Smart greenhouses utilise sensors responsible for heat control to modify in-house conditions based on the indoor climate. (Image source: Adobe Stock))

The continual development of AI technologies has opened up potential for their use in various farming systems, including greenhouses

As agriculture continues to be one of the top revenue generating sectors in Africa, the popularity of greenhouse systems has seen a significant increase in recent years. Various fruits, vegetables and high-value crops are now being grown in specially designed greenhouse systems throughout the year, irrespective of weather conditions in the region.

Greenhouses are a mode of controlled environment cultivation that aim to create micro-climates that are favourable for producing crops during any time of the year. One of the main advantages of greenhouse systems is their ability to regulate temperature, maintaining optimal conditions in both hot and cold climates. In addition, greenhouses offer protection against pests and diseases, owing to their transparent structures clad with flexible materials that provides excellent ventilation. Moreover, they also optimise the use of other humidification and energy saving technologies that facilitate climate management, thereby boosting overall yield and production.

Since these indoor growing environments mostly require manual operation, installing automation technologies help in maintaining the desired internal environment with reduced reliance on farm labour. Also known as IoT smart greenhouses, these automated systems utilise a wide range of technologies including sensors responsible for heat control that modify in-house conditions based on the indoor climate. Moreover, computer automation software is often used to adjust humidity and venting, while Co2 monitors are used to regulate gas levels in the atmosphere.

Other notable control systems include programmes that automatically dispense pesticides in calculated amounts; equipment control systems that handle the movement of installed lights and planting equipment; fertigation management systems that automatically dispense water through water systems and lastly, drip irrigation systems that use soil sensors to monitor moisture levels in the soil.

The project is designed to validate wheat germ cell-free protein synthesis as a rapid and affordable approach to drug development. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Wamego-based company, Tritica Biosciences, along with three other partners have joined hands to work under Boston-based Ginkgo Bioworks, on a million-dollar project aimed at exploring the potential of the wheat crop in transforming drug development

The project is designed to validate wheat germ cell-free protein synthesis as a rapid and affordable approach to drug development. This powerful innovation introduces a new method of biomanufacturing that has broad applications across various sectors ranging from food to pharmaceuticals.

The ARPA-H project, known as Wheat-based High efficiency Enzyme and API Technology (WHEAT) is one of the first initiatives within ARPA-H’s Scalable Solutions Office, which aims to transform the health by improving the speed, scale and access to medical treatments.

The project aims to boost domestic manufacturing of critical medicines by producing them when and where they are needed. Many active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are currently affected by fragile global supply chains, and reshoring biomanufacturing will help stabilise the supply of critical, life-saving drugs.

According to a news release from Ginkgo Bioworks, WHEAT’s innovations will include post-translational modifications to establish a foundation suitable for producing biologics. 

“By harnessing the power of wheat based cell-free systems, we’re planting the future of medicine, helping to make production more efficient, flexible and localised,” said Dr Chris Miller, founder and CSO, Tritica Biosciences. 

Having worked on 13 farms in Angola, Acelera Agro has been successful in equipping farmers with essential skills. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

As wealthy nations continue to destroy Africa’s agricultural landscape with their vast industrial food systems, farmers, particularly women, belonging to areas that face a dearth of resources are bearing the brunt

Founded in Angola by CEO, Soha Nasser and the region’s startup incubator and accelerator, Acelera Angola, Acelera Agro is an agricultural accelerator that aims to create environmentally friendly solutions that have a global impact. The model focuses on five pillars that include adaptive farming, eco-friendly production, food innovation, circular economies and the water-energy-food nexus. Taking Angola’s unique ecological challenges into consideration, the organisation works on aligning farming practices with these challenges, in turn strengthening food security and resilience, while significantly bringing down emissions.

Having worked on 13 farms in Angola, Acelera Agro has been successful in equipping farmers with essential skills that boost biodiversity in soil systems, conserve water and contribute to regenerative fertilisation and land management. Precision agriculture and circularity are two of the most important pillars of Acelera Agro’s work, comprising data-driven practices that enable efficient resource and pest management, while also minimising water and energy usage from field to food processing. Acelera Agro has also been working on expanding its network across across sub-Saharan Africa through various strategic partnerships with organisations such as Climate KIC. Climate-resilient agriculture involves numerous complexities, many of which can be tackled using valuable tools developed by sustainable agriculture experts trained through such partnerships.

In an article published on Climate KIC, Nasser stated the positive impact the programme had had on their work. She further emphasised how the programme had profoundly influenced her approach to sustainability, particularly her knowledge about circularity, which she describbed as being an ‘eye-opener’.

“It moved beyond recycling and valorising side streams to present a structured approach to circularity. It gave me a new framework to think about sustainability,” Nasser said. In addition, she also highlighted the valuable insights she gained into the challenges involved in gaining financial support.

Women empowerment remains a key priority of the programme, aiming to narrow the gender gap in agricultural leadership.

Value Line Steering system marks a significant step toward more sustainable, efficient, and profitable farming practices. (Image source: Topcon Agriculture)

Global leader in precision farming technology, Topcon Agriculture has announced the launch of its Value Line Steering solution, aimed at increasing accessibility of precision farming for small and medium-sized farming operations

Advanced autosteering capabilities will now be available to a wider range of farmers and provide an affordable and easy-to-use solution compatible with a broad variety of tractors, including front-wheel-steer models and those compliant with ISOBUS-UT standards. Its simple design allows users unfamiliar with high-tech farming equipment to quickly adopt the system.

Moreover, the Value Line Steering solution enables older tractors to operate at sub-5 cm accuracy levels previously reserved for new, high-end machinery.

"With diesel, fertiliser, and chemical costs all rising, it's more important than ever to maximise efficiency," said Aaron Freeman, a fourth-generation farmer from Koolunga, South Australia. "The Value Line Steering system saves resources, reduces overlap, and boosts profitability."