max facts growing tips , news & trivia
Algae Greenhouse in the Works
Bigelow ’ s National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota in Maine already houses the country ’ s official collection of phytoplankton — a designation that makes it a go-to resource for researchers around the world . Now crews have begun work on a 3,000-square-foot greenhouse that Michael Lomas , head of the marine algae program at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in
East Boothbay , hopes will allow the center to play an even larger role in a multibillion-dollar commercial industry that , like algae , keeps growing and growing . “ We have about 3,000 strains of algae here so we are pretty good at growing them ,” says Lomas . The new greenhouse will allow the center to take on more contract work , which will provide revenue to supplement declining federal research funding . Lomas also hopes the larger-scale facility will become “ a flywheel that drives innovation ,” working with companies in Maine and around the world . Farming of kelp , seaweed and other macroalgae is a growing industry in Maine .
– pressherald . com
Drones the Future of US Farming
Robots are beginning to transform farming in the US , from autonomous mowing and plowing to so-called precision agriculture , a data-based approach to planting and harvesting crops . The agricultural robot market is expected to grow to $ 16.3B by 2020 from $ 817M in 2013 , according to the latest Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research report . And , the report says , one large segment of that market will be drones . The agricultural drone market has the potential to generate an additional 100,000 jobs in the US and $ 82 billion in economic activity between 2015 and 2025 , according to the report . With GoPro launching a drone in 2016 and drones hitting shelves at the Apple Store , consumertargeted drones are taking off . But Bank of America
Merrill Lynch anticipates that drones will see even more liftoff in the agriculture industry , predicting that 80 per cent of the commercial market for drones will eventually be dedicated to agriculture .
– marketwatch . com
Genetically Modified Soil Bacteria Work as Electrical Wires
As electronic devices increasingly touch all facets of people ’ s lives , there is growing appetite for technology that is smaller , faster and more mobile and powerful than ever before . Office of Naval Research-sponsored researchers , led by microbiologist Dr . Derek Lovley at the University of Massachusetts Amherst , say their engineered wires can be produced using renewable green energy resources like solar energy , carbon dioxide or plant waste ; are made of non-toxic , natural proteins ; and avoid harsh chemical processes typically used to create nanoelectronic materials . “ Research like Dr . Lovley ’ s could lead to the development of new electronic materials to meet the increasing demand for smaller , more powerful computing devices ,” says Dr . Linda Chrisey , a program officer in ONR ’ s Warfighter Performance Department . The centerpiece of Lovley ’ s work is Geobacter , a bacteria that produces microbial nanowires that enable it to make electrical connections with the iron oxides that support its growth in the ground .
– sciencedaily . com
26 Maximum Yield USA | October 2016