Restoring the strength of soils using natural elements
CategoriesSustainable News

Restoring the strength of soils using natural elements

Spotted: After decades of the intensification of farming, and the ensuing harm it has caused to environments, growers and policy makers are beginning to more seriously consider regenerative farming as the means of achieving a carbon-neutral future. Regenerative agriculture focuses on soil health and a circular agricultural economy, where resources are used in harmony with the natural environment. And, the World Economic Forum (WEF) estimates that farming regeneratively on 40 per cent of the world’s cropland would save around 600 million tonnes of emissions. 

The challenge is the slow pace of change. Regenerative agriculture must scale more quickly in order to cover 40 per cent of global cropland by 2030. Changing soil health can take years, so French agrobiotechnology company Gaïago has created a suite of products designed to help growers make faster improvements to their land. 

Using organic elements that plants already use, such as hydrogen, proteins, and fungi, Gaïago’s products encourage the fertility of the soil and therefore the growing environment of crops. Nutrigeo is a soil prebiotic that stimulates the growth of humidifying fungi. Two different probiotics provide additional nitrogen to the roots, and a foliar prebiotic, Stimulus, supports plants in resisting environmental stressors.  

And for the plants themselves, Gaïago created Vitam’in, a prebiotic for seeds that boosts general vigour at germination to help maximise full genetic growth. Improvements in the fertility of soil can be seen in as little as six months, and when integrated into a regenerative style of farming, will have long term environmental health and biodiversity benefits.  

Other ways in which Springwise is spotting agriculture creating more healthful growing environments include plant patches that monitor stress and eco-friendly insect treatments that do not harm pollinators.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

A sensor monitors the strength and efficiency of wind turbine blades
CategoriesSustainable News

A sensor monitors the strength and efficiency of wind turbine blades

Spotted: Considered a cost-efficient source of renewable energy, wind farms are under near-constant pressure to produce more power as quickly as possible. To help meet the demand, designers and manufacturers are working to create ever longer blades. While the longer blades produce more power, they also require additional maintenance. Current monitoring systems are not built to track the full length of the world’s largest blades, and updated materials technologies are also adding complexity to such oversight, with designs that bend more and in multiple directions.

One company seeking to provide a smart solution to the growth of the industry is Porto and Rotterdam-based Fibersail. Fibersail is piloting its shape-sensing wind turbine blade monitoring system in five European locations. The shape sensor tracks the full shape and curvature of each blade, identifying the most efficient positions for each turbine.

The continuous monitoring also provides owners and maintenance managers with the means to detect when a part is working below capacity – much earlier than is currently possible. Rotor and blade loads are adjustable—depending on weather conditions and local needs—and the system helps calculate the volume of production that maximises the lifetime capacity of each turbine.

A recent funding round is helping the startup to expand its team, and the company is seeking industry partners for further pilot sites.

Other recent wind power innovations that Springwise has spotted include home turbine systems and a forecasting system for renewable energy that helps producers match supply and demand. 

Written by: Keely Khoury

Email: info@fibersail.com

Website: fibersail.com

Reference