The Global Food and Environment Institute invites you to join us for this free webinar.
Speaker: Professor Megan Povey, School of Food Science and Nutrition
Chair: Professor Steven Banwart, School of Earth and Environment
Overview: Intensification of agriculture is destroying the soil, either through the incorporation of plastic encapsulants for herbicides and insecticides, or through continual ploughing and reseeding with monocultured crops and the abandonment of crop rotation. Some estimate that globally, only 50 cycles of harvest are left in the soil whilst current agricultural practice continues. Healthy soils are a complex combination of mineral particles, bacteria, fungi, organic matter, air, and water.
An ultrasound sensor for testing soils has been integrated with an agricultural robot as part of the Food Supply Chain Tracing and the MARS (Multi-sensor Agricultural Robot for Soils) project. Preliminary results suggest that the sensor will measure bulk modulus, porosity, mobile water content, and the depth of cracks in the soil. The ultrasound sensors are not too expensive, are very robust, and do not necessarily require a robot to carry them as they are very portable. They also have the potential to be used in locations throughout the world, and so could contribute to soil health in developing countries, essential to the development of sustainable agriculture worldwide.
This 20-minute presentation will be followed by 10-minutes for Q&A.
Please find more information and the link to registration on Eventbrite
Best wishes
Global Food and Environment Institute