The more we learn about soil microbiology, the more we realize that soil fertility is not just N, P and K. An ounce of soil contains 300 billion microbes with critical roles in root development and nutrient availability; yet only 25 of those microbes have been identified. The next frontier of agriculture may be right beneath our feet and in our fermenters.
We lose more crops in Africa than we bring to harvest. How do we change a plant's internal protection system so it defends itself and does not rely on pesticides? Genetics set potential, but gene expression determines yield. What if we could feed the genes that strengthen resistance to disease and stress without resorting to GMOs? Who is doing these things? Why are they doing it? How are they doing it? How are the new ideas implemented? Did you know plants actually communicate with each other?
Why do we have to spread our farms outward? Why not go upward? How do hydroponics work on a farm? Should we follow the Toyota model with their landfill gas to maximize the use of methane production? How do dairy exchange centers, such as Nestle, bring new technology to the modern farmer? Lessons to be learned.
Toxins and pesticides and their impact on the yields of bananas. What if you could get 100 boxes of bananas per hectare instead of 40 or 50? What if fungus infection could be controlled? Think of the impact on mycotoxins. What if waste from pineapples and bananas could not just be reduced but utilized? Why is crop dusting only used for fungicides and pesticides but not for real plant nutrition? Mycotoxin management starts in the field.