fields and figuring out which bit needs how much water.

Coordinated from Limerick, Ireland, the WaterBee Project is a two-year, industry-driven demonstration project for an inexpensive, intelligent, flexible, easy-to-use, but accurate irrigation management system using wireless networking, environmental sensors and improvements in crop modelling. It's aimed at farms, vineyards, golf clubs, public authorities and landscape managers and will be provided throughout Europe through business partners.

The WaterBee irrigation system

WaterBee is made up of a series of modular smart sensors distributed over an area that monitor soil moisture and other environmental factors that affect crop development and plant health. The output from these sensors is fed through a ZigBee wireless sensor network and from there to a GPRS gateway, which goes to a central web service. This service uses an intelligent software package to analyze the data, make models, and provide farmers and other users with advice based on their particular needs. The end result is fed back to an "easy-to-use" app on the user's smartphone or tablet.

According to the developers, this reduces water use by allowing farmers to precisely schedule where, when and how much to irrigate as well as improving plant health and crop yields with lower operating costs. They also say that the modular components are easy to install and the system is also very flexible and is able to adjust to changing conditions. Estimated water savings over conventional irrigation are in the neighborhood of 40 percent.

WaterBee is already in use at 14 reference sites in Estonia, Malta, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

The top 12 ways Israel feeds the world


The top 12 ways Israel feeds the world

From drip irrigation to natural pesticides, Israeli innovations are helping to fill hungry bellies everywhere, but particularly in the developing world.

Tal-Ya's trays catch every drop of dew

Food security is a major concern for our rapidly growing planet. As resources dwindle and the population rises, smart solutions for better agriculture and safer food storage are essential.

No other single country – certainly not one as young and as tiny as Israel – has contributed more breakthroughs in this area than Israel.

Since the 1950s, Israelis have not only been finding miraculous ways to green their own desert but have shared their discoveries far and wide through channels including MASHAV, Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

ISRAEL21c has highlighted dozens of food-related advances pioneered by Israelis. Here are 12 major ways Israel helps feed the world.

1. Drip irrigation

Probably no other advancement has been quite as significant. While the concept of drip irrigation existed well before Israeli statehood, it was revolutionized by Israeli water engineer Simcha Blass, who serendipitously discovered that a slow and balanced drip led to remarkable growth. He created tubing that slowly released water where it was most effective, and in 1965 Kibbutz Hatzerim built a whole new industry, Netafim, based on his invention. 

Israeli drip and micro-irrigation solutions rapidly spread worldwide. The newest models are self-cleaning and maintain uniform flow rate regardless of water quality and pressure.

Just one recent example of how this method has impacted food supply in foreign countries is Tipa, literally "Drop," an Israeli-developed kit that has allowed 700 farming families in Senegal to reap crops three times a year instead of just once, even on infertile land.

Tipa is "a simple drip irrigation system that uses gravity when there is no water supply or water pressure coming to rural areas," MASHAV's Ilan Fluss told ISRAEL21c. The organization has similar activities in Kenya, South Africa, Benin and Niger.

Senegalese farmers learning how to install the Tipa irrigation kit.
Senegalese farmers learning how to install the Tipa irrigation kit.

2. Grain cocoons

Israeli-designed GrainPro Cocoons provide a surprisingly simple and cheap way for African and Asian farmers to keep their grain market-fresh.

The huge bags, invented by international food technology consultant Prof. Shlomo Navarro, keep both water and air out. They're used all over the developed world, including Africa and the Far East, and even in countries that have no diplomatic ties to Israel, such as Pakistan.

As much as 50 percent of every grain harvest and 100% of every pulse harvest is lost to pests and mold, Navarro told ISRAEL21c. Subsistence farmers in developing countries tend to store their crops in primitive baskets or bags, which are not effective in keeping hungry bugs and micro-contaminants out. The Cocoon solves that problem, even in extreme heat and humidity.

The Cocoon stores crops safely.
The Cocoon stores crops safely.

3. Biological pest control

On Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu, a company called Bio-Bee breeds beneficial insects and mites for biological pest control and bumblebees for natural pollination in greenhouses and open fields. Subsidiary Bio-Fly sells sterile Mediterranean fruit flies to control this major pest in fruit trees.

R&D manager Dr. Shimon Steinberg told ISRAEL21c the company's top seller worldwide is two-millimeter-long, pear-shaped orange spider that is a highly efficient enemy of the spider mite, a devastating agricultural pest.

