More Yield = More Food !
Traditional canola lost nearly half its seeds to weather or harvesting .
Yanofsky ’ s genetic research significantly reduced agricultural waste .
Campus Conservation
“ Since this technology can dramatically increase seed yield , farmers can get the same yield on less land , meaning fewer chemical pesticides , fertilizers and less water ,” says Yanofsky . “ Under the effects of climate change , farmers are having to adapt to a rapidly changing environment and consider more severe weather conditions . So this has been incredible technology for farmers as they sustainably adapt their crops .”
Today , in countries around the world , the ripples of Yanofsky ’ s shatterproof seeds are expanding on environmental fronts as threats from climate change continue to rise . Where once severe climate events could significantly impact food supply globally and farmers ’ livelihoods locally , these very real applications of basic science have made both aspects more capable of weathering uncertainty .
“ Many discoveries are made in the lab and while you think they could have an impact , they never see the light of day ,” says Yanofsky . “ This one emphasizes how basic scientific research can have a profound impact — in this case , revolutionizing canola agriculture and sustainable farming .”
FOOD WASTE CAN COME from the fields , our kitchens and , of course , the table . More than 40 percent of U . S . food waste ends up in landfills , where it releases significant amounts of greenhouse gas as it decomposes . When current master ’ s student Enid Partika ’ 19 learned that fact as an undergraduate , she decided something needed to be done — and she started on campus .
As a member of the student-run organization Roger ’ s Community Garden , Partika and other students built an anaerobic digestion and biogas production system they named the BioEnergy Project . Their goal ? Turn UC San Diego ’ s food waste destined for landfills into usable products — fertilizer for organic produce and biogas for electricity .
“ We researched relevant literature and created a design that integrated hydroponics , solar power and biogas production into a single system ,” says the environmental chemistry graduate . Last year , Partika and project partner Will Tanaka were awarded MIT ’ s 2019 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for their efforts .
In addition to the technology , they also established a student-run collection program to gather food waste from campus dining halls , nearby restaurants and
grocery stores . In just one year , the team repurposed more than 42,000 pounds of food waste . They also worked to leverage the project into an educational platform for fellow students , which incorporates hands-on experiential learning with urban sustainable agriculture .
“ We are already on our way to implementing more of our systems around campus to help the university reach its zero waste goal by 2020 ,” says Partika , who is now continuing her research and product development through the analytical and environmental chemistry master ’ s program .
Along with Tanaka , a current student in nanoengineering , Partika aims to bring this technology off campus as well to benefit those in the San Diego community . “ We ’ re collaborating with the UC San Diego Bioregional Center for Sustainability Science , Planning , and Design to implement systems throughout San Diego ,” says Partika , “ especially in food deserts where we could provide healthy organic produce .”
— Jade Griffin ’ 03
Learn more about UC San Diego sustainability at : tritonmag . com / sustain
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