All these ag problems can be fixed through management. Fallow ground is terrible. Tilling is terrible. Over/continuous grazing is terrible. All these chemicals are terrible. All the above practices have led to massive amounts of soil erosion, soil compaction, loss of soil fungal networks, massive disruption to the natural nutrient and water cycles, and the loss of thousands and thousands of farms/producers.
They really screwed things up in the 40s and 50s with the implementation of chemical fertilizers and herbicides. Working WITH nature is so much more advantageous than working AGAINST it. Livestock need to be brought back onto crop land... itd be a game changer.
Lasers are an improvement from chemicals i feel like, but we wont know until they have been used for a few years.
These systems have been in development with live testing for years, if my memory serves. I read about it from time to time. As someone with a biology degree and who grew up in corn and soybeans country, it has always been something that catches my interest. How does it work? How reliable is the AI they use to detect weeds. How good are the robotics that aim and fire the lasers. Do they note damage to nearby crops that we do want to keep? What's the accuracy on the weed detection algorithm? Can you put it on a tractor, bumping and sliding on real dirt, drag it through the fields, and have it still work? etc.
From what I understand, they have fully functional tractor-mounted platforms now that do this, and with very high accuracy and low error tolerances. What's the cost? How much energy does the laser itself consume? etc? Is there a hobby-grade version for the home gardener? Are there any commercial grade products one can buy right now? Are there any legal concerns or permitting requirements with the use of these devices? No idea.
I agree on the idea of working with nature, but I think there's room for humans to innovate while doing this. It is, by definition, what farming (domesticating plants for food) is.
The lazers do sound, potentially, much more biologically friendly than the current approaches. It could be a step in a better direction. I just know we have seriously damaged our soils the last 80 or so years.
All these ag problems can be fixed through management. Fallow ground is terrible. Tilling is terrible. Over/continuous grazing is terrible. All these chemicals are terrible. All the above practices have led to massive amounts of soil erosion, soil compaction, loss of soil fungal networks, massive disruption to the natural nutrient and water cycles, and the loss of thousands and thousands of farms/producers.
They really screwed things up in the 40s and 50s with the implementation of chemical fertilizers and herbicides. Working WITH nature is so much more advantageous than working AGAINST it. Livestock need to be brought back onto crop land... itd be a game changer.
Lasers are an improvement from chemicals i feel like, but we wont know until they have been used for a few years.
Always test before conclusion. True.
These systems have been in development with live testing for years, if my memory serves. I read about it from time to time. As someone with a biology degree and who grew up in corn and soybeans country, it has always been something that catches my interest. How does it work? How reliable is the AI they use to detect weeds. How good are the robotics that aim and fire the lasers. Do they note damage to nearby crops that we do want to keep? What's the accuracy on the weed detection algorithm? Can you put it on a tractor, bumping and sliding on real dirt, drag it through the fields, and have it still work? etc.
From what I understand, they have fully functional tractor-mounted platforms now that do this, and with very high accuracy and low error tolerances. What's the cost? How much energy does the laser itself consume? etc? Is there a hobby-grade version for the home gardener? Are there any commercial grade products one can buy right now? Are there any legal concerns or permitting requirements with the use of these devices? No idea.
I agree on the idea of working with nature, but I think there's room for humans to innovate while doing this. It is, by definition, what farming (domesticating plants for food) is.
The lazers do sound, potentially, much more biologically friendly than the current approaches. It could be a step in a better direction. I just know we have seriously damaged our soils the last 80 or so years.