How to use radio-wave energized water to boost agriculture.

A GROUNDBREAKING new Irish technology which could be the greatest breakthrough in agriculture since the plough is set to change the face of modern farming forever. SHARE The technology – radio wave energised water which massively increases the output of vegetables and fruits by up to 30 per cent. Not only are the plants much bigger but they are largely disease-resistant, meaning huge savings in expensive fertilizers and harmful pesticides. Extensively tested in Ireland and several other countries, the inexpensive water treatment technology is now being rolled out across the world. The technology makes GM obsolete and also addresses the whole global warming fear that there is too much carbon dioxide in the air, by simply converting excess CO2 into edible plant mass. Developed by Professor Austin Darragh and Dr JJ Leahy of Limerick University's Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, the hardy eco-friendly technology uses nothing but the natural elements of sunlight, water, carbon dioxide in the air and the minerals in the soil. The compact biscuit-tin-sized technology, which is called Vi-Aqua – meaning 'life water' – converts 24 volts of electricity into a radio signal, which charges up the water via an antennae. Once the device is attached to a hose, thousands of gallons of water can be charged up in less than 10 minutes at a cost of pennies. Speaking about the new technology, Professor Austin Darragh says: Vi-Aqua makes water wetter and introduces atmospheric nitrogen into the water in the form of nitrates – so it is free fertilizer. It also produces the miracle of rejuvenating the soil by invigorating soil-based micro-organisms. more

How to detect fake malaria drugs.

A new device that uses similar infrared light to TV remotes can accurately detect fake antimalarial drugs, according to a scientific paper published on Monday. The researchers revealed how they were able to use an optical scanner purchased online for $250 to distinguish perfectly between life-saving malaria drugs and deadly counterfeits. Dozens of public health scientists declared in 2015 that a global crisis of fake drugs was undermining the fight against malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/Aids, particularly in the developing world. The World Health Organization estimates that falsified medicines represent more than 50% of the pharmaceutical market in several African countries. Ineffective antimalarial drugs alone killed over 120,000 preschool children in Africa in 2013, according to research from the Center for Disease Dynamics. Wilson’s team, together with researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), set out to design an easy-to-use, portable scanner that almost any charity or rural pharmacy could afford. Many fake drugs are almost indistinguishable from the genuine products, even down to convincing anti-counterfeiting holograms on their packaging. Testing the drugs currently requires laboratory tests with machines costing many thousands of dollars, operated by skilled technicians. continue

Malaria vaccine made from mosquito saliva.

The National Institutes of Health is recruiting volunteers for a safety study of the experimental vaccine, being developed by two London companies. They need 60 people willing to be bitten by mosquitoes to test a new kind of vaccine, one that acts against the bugs’ saliva. Rather than separate vaccines against Zika or other mosquito-borne diseases, this new approach aims to protect against multiple infections by triggering the immune system to act in response to the bite itself. Researchers at NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will give volunteers either vaccine or dummy shots. The volunteers must return later to NIH’s Bethesda, Maryland, hospital to be bitten by mosquitoes through a special netted device. The mosquitoes are infection-free; researchers will track the volunteers’ immune responses.more

Agriculture in Africa : investment opportunities.

Africa’s economy is inherently dependent on agriculture. More than 32% of the continent’s gross domestic product comes from the sector. Agricultural productivity still remains far from developed world standards, as over 90% of agriculture depends on rainfall, with no artificial irrigation aid. 

 The techniques used to cultivate the soil are still far behind from what has been adopted in Asia and Americas, lacking not only irrigation, but also fertilizers, pesticides and access to high-yield seeds. Agriculture in Africa also experiences basic infrastructural problems such as access to markets and financing. 

 A broader economic transformation is necessary to shift the current paradigm facing agriculture in Africa. In most of the cases, urbanization and economic growth have resulted in new opportunities for local agricultural producers. 

 However, in Africa, this share of the market mainly belongs to foreign companies. Imports of food staples have been rising sharply, and domestic agriculture has so far failed to increase supply in response. Raising productivity in agriculture is vital to transformative growth, not just because it has the potential to expand markets by displacing imports, but also because agricultural growth is twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth in non-agricultural sectors. 

