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Bioeconomy, Water, Bioeconomy
Satellites and high-tech solutions help African farmers face historic drought
Satellites and high-tech solutions help African farmers face historic drought
South Africa is experiencing its severest drought in more than a century. Savannahs – grasslands scattered with trees and scrubs, which cover about half of Africa – are some of the most productive environments of the continent, supporting livestock and rural livelihoods.
Preventing “oceans of plastic soup”
Preventing “oceans of plastic soup”
Approximately 8 million metric tons of plastic waste washes off land into the ocean each year. Bottle caps, toothbrushes, tiny plastic fragments, filaments, pellets, film and resin float about in the water columns.
Revolutionary System Monitors Water Pollution
Revolutionary System Monitors Water Pollution
Toxic microalgae, viruses and chemical contaminants are floating in our waters. These hazardous materials pose a high risk to the livelihood of the sea dwellers. Especially the aquaculture is affected by this rising problem.
Speeding up nature’s oil spill cleaners
Speeding up nature’s oil spill cleaners
Imagine if oil spills could be completely cleaned up soon after a marine accident. And this could be made possible thanks to none other than warrior microorganisms who attacked and completely broke down the oil.
Eating Insects - New Proteins for Farm Animals
Eating Insects - New Proteins for Farm Animals
When on April 7 th World Health Day is celebrated, most experts will be blaming insects for the rising problem of vector-borne diseases. In some parts of the world, however, these little bugs are considered a healthy and tasty source of food .
When your water is contaminated
When your water is contaminated
Statistically, drinking water in Europe is the safest in the world. But according to the World Health Organisation every year more than 300.000 Europeans are falling ill due to contaminated tab water. ...
Quick ID for water pathogens
Quick ID for water pathogens
Drinking water flowing from your tap can contain harmful bacteria, viruses and single-cell animals. And most countries do not routinely test for all these bugs.
Lucia Doyle: combining irrigation and fertilisation in open-fields agriculture
Lucia Doyle: combining irrigation and fertilisation in open-fields agriculture
The term fertigation is used in agriculture to refer to the combination of irrigation and fertilisation, in one step.
Ralf Otterpohl: a second life for unsuspected nutrient-rich waste
Ralf Otterpohl: a second life for unsuspected nutrient-rich waste
Every day cities in Europe discard a useful nutrient-rich resource that could be used to grow crops. Ironically, we treat and process human wastes while we mine non-renewable phosphate and potassium and we consume fossil fuel to make nitrogen fertiliser.
Crops watering by phone
Crops watering by phone
In Europe, irrigated agriculture is the chief water consumer for food production. Yet water resources are in limited supply.  One way out of this problem is to take more care with the water we use , and reduce the estimated 60% water waste.
Ton Baltissen: Optimised blooming
Ton Baltissen: Optimised blooming
Ton Baltissen , researcher at Wageningen University and Research Centre , in the Netherlands, who works  in the Applied plant research (PPO) department, gives youris.
Precision irrigation for ornamental plant
Precision irrigation for ornamental plant
In commercial nurseries, many different plant species are cultivated in the same irrigation sector. This means that the dosage of water and nutrients is often excessive for some of the crops’ requirement, as the most water demanding species set the standards.
More Crops per Drop!
More Crops per Drop!
A solution is much needed to fight droughts and preserve crops. Researchers have now developed a device capable of checking the humidity in the soil, and releasing irrigation water as needed – just enough without wasting it .
Can plastic be made from algae?
Can plastic be made from algae?
Algae are an interesting natural resource because they proliferate quickly. They are not impinging on food production. And they need nothing but sunlight and a bit of waste water to grow on.
Wetlands: value to locals matters most
Wetlands: value to locals matters most
We know when something is valuable to our everyday lives. We do not need a price tag. This is precisely what the HighARCS project attempts to do:  to measure the socio-economic value of ecosystem services , but without counting in euros, renminbi or dollars.
Aquaculture: helping blue turn green
Aquaculture: helping blue turn green
Sea bass or sea bream, by far the most consumed fish species around the Mediterranean area, increasingly originate from aquaculture.