science projects useful for farmers

50 Exciting Agriculture Science Project Ideas: Unearthing Knowledge

Embarking on an exploration of Agriculture Science through engaging projects not only brings learning to life but also cultivates a deeper understanding of the vital connection between science and the agricultural world.

In this realm of Agriculture Science Project Ideas, we venture into a diverse landscape where seeds of curiosity grow into hands-on experiences. Whether you’re fascinated by crop science, agroecology, or the intersection of technology and agriculture, this guide is your gateway to a harvest of innovative and educational projects.

Let’s sow the seeds of knowledge and cultivate a passion for scientific inquiry in the vast field of agriculture. Join us as we dig into the fertile ground of Agriculture Science Project Ideas—where learning takes root and blooms into a fruitful exploration.

Table of Contents

Why Agriculture Science Projects?

Alright, let’s spice things up and talk about why Agriculture Science Projects are like the rockstars of learning, but in a field (literally):

Be the Farming Hero

Ever dreamt of being a hero in the farming world? Agriculture Science Projects let you swoop in with your cape and tackle real challenges, like making sure crops thrive and there’s plenty of food for everyone.

Get Your Hands Muddy

Say goodbye to boring lectures! These projects are all about getting hands-deep in soil. It’s like a treasure hunt, but instead of gold, you find out cool stuff about agriculture.

Nature + Science Jam

Picture this: a wild jam session of nature and science. Watch science unfold in the growth of crops and the dance of ecosystems. You’re the DJ, and it’s a party!

Farming Rockstar Status

Ready for the big stage of farming? Agriculture Science Projects let you be the rockstar, experimenting with ideas that could change the farming game.

Test-Drive Your Future Gig

Curious about a career in agriculture? These projects are like a backstage pass. Test out different roles, from plant whisperer to business guru, and see which one feels like your future gig.

Eco-Friendly Swagger

Think of it as strutting the runway, but for being eco-friendly! Agriculture Science is all about sustainability. Your projects could be the trendsetters for the green and clean farming revolution.

Local Hero, Global Vibes

Imagine being a hero in your neighborhood with fans worldwide. Your projects can transform local farming and maybe even become the next big thing on the global stage.

Neighborhood Superstar

Ready to shine in your community? These projects aim to make your neighborhood farming-friendly, ensuring everyone has access to fresh, tasty bites.

Science Mixtape

Forget about sticking to one science. Agriculture Science is like creating the ultimate mixtape, blending biