Recycled greenhouse project using plastic bottles.

Recycled greenhouse project using plastic bottles. The concept was born out of Oluwalana’s own experience with poor waste management in his home country of Nigeria. There, due to a lack of effective management practices, bottles are commonly discarded in streets, blocking drainages and leading to floods and erosion. As part of his studies in the Sustainable and Resilient Communities track of the Master of Environmental Management Program at Western State Colorado University, Oluwalana recently completed a 10-foot by 12-foot greenhouse built from clear, plastic bottles that allow light through while at the same time trapping heat. The intention of the project was to serve as a teaching tool in more ways than one — both showing the potential for re-using a commonly discarded item, as well as a demonstration for anyone interested in building a similar structure. Among the many advantages of re-utilizing plastic bottles to build structures, Oluwalana viewed the project for its ability to improve economic and social conditions — especially in a cold climate. Oluwalana is working for Western currently, splitting time between custodial services and the position of sustainability coordinator — helping the university reduce the amount of waste generated on campus that’s directed to the landfill.

How cooking boost nutrients in tomatoes and spinach.

How cooking boost nutrients in tomatoes and spinach. Water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and the B vitamins, which include folate, leach out of vegetables if you boil them, but some will be retained in the stock, so “use it if you’re making soup,” said Helen Rasmussen, a senior research dietitian at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. Vitamin levels are reduced the longer you expose them to heat; “they’re just not stable,” she said. Levels of other nutrients, however, may increase. One study found that while cooking decreased the amount of vitamin C in tomatoes, the cooking process increased levels of antioxidants that could be absorbed by the body, including levels of lycopene, the carotenoid plant pigment that helps protect the body from free radical damage. “You might be able to get more lycopene out because the heat starts to break down the cell matrix and that actually allows some of the tied-up carotenoids to be released from the cell walls,” Dr. Rasmussen said. Raw spinach provides a lot of fiber, but cooked spinach may provide more beta carotene: One study found that three times as much beta carotene — an antioxidant that’s a form of vitamin A — was absorbed from cooked spinach compared with raw spinach.

A tomato a day keeps the doctor away.

A tomato a day keeps the doctor away.Forget avocado, rosehip or coconut oils – the latest miracle ingredient to fight ageing might just be sitting in the bottom of your crisper.Tomatoes are the key ingredient in a new skin care range by plant breeder Abundant Produce, including the latest release of lip balm, Tomato Infusion Lips Alive but the nutraceutical maker isn’t stopping there when it comes to turning salad ingredients into beauty products. Abundant’s Sydney-based seed breeding program has found success with other vegetables such as cucumbers, but the company remain tight lipped about just how far their vegetable horizons extend. “We are a science-based business and do more than just pulping fruit,” chief executive Tony Crimmins said. “The special tomato that we have bred is extremely high in lycopene and is proven to reduce inflammation.” Commonly found in not just tomatoes but other red vegetables, the chemical compound lycopene is extracted from tomatoes and according to ABT “naturally helps the skin to defend itself against sun damage… and to reduce roughness, wrinkles and other visible signs of ageing.

New study suggests mushrooms could help with weight loss.

New study suggests mushrooms could help with weight loss.Eating a mushroom-rich breakfast may result in less hunger and a greater feeling of fullness, thereby helping you avoid consuming extra calories later, new research suggests. The findings, published in the journal Appetite, suggest that meat can be replaced by mushroom in some meals. "As with previous published research, this study indicates there may be both a nutritional and satiating benefit to either substituting mushrooms for meat in some meals or replacing some of the meat with mushrooms," said study author Joanne Slavin, Professor at the University of Minnesota in the US. Because protein appears to be the most satiating macronutrient according to the scientific literature, researchers wanted to match the amount of protein in the mushroom and meat interventions to essentially control for the influence of protein on satiety.

Organic pepper production above the soil in new system NatureFresh Farms.

Organic pepper production above the soil in new system NatureFresh Farms,this is a breakthrough in sustainable organic cultivation. Over the last seven years, Van der Knaap’s R&D team have been working with their partners to develop a cultivation system for growing organically above the soil. Led by Karel de Bruijn, R&D Manager of Van der Knaap, a reactor was developed that converts proteins intro nitrate (NO3) nitrogen. The nutritional solution produced with the reactor is free from organic residues, fungi and bacteria.

Vietnamese farmers trial new Ilyra smartphone control system.

Vietnamese farmers trial new Ilyra smartphone control system.Doctor Duong Trong Hai, Director of the Institute of Science and Technology has introduced the Ilyra agriculture ecosystem along with his associates which enables anyone to cultivate vegetables using the VietGap process. Using the automatic Ilyra system, farmers don’t have to go to the garden but can still control the farming experience via their smartphone or computer. All the watering, fertilizing, spraying, or harvesting processes are programmed. This allows anyone even those who don’t have any farming technique to cultivate. Doctor Duong Trong Hai said that in addition to automation, the system also enables origin tracing. “The system is useful for farmers and big agricultural producers because it enables growers to make their cultivation process transparent. The public or agencies can collect accurate information about products from the system,” said Doctor Hai.

Israel: Growing crops with underground heating and cooling

Israel: Growing crops with underground heating and cooling.Fresh, local strawberries in the middle of winter – that’s the vision of agtech Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies which is raising $5 million in an initial public offering. Roots sells an underground heating and cooling system for crops that increases yields and allows crops to be grown out of season. Water flows through underground pipes, heating or cooling the soil in a crop’s root zone by as much as 10 degrees. Developed in Israel, co-founders Sharon Devir and Boaz Wachtel have tested the technology in some of the world’s harshest conditions to deliver consistent produce no matter the time of year.