"Sixty percent of California strawberries since 1990 are treated with this predatory mite from the Holy Land," he reported. In Israel, Bio-Bee products have enabled sweet-pepper farmers to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 75 percent.

Bio-Bee exports eight different species of biological control agents, plus pollinating bumblebees, to 32 nations from Japan to Chile. Bio-Fly collaborates with Jordanian and West Bank Palestinian Authority agricultural experts.

4. Dairy farming

Hof Hasharon Dairy Farm, SAE Afikim and SCR Precise Dairy Farming all makeadvanced systems for herd management, monitoring and feeding used on dairy farms worldwide.

SAE Afikim is one of 10 Israeli companies involved in a five-year project in Vietnam to implement every aspect of a vast $500 million dairy farm project. It's the largest project of its kind in the world.

The operation will encompass 30,000 cows at 12 state-of-the-art mega-dairies and a milk processing plant supplying 300 million liters per year. By the end of 2012, 500,000 liters are expected to be produced daily.

In the meantime, China is sending groups of dairy farm manager trainees to Israel to learn how to boost milk production there as well.

The Chinese are using Israeli systems to set up their dairy industry.
The Chinese are using Israeli systems to set up their dairy industry.

5. Tailor-made farm solutions

Kibbutz-based Agricultural Knowledge On-Line (AKOL) makes unique software to help producers grow fruits and vegetables, raise poultry and dairy cows, manage vineyards and make olive oil.

Hosted in IBM's "cloud," AKOL's latest project gives farmers anywhere in the world access to information from Israeli experts. Hundreds of thousands of farmers can obtain tailor-made solutions, arrange group purchases of supplies and communicate with colleagues.

CEO Ron Shani told ISRAEL21c that AKOL applications advise farmers on when to plant, irrigate and harvest; how to cope with drought; how to choose the crops best for their area; how to implement ideal storage and temperature control procedures based on climate; and how to track the growth of chickens, livestock and fruit, among other ideas for running a modern, professional farm.

From left, AKOL CEO Ron Shani, Agriculture Minister Orit Noked, and Michael Oren of IBM's Global Tech Unit.
From left, AKOL CEO Ron Shani, Agriculture Minister Orit Noked, and Michael Oren of IBM's Global Tech Unit.

6. A better potato

It took nearly 30 years of research, but Hebrew University's Prof. David Levy developed strains of potatoes that thrive in hot, dry climates, and can be irrigated by saltwater.

Potatoes are one of the top sources of nutrition in the world, but they never before grew well in hot, desert regions like the Middle East. Now farmers in these regions can grow potatoes as a cash crop.

Levy told ISRAEL21c that he also intended his research to enhance understanding between Israel and its neighbors, as scientists and officials from Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Morocco meet with Israeli scientists to share knowledge and build bridges of information and technology.

7. Squeezing every drop of water from the air

Tal-Ya Water Technologies developed reusable plastic trays to collect dew from the air, reducing the water needed by crops or trees by up to 50 percent.

The square serrated trays, made from non-PET recycled and recyclable plastic with UV filters and a limestone additive, surround each plant or tree. With overnight temperature change, dew forms on both surfaces of the Tal-Ya tray, which funnels the dew and condensation straight to the roots. If it rains, the trays heighten the effect of each millimeter of water 27 times over.

Inventor and CEO Avraham Tamir told ISRAEL21c that the trays also block the sun so weeds can't take root, and protect the plants from extreme temperature shifts. "Farmers need to use much less water, and in turn much less fertilizer on the crop," which translates to less groundwater contamination.

Tal-Ya's trays catch every drop of dew.
Tal-Ya's trays catch every drop of dew.

8. Unparalleled crop protection

Two years ago, Hebrew University's tech-transfer company teamed with Makhteshim Agan, a world leader in crop protection products, to develop and commercialize slow-release herbicides and a targeted insecticide that doesn't harm beneficial insects.

The total worldwide herbicide market is valued at more than $15 billion, of which approximately a quarter is dedicated to soil-applied herbicides and other pesticides. The Israeli approach incorporates herbicides into micelles or vesicles, which are absorbed onto negatively charged clay minerals to enable a slow and controlled release, reducing leaching to deeper soil layers. This enhances efficiency and reduces the required doses.

The novel insecticide kills caterpillars of night-flying moths – a common scourge for farmers worldwide – but unlike common commercial preparations, has minimal or no effect on any other creature. High levels of control can be achieved with much less product, greatly minimizing environmental impact.

9. Fishing in the desert

Overfishing is a serious threat to the food supply, a grave situation since fish is the main source of protein for hundreds of millions of people. But what if fish could be raised virtually anywhere, even in the desert? That is just what the Israel's GFA (Grow Fish Anywhere) Advanced Systems has made possible.

The Israeli "zero-discharge" system eliminates the environmental problems in conventional fish farming, and doesn't depend on electricity or proximity to a body of water. Specially developed microbes purify fish waste byproducts right in the tank, with no need for spillage and refilling.

The largest facility using GFA technology, in New York, produced about 100 tons of sea bream, bass and tilapia in 2010.

10. Food from greenhouse gas

Israel's Seambiotic clean-tech company recently launched a commercial algae farm in China and does business in the United States and Italy as well.

People don't eat algae, but algae ponds nourished by power-plant effluent conserve farmed produce for human consumption because they generate 30 times more feedstock for biofuel than do land-based crop alternatives.

Plus, the tiny plants, which thrive on carbon dioxide and sunlight, produce a valuable nutraceutical food additive that is especially popular in the Far East.

Algae ponds generate neutraceuticals.
Algae ponds generate neutraceuticals.

11. Reintroducing carp to Africa

Half a century ago, Lake Victoria carp was a significant part of the diet of the nearby Ugandan villagers. But when Nile perch was introduced to the lake, it decimated most of the smaller fish including the carp. Villagers had neither the equipment nor the expertise necessary to start fishing the huge perch, and symptoms of protein deficiency started becoming apparent in their children.

Prof. Berta Sivan of Hebrew University came to the rescue with a multiyear project near to help these African families. Her team was able to apply techniques developed over many years for Israeli fish farmers.

The Israeli project not only successfully spawned carp on Ugandan fish farms, but also provided training on how to dig and fill ponds and raise the small fish. Now local children have an abundant supply of protein to eat with their fruit and vegetables.

12. Hardier seeds for better crops

Hebrew University agricultural scientists Ilan Sela and Haim D. Rabinowitch developed TraitUP, a trademarked technology that enables the introduction of genetic materials into seeds without modifying their DNA. This method immediately and efficiently improves plants before they're even sowed.

The university's Yissum Research Development technology transfer company licensed the seed treatment technology to Morflora Israel for curing fruit-tree diseases in orchards and groves, and for seedling treatment in the nursery.

"The new ability to deliver traits within days instead of years, and to offer a treatment with results similar to breeding to all current species, answers a long and unmet need that will revolutionize modern agriculture and significantly impact the vegetable and commodity crop markets," said Dotan Peleg, CEO of Morflora.


Aerial topdressing by Helicopter

New role beckons for helicopter legend

Taranaki helicopter hero Alan Beck is on a mission to convince urban New Zealand of the value of agricultural aviation to the country's economy.

Agricultural pilots have been boosting New Zealand agriculture since he was a babe in arms, he says.

Kiwi pilots returning from World War II used their flying skills to spread fertiliser on New Zealand hillcountry farms, turning tough farming country into productive farmland and establishing New Zealand as a world leader in aerial topdressing.

Fast forward to the late 1960s when Beck, then an agricultural contractor, gained his pilot's licence and turned his attention to the next agricultural revolution in aviation - helicopters.

Now he's taking the controls of the New Zealand Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) as Beck Helicopters - the country's oldest agricultural aviation company still in the hands of the original owners - celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Beck, who has a Queen's Service Medal for his services to search and rescue, is concerned that New Zealand's city residents have a poor understanding of the role of agriculture in the economy and of the contribution made by agricultural pilots.

But he does concede the agricultural aviation industry has not always explained its activities to the public. "We have to improve our image and we have to get people to realise that agricultural production represents two-thirds of New Zealand's wealth."

As part of that push to better understanding, the New Zealand Aviation Industry Association (NZAIA) - of which the NZAAA is a subsidiary - developed an integrated environmental safety and flight safety programme called Aircare three years ago.

Aircare is a rigorous code of practice for noise abatement and for the aerial application of agrichemicals, fertiliser and vertebrate toxic agents like 1080.

Beck says not only is Aircare a clear illustration of the industry's commitment to the environment, but it's also a reinforcement of New Zealand's position as an international leader in agricultural aviation. About 70 of New Zealand's 90 or so agricultural aviation operators are accredited to Aircare.

Helicopter Association International, with more than 2500 member organisations in 70 countries, is so impressed by Aircare that it wants to be able to use it.

"Our cutting-edge policy is far ahead of anything that's available in the US," Beck said. "New Zealand is well ahead in terms of compliance and codes of practice."

