Benefits of Vertical Farming in modern era

Source: agrotechnomarket.com

When we say the benefits of something. we will know that it is an innovation. Yah, in the modern era, we can modify new farming technique like an alternative way of growing crops, vertical farming. The vertical farming would utilize agricultural methods such as greenhousing, aeroponics and hydroponics and would store everything in an agricultural structure like that of a high rise building which will be called a farmscraper.

The whole idea may sound pretty complex, and even preposterous and absurd to some, but come to think of it, the whole idea of innovation offers a lot of advantages of vertical farming that we could really benefit from. Increase in crop production is one advantage of vertical farming principle, especially in urban city.

Unlike traditional farming wherein you can only grow and harvest a limited amount of crops in a piece of land, vertical farming multiplies the land productivity even more since, well, it's a multi tier farming. The farmscrapers are also designed to have a market in the same infrastructure where the crops are grown, so that would definitely eliminate travel costs and spoilage, hence decreasing the price of the crops. And since the crops are enclosed in a controlled environment, they can be well protected from weather related problems such as intense heat, intense cold, wildfires, etc. It could also help conserve lands that are used up by traditional farms. This agricultural idea may be at its early stages at present but I'm sure ten, twenty, thirty years from now, it'll be on its full swing and consumers could reap all the benefits from it.

Vertical farming offers a lot of advantages that we could all benefit from. The following is the benefits of vertical farming for environment agriculture.

• Vertical farming firms are able to produce crops year-round;
• Reduce the use of fossil fuels since machines to transport crops are not required, and water is recycled from vertical layer to vertical layer, leaving neither soil nor water unused;
• Vertical farms to grow quality foods because extreme weather has no direct effect on the lifecycle of their crops growth, and neither do insects or pesticides.
• Vertical farming has also begun trending in the DIY world, allowing households to grow their own fruits and vegetables while also recycling water and soil

4 Types of Farm Irrigation Systems

4 Types of Farm Irrigation Systems - There are many different types of farm irrigation systems. Today, new technologies improve the ability of water managing, labor and energy more efficiently while giving crops necessary moisture for profitable yields.  And they are in the four main types of irrigation systems, namely flood, sprinkler, drip, and micro irrigation.

1. Flood Irrigation

Companies that supply farm irrigation systems have equipment to distribute water for flood irrigation in these ways:

•  Furrow Irrigation – Irrigation water is directed down furrows that runs on around crops. Water to the furrows is supplied by above-ground PVC pipe with an opening called a “gate” at each furrow. The opening of the gate can be varied to adjust the flow to the furrow. Furrow irrigation can be used especially for vegetable garden. In some cases, a large diameter thin wall poly pipe is used and a hole is punched to divert water to each furrow. For more information about the advantages of furrow irrigation, please click here.
•  Graded Border Irrigation – Irrigated water is directed down a narrow strip of a field with raised earth borders on each side. The length of the border is graded to a specific gradual slope for the most uniform application. Water is usually supplied to the high end of the border from an underground pipeline with a riser and valve.

2. Sprinkler Irrigation

Sprinkler irrigation can be used to irrigate fields of most any size, slope, or shape. Sprinkler is better using in greenhouse farming. Listed below are the different ways sprinklers are used in farm irrigation systemsto distribute water over a field.

• Hand Move Pipe – Sprinklers are attached to the end of a thirty or forty foot section of aluminum or PVC pipe. These pipes are installed end to end down a row or section of field and are called a lateral. Laterals are usually spaced about forty feet apart.
• Solid Set – Permanent underground PVC pipe is installed throughout a field with risers coming off of them with a sprinkler installed on top. Spacings between the sprinklers can be from forty to over one hundred feet depending on the size and type of sprinkler used.
• Center Pivots or Other Mechanical Move Irrigation Systems – Sprinklers for this irrigation method are installed along the machine suspended from rigid or hose drops. They are usually installed just above the top of the crop but can be put close to the ground for some farm irrigation systems.
• Hose Reel or Traveling Gun Systems – One large sprinkler is installed on a cart attached to hose on a larger reel. The cart is connected to a tractor and is pulled down the field for setup, unreeling the hose from the reel. When water runs through the system, the sprinkler operates and the reel turns, winding up the hose and pulling the sprinkler and cart in.

3. Drip Irrigation

Drip irrigation involves the use of small diameter poly tubing with emitters and is used to apply water to a small area directly to the root zone of a crop. The emitters can be installed into the tubing by hand to water a specific tree or plant. Also used is emitter tubing which has drip emitters installed at the factory on a specific spacing to reduce installation costs. Drip systems can be installed above ground or can be buried to reduce damage to the tubing. Drip tape is a type of drip irrigation which has drip emitters installed in a very thin tube which is shipped flat in coils or rolls. The emitters are spaced from 6 to 12 inches apart. Drip tape is usually used to irrigate vegetable crops and gardens but can be buried to irrigate crops such as cotton or corn.

4. Micro Irrigation

Micro irrigation involves the use of small, low volume sprinklers called micro-sprinklers on farm irrigation systems that irrigate orchards and vineyards. In most cases, the micro-sprinkler is installed at the base of a tree to water only that tree. In some cases, the micro-sprinkler is installed between two trees. Water can be provided to the micro-sprinklers from above ground polyethylene or poly pipe, or by PVC pipe buried below ground.

Choosing on which irrigation system installation is best for farm or field irrigation requires a farmer to consider many different things: patterns of land, water source, budget, crops being grown, watering requirements, setup and convenience, and numerous other factors. If it is needed, you can call the irrigation system company that will help you.

Benefits of The Internet of Sea for Future Commercial Fishing

Benefits of The Internet of Sea for Future Commercial Fishing - To ensure a sustainable future for fish marketing and the livelihoods of fishing communities, we have to change the way we catch fish. And we have to replace trawling method, an industrial deep sea fishing method where a large, heavy fishing net is pulled behind a boat along the seabed, which is the most destructive of fishing techniques.

Today, we know the benefits of using the internet of sea in development of underwater image recognition that able to better navigate the seas. Combine these technologies with improved ability to collect, analyze and curate vast amounts of data, and many of the tools needed to spur this disruption already exists.

To help this development, three leading seafood-processing brands – Espersen, Icelandic Seachill and Nomad Foods – have launched a design challenge aimed at reimagining fishing. They are inviting industry actors and fishermen, scientists and technology developers to come together to prototype transformational design concepts for new gear to address the following four objectives:
 

• Harvest high quality and affordable seafood from sustainable fish stocks, today and in the future.
• Reduce or eliminate the negative environmental impact of trawler fishing, including fuel and GHG emissions and reduce he amount of time boats have their gear in the water searching for fish.
• Help the fisherman to better identify locations, species and movements of fish before fishermen even put their gear in the water so they can select particular species.
• Generate real and tangible benefits to the fishermen.

Using azolla as livestock feed

Source image: Agrotechnomarket.com

Azolla is a type of fern mostly utilized as livestock feed besides as bio-fertilizer for wetland paddy. Azolla was found to be a very nutritive and Azolla can be used as cheap organic feed substitute for dairy cattle, poultry, pig, fish etc. Azolla belongs to the family of azollaceace.

To make livestock feed, Azolla should be harvested with a plastic tray having holes of 1sq cm mesh size. And then, Azolla should be washed to get rid of the cow dung smell. Washing also helps in separating the small plantlets which drain out of the tray. The plantlets along with water in the bucket can be poured back into the original bed.

When introducing azolla as livestock feed, the fresh azolla should be mixed with commercial feed in 1:1 ratio to feed livestock. After a fortnight of feeding on azolla mixed with concentrate, livestock may be fed with azolla without added concentrate.

Why Azolla can be used as livestock feed?

Azolla is rich in protein, essential minerals like Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper, Manganese etc apart from appreciable quantities of vitamins A and vitamins B12.

It is also found to contain almost all the essential Amino acids, many probiotics, Biopolymers and B carotene.

The above mention bio-chemical constitution along with the rapid multiplication rate makes Azolla ideal organic feed substitutes for livestock.

The Effects of Chemical Fertilizer for Food Security

A chemical fertilizer (also called inorganic, synthetic, artificial, or manufactured) is a substance in specific ratios with other chemical fillers applied to soils or directly onto plants to provide nutrients optimal for their growth and development. The effects of using chemical fertilizer cause environmental damage  – and even a presumed adverse impact on food security. In addition to, Chemical fertilizers, in effect, “kill” the soil while the benefits of organic fertilizers improve and sustain the soil. The following gives details of the affect chemical fertilizers have on our soil.

Soil Friability:
Chemical fertilizers destroy the friability of soil.

1. Chemical fertilizers contain acids, including sulfuric and hydrochloric acids. These acids dissolve “soil crumbs”, the material that holds rock particles together.
2. When these cementing materials are destroyed, the result is a compacted surface that prevents rain water from entering the soil.

Plant Diseases:
Chemical fertilizers encourage plant disease.

1. Fast-release chemical fertilizers have a high nitrogen content compared to slow-release organic fertilizers. When there is an overabundance of nitrogen (N) in relation to phosphate (P), plants are more susceptible to mosaic infections.
2. High nitrogen, as well as a lack of trace elements, is also related to fungal and bacterial disease in plants and vegetables.