 Singapore is proving to be an engaged ally in the process of changing this reality. Some big players in the agricultural sector with their headquarters in Singapore, are investing heavily in Africa. Technology and skills are being transferred to smallholder farmers and the large-scale producers are cooperating, playing a fair game that will help develop the sector and make it more sustainable.more

How to use the Pod3 modular GPS tracker.

The Pod3 modular GPS tracking device can be attached to anything, allowing you to keep tabs on its whereabouts using your smartphone. One of the biggest fears of any pet owner is having their animal escape and get lost outdoors, potentially never to be seen again. But two years ago, a small start-up out of Sydney, Australia, created a device called the Pod to protect against just such an occurrence. The Pod is a GPS tracking device that can be attached to your pet’s collar, allowing you to track their location right from your smartphone. Pod Trackers, the company behind the Pod 3, has managed to pack a lot of technology inside this tiny device. Not only does it come with GPS capabilities, but it is also equipped with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 2G/3G cellular networking features too. This gives the user the ability to track the gadget in real time, both indoors and outdoors, across 175 countries worldwide, using an app for both iOS and Android. what sets the Pod 3 apart not only from the company’s previous generation of Pod trackers, but from the competition as well, is its modular capabilities. The gadget has been designed to accept a number of special modules that snap into place along one end. These modules add functionality to the device beyond its tracking capabilities. For instance, one module converts the tracker into a light and location strobe, while another is an extended-life battery that allows the Pod 3 to continue functioning for up to two weeks between charges. Other modules include a USB dock to keep the GPS working at all times and an ultrasonic speaker that emits a “discreet, high frequency noise” designed to keep birds away. Those last two modules are made to be used on a boat, car, or other vehicle. continue

Solar glass to boost agriculture.

Western Australian scientists have developed what is believed to be a world-first clear, energy harvesting glass which, if used in greenhouses, could produce crops in any climate or season. The glass is embedded with nanoparticles which work to draw out 90 per cent of the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared rays from the sun, and transfer those rays to solar cells embedded on the edge of the glass panels. The rays are converted into energy, while allowing 70 per cent of visible light to pass through. The energy harvested is used to power the structure, for example providing lighting, heating, cooling, or water desalination and irrigation. The technology has been developed at Edith Cowan University's Electron Science Research Institute (ESRI) in Perth. Director of the institute, Professor Kamal Alameh, said being able to convert unwanted radiation into electricity could be a huge cost-saver in greenhouses. "In a closed environment you don't need a lot of water, so you don't need a lot of energy to filter the water if you have underground water.You also don't need a lot of cooling and heating because we use these thin-film coatings to actually block the unwanted radiation so that we can save on the energy used for cooling and heating. Professor Kamal said due to its designed self-sufficiency, there are no limitations to where such a greenhouse could be built, which could see agricultural production in areas currently too hot or dry to produce crops. "If you have underground water that's all we need to basically produce a crop," he said. The technology has been developed in collaboration with ClearVue technologies. continue

Agribusiness : Using GPS-on cows to track and stop cattle rustling.

 Cattle rustling is on the rise in Africa,but not limited to Africa. Farmers losing livestock to rustlers have increased,and a solution  to curb this trend has emerged. 

The solution is the use of technology, via tracking devices .It is a crime evoking bushrangers and cattle duffers of old, but stock theft has become a modern crime and researchers are hoping to find a technological solution. 

 

A team from Central Queensland University (CQU) in Rockhampton believes a motion-sensing GPS device may hold the clue.The device detects mustering activity and sends a message to a grazier's phone. 

 Researchers hope it might hold the answer to reducing cattle rustling which, according to the 2001/2002 National Farm Crime Survey, affected 6 per cent of farms at an estimated annual cost of $16 million. Project leader Associate Professor Mark Trotter said preliminary trials had been promising.

"The core technology already exists so things like GPS tracking and motion-sensing tracking [are] a little bit like a fitbit that you see people wearing," Dr Trotter said. continue