He predicts regional councils will increasingly expect agricultural aviators to be accredited to Aircare because it ensures waterways are protected from contamination by fertilisers and sprays.

Backing calls by Parliamentary Commissioner of the Environment Jan Wright for the Department of Conservation to increase the use of 1080 for possum control, Beck says laying the poison by helicopter has improved immensely since the somewhat indiscriminate methods of 30 years ago.

"It'll always be an emotional topic and there's a lot of misinformation about it. 1080 has done an amazing job on the mountain [Mt Taranaki]. Tourists can't believe the number of birds up there when I fly them over it. You can see pigeons and tui. The rebound in birdlife is phenomenal."

Banding of kaka, tui and morepork before a 1080 drop by Beck Helicopters near Tuatapere in Southland showed none had died.

He's full of praise for the efforts Taranaki farmers have made to clean up the province's rivers. Having had a bird's eye view of them from a helicopter for 40 years, he believes they're in the best state in the country.

"If people could see them from my point of view, they'd say the same. There's been a huge change in the rivers from where I see them. On mountain flights, I always fly over them to show passengers how clean they are."

He points out the industry's environmental awareness is not limited to the establishment of Aircare. Beck says the use of GPS and the on-farm nutrient management tool, Overseer, has also brought huge improvement to agricultural aviation.

As well as documenting standards for safe environmental practice, Aircare also deals with pilot safety. He says agricultural pilots must be constantly alert to hazards in their daily operations - short airstrips, improvised landing areas, obstacles, wires and changing weather conditions.

While the sector had "a brutally high" fatality rate, a pilot safety initiative had led to four years without a fatality, the longest in its history.

As NZAAA chairman for the next two years, Beck wants to see improvements in both the profitability and the profile of agricultural aviation.

"Instead of being seen as dung dusters, we want to be recognised as professional aerial applicators. We're not pouring dust around the hills. It's a specialised business that requires some of the most demanding flying imaginable."

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Tick-terminator proves a drag for bloodsucking pests

Tick-terminator proves a drag for bloodsucking pests

It's summertime in the Northern Hemisphere, and that means the bugs are out – specifically, ticks. In light of the ensuing infestation, otherwise known as the annual repopulation, three professors at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) have crossed the business of pest control with the world of robotics by last month testing their robotic "tick rover" to determine its efficiency at removing the blood suckers from the yard.

The robotic exterminator uses biomimicry, with the robot emulating a live host to draw in the ticks as it cruises around the lawn. The rover follows a pair of tubes that are stretched across the lawn, one of which emits carbon-dioxide. Unable to resist the CO2-drenched movement, the ticks attach to a cloth treated with a common insecticide that is dragged behind the rover and quickly meet their demise.

The rover follows a set of tubes on a specific area which help attract ticks with carbon-d...

The recent testing provided evidence that this method of extermination kills from 75 to 100 percent of the ticks in the designated area. Col. Jim Squire, professor of electrical and computer engineering and project manager for the tick rover, has claimed that the only thing more successful at removing ticks is chemical spray, which can cause unwanted side-effects to both the flora and local wildlife (ticks notwithstanding). According to Squire, the rover method is both child- and EPA-safe.

Holly Gaff, an assistant professor in the Old Dominion University Department of Biological Sciences, was hired to run the tests on this third-generation tick-terminator and was so surprised by the successful results that, until further testing, she suspected her testing protocol was flawed. One in ten ticks survived the first round of testing, and the second round left no survivors.

The team plans to spend the upcoming academic year making design improvements and preparing for testing of a fourth iteration of the tick rover. In the meantime, they also plan to work on understanding just how fast the ticks repopulate. Ideally, the area wouldn't repopulate for at least a month, making the tick rover a viable resource for commercial pest control. If the fourth-generation testing scheduled for the next northern summer is successful, the team plans to seek grant funding to commercialize the rover.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Precision Agriculture Seen as Big Winner in Drone Technology - Farm Progress

Precision Agriculture Seen as Big Winner in Drone Technology

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle research at K-State holds promise for precision agriculture; new report says economic boon to Kansas will be huge

The biggest thing on the horizon in precision agriculture is Unmanned Aerial Vehicle flights, according to a new report from the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.

Kansas, already a leader in research on the vehicles that are expected to see explosive growth when integration into national airspace begins in 2015, ranks No. 7 among states likely to see economic benefits the report says, with the state expected to see a $2.9 billion impact and 3,700 new jobs between 2015 and 2025.

The greatest area of growth indicated by the report will be in precision agriculture, which is slated to grow 10 times that of the public safety market for UAS. Precision agriculture use of UAS refers to two segments of the farm market: remote sensing used to scan plants for health problems, growth rates and hydration; and precision application of needed pesticides or nutrients in order to save money and reduce environmental impact.

Aerial sensing with the hexacopter, can provide mapping of an entire section of land at 1-inch resolution in about 18 minutes – a task that would take hours if not days on a tractor.
Aerial sensing with the hexacopter, can provide mapping of an entire section of land at 1-inch resolution in about 18 minutes – a task that would take hours if not days on a tractor.

Members of the Kansas Ag Research and Technology Association got an upclose look at the work that is being done at Kansas State University by agronomy professor Kevin Price, who is working closely with Deon van der Merwe, head of the toxicology section at the K-State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

UAVs can help monitor crop conditions

Van der Merwe is a remote-controlled aircraft enthusiast who is excited about the prospect of using UAVs, commonly referred to as drones, to detect blue-green algae blooms in bodies of water.

Price brought two aircraft to the KARTA conference, a flying wing by RiteWingRC called the Zephyr II and a DJI S800 Spreading Wings hexacopter.

Price said the promise of using the aircraft to do remote sensing to monitor crop condition, detect diseases and map fields for variable rate application of nutrients or pinpoint areas for fungicide or pesticide application, is huge.

Aerial sensing with the hexacopter, for example, can provide mapping of an entire section of land at 1-inch resolution in about 18 minutes – a task that would take hours if not days on a tractor.

New Early yield apple variety in Himachal

Rainwater harvesting saves college lakhs of rupees |

Rainwater harvesting saves college lakhs of rupees

Yenepoya Medical and Dental College, some 15 kilometres away from Mangalore city near Delarekatte, is located in a developing neighbourhood; three other medical colleges, many schools and the Mangalore University are all situated in the same area. A software park is also expected to come up shortly. All this has caused a sudden increase in the area's population as well as in the demand for resources, specifically water. 

The college that spans 33 acres is located on a hilltop. It had already started experiencing water scarcity and depended on water from tankers for almost eight months of the year. A few lakh Rupees were being spent annually to pay for the tankers. This was a few years ago.

That was when the decision to harvest rainwater was made. Narayana Bhatji, the manager of this water harvesting project says, "We started this project by consulting P. K. Thampi, a retired geologist from Trivandrum who helped us with the selection of the spot for digging the pond". 

 Rainwater harvesting efforts at the college

A 3-acre wide and 6-7 foot deep pond was dug at the lowest elevation to catch the draining water or runoff from the campus. An embankment or a bund was constructed at the lower elevation of the pond to restrict the flow of water.

The RWH pond in the medical college campus

The RWH pond in the medical college campus

A plastic Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) sheet was inserted in the middle of this  bund to prevent seepage. The sides of the pond were covered by coir material to prevent the sand from getting inside the pond. An interesting thing about this effort is that the dugwell from which water is drawn out for daily use is located right in the middle of the pond. Besides the dugwell, there are two borewells on campus to meet the needs of both the medical and dental colleges. The open well is 25 feet deep while the two borewells are 40 feet deep.

Around 1 lakh litres of water is pumped from the well and 457,000 litres from both the borewells each day. Narayana Bhatji proudly says, "This makes us self sufficient for around 5 to 6 months. However, we still have to get around 4000 litres of water by four tankers on the campus".

Wastewater recycling efforts at the college

The sewage treatment plant in the college campus

The sewage treatment plant in the college campus

The campus also has three sewage treatment plants where water from the hostels and other quarters is treated and pumped back. This is used for irrigation and for flushing the toilets. The whole garden in the campus area is watered using this recycled water.

Rainwater harvesting at the hostel/residential complex

Another rainwater harvesting pond has been dug near the hostel and the residential complex of the medical college. This pond is around 6 - 7 feet deep and is surrounded by a fence. The roads surrounding the residential complex have been excavated and now slope in order to collect all the water that drains from the surrounding areas. This is collected by pipes that open into the pond.

RWH pond at the hostel/residential complex of the medical college

RWH pond at the hostel/residential complex of the medical college

Yenepoya Medical College has demonstrated that with determination and the inclination to be self-sufficient, organisations with large campuses such as medical colleges, hostels, housing colonies, factories and schools can go a long way in solving their water scarcity problems by developing sustainable models by using rainwater harvesting. This will greatly reduce the monetary burden that most such institutions currently face due to over dependence on water tankers.

 

Monday, July 22, 2013

Rosphere spherical robot could be rolling up for work to monitor and tend crops

Rosphere spherical robot could be rolling up for work to monitor and tend crops

Rosphere uses a pendulum for locomotion and steering


If you see what looks like a hamster ball rolling around a cornfield, it doesn't mean that someone's pet is incredibly lost. It may be an experimental robot developed by the Robotics and Cybernetics Research Group at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) called Rosphere. The spherical robot can propel itself over uneven ground and may one day be rolling up for work in fields to monitor and tend crops.

Spherical robots aren't new. There have been a number built over the years for use in military operations, security, and experiments in space exploration. Rosphere's approach is to take the simplicity of the sphere to make a robot that is low cost and a bit more general purpose. Its spherical shape gives the robot the ability to handle rough terrain, yet is safe to use around humans and delicate crops.

Mechanically, the Rosphere prototype is remarkably simple. The researchers compare the robot's "mechatronics" to a hamster ball, which it strongly resembles except for the rubber ridges on the outside and the mechanical workings inside. Like a hamster making a ball roll by running up the sides to shift the center of gravity, the Rosphere uses an eccentric pendulum rotating on an axle to roll and steer itself.

The pendulum consists of ballast hanging by an arm from the ball's axle. This ballast incorporates the robot's battery and the axle carries Rosphere's Wi-Fi antennas and electronics package. The pendulum has two rotational degrees of freedom along the transverse and longitudinal axes. By controlling the pendulum's swing, the robot can roll forward and backward and steer.

The Rosphere uses an eccentric pendulum rotating on an axle to roll and steer itself

UPM sees the main application for Rosphere being in precision agriculture. That is, instead of tending crops by broadcasting pesticides and fertilizers and dealing with a field as a whole, small robots can tend the individual plants like a gardener. Robots like Rosphere would be able to move about crops without damaging them, making close-up examinations of local conditions and precisely applying pesticides and fertilizers.

Tests of Rosphere were conducted on a farm where it was put up against rough terrain and different soils while testing for moisture and other environmental variables. Afterwards, it was tested at the Parque del Retiro of Madrid to see if it could operate safely with people. According to UPM, the results have so far been satisfactory.

The project results were published in Industrial Robot.

Source: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid



FLOW-AID helps farmers save water without sacrificing yields

FLOW-AID helps farmers save water without sacrificing yields

One of the FLOW-AID devices being field tested in Greece


We've already seen gadgets such as Koubachi and Flower Power, that communicate with users' smartphones to let them know when their houseplants need watering. Scale that idea up to an agricultural level, and you get a prototype device known as the Farm Level Optimal Water management Assistant for Irrigation under Deficit – or FLOW-AID. It's designed to let farmers in drought-stricken regions know when and how much water to apply to their crops, so they don't run their irrigation systems unnecessarily.

FLOW-AID was developed by a group of 11 European companies and research institutes, as part of the EU-funded Innovation Seeds project.

Multiple devices are installed at key locations in a farmer's field. Each device incorporates an above-ground control/communications unit, as well as humidity and electrical conductivity probes that are buried beneath the soil.

Using their smartphone, a farmer can access their network of FLOW-AIDs over the internet, to check the moisture and nutrient levels of their soil. The system will notify them when levels drop to the point that irrigation is required, at which point they can start their irrigation system remotely via their phone. As soon as they see that sufficient moisture levels have been restored, they can use their phone to turn the irrigation back off.

The system also incorporates software that takes location-specific factors such as plant properties, soil characteristics and water rationing limits into account.

So far FLOW-AID has been tested in six countries, where researchers have reported a 10 to 50 percent reduction in water use. Because the device also keeps track of nutrient levels in the soil, it can additionally advise users on how often fertilizer should be applied – this stops farmers from wasting money by over-fertilizing, and minimizes the amount of excess fertilizer entering the environment. It's estimated that the system could lead to a reduction in fertilizer use of up to 30 percent.

"Kisan Manch"


“Kisan Manch” is an initiative to bring farmers and farming community close to its end users, service providers and facilitators and provide them the benefits by cutting across the multiple channels of communication. Idea is to create a mobile e-commerce platform that is also a low-cost fulfillment system focused on the needs of rural India. This system will help in rural transformation and would help to alleviate rural isolation, create more transparency for farmers, and improve their productivity and incomes. This mobile e-commerce platform would be supported by trained and efficient manpower on the Ground, which would interact on day-to-day basis with the farmer’s community