Disadvantages of Chemical Fertilizer:

1. Chemical fertilizers are primarily made from nonrenewable sources, including fossil fuels.
2. They grow plants but do nothing to sustain the soil. The fillers do not promote life or soil health, and even packages labeled “complete” do not include the decaying matter necessary to improve soil structure. In fact, chemical fertilizers don’t replace many trace elements that are gradually depleted by repeated crop plantings, resulting in long-term damage to the soil.
3. Because the nutrients are readily available, there is a danger of over fertilization. This not only can kill plants but upset the entire ecosystem.
4. Chemical fertilizers tend to leach, or filter away from the plants, requiring additional applications.
5. Repeated applications may result in a toxic buildup of chemicals such as arsenic, cadmium, and uranium in the soil. These toxic chemicals can eventually make their way into your fruits and vegetables.
6. Long-term use of chemical fertilizer can change the soil pH, upset beneficial microbial ecosystems, increase pests, and even contribute to the release of greenhouse gases.

Flood or Furrow Irrigation

Early farmer would have used this "low-tech" an ancient method of irrigating crops -- collect water in a bucket and pour it onto the fields. Today, this is still one of the most popular methods of crop irrigation used by humans as they began cultivating crops. The system is called flood irrigation -- water is pumped or brought to the fields and is allowed to flow along the ground among the crops. This method is simple and cheap, and is widely used by societies in less developed parts of the world as well as in the U.S.

Advantages of furrow irrigation include lower initial investment of equipment and lower pumping costs per acre-inch of water pumped. In addition to, furrow irrigation practice can minimize irrigation costs and chemical leaching and result in higher crop yields.Disadvantages include greater labor costs and lower application efficiency compared to sprinkler and subsurface drip irrigation system.


Here are some things that farmers are doing to be more efficient:

1. Leveling of fields, Flood irrigation uses gravity to transport water, and, since water flows downhill, it will miss a part of the field that is on a hill, even a small hill. Farmers are using leveling equipment, some of which is guided by a laser beam, to scrape a field flat before planting. That allows water to flow evenly throughout the fields. (Actually, this method of levelling a field is also used to build flat tennis courts).
2. Surge flooding, Traditional flooding involved just releasing water onto a field. In using surge flooding, water is released at prearranged intervals, which reduces unwanted runoff.
3. Capture and reuse of runoff, A large amount of flood-irrigation water is wasted because it runs off the edges and back of the fields. Farmers can capture the runoff in low-lying areas and pumped to the top of the field where it can be reused..

Fendt adds mowers, rakes, combines and balers to range

Fendt has moved a step closer to a complete farm machinery offering after adding grass-harvesting kit and combines to its existing line-up of tractors and foragers.

Most of the gear has been sourced from other Agco-owned brands and dressed in Fendt’s trademark green livery, but the company hopes a few subtle differences and a good local dealer will tempt plenty of punters.

Hay and forage equipment
The firm’s Fella-based four-drum Cutter mowers come in both front and rear set-ups and use a quick-release blade system.

Two 3m front-mounted versions are available – one of which uses a trailing linkage to follow ground contours with working widths between 2.86-3.26m. The other is simply attached to the front linkage and gives up to five degrees of lateral movement.

Those who are after a rear-carried machine can chose between a side-mounted drum set-up with sprung suspension, or a centre-mounted option with its TurboLift system to change ground pressure on the move. These are available in widths between 2.55m and 3.06m.

If you prefer a disc mower, the Slicer uses a flat cutter bar with spring suspension as standard. Front and back combination set-ups can extend working widths to 9.3m.

The Former rakes offer width options from 3.4m to 12.5m, using one, two or four rotors, while Twister tedders extend from 6.6m to 12.7m.

Combines
The company is launching a five-model range of combines that top out with the hybrid Fendt X-series that offers a cutting width of up to 10.7m.

Power comes from a seven-cylinder, 496hp Agco Power engine and automatic header table leveling can be specced for working on slopes of up to 12%.

Tracks can be specified by users looking to minimise compaction and the standard grain tank has a 12,500-litre capacity.

The P-series comes with a choice of 379hp or 404hp engine and eight straw walkers. Headers extend to 9m and the high-capacity straw chopper carries 108 knives.

C-series machines get a six-pot, 360hp block and a cutting width up to 7.7m. A six-row straw chopper, with 88 serrated knives, and a 9,000-litre capacity grain tank are both standard fare, while Fendt ParaLevel with 20% sloping capacity is an option.

The L-series is a five-walker machine that keeps things a bit simpler. The six-cylinder Agco engine delivers a maximum 306hp, while the 8,600-litre grain tank unloads at a rate of 105 litres/sec at a height of 4.2m.

At the smaller end of things is the Fendt E-series. Two models – the 5185 and the 5225 – provide a choice between a four-cylinder, 176hp engine with 5,200-litre grain tank, and a 218hp six-cylinder model with a 6,500-litre tank. Both can be fitted with a 5.5m PowerFlow table.

Balers
Big square balers come with a 2.26m pick-up and a double-knotter system that includes an integral impeller fan to provide a constant airstream to keep things clean.

Source: http://www.fwi.co.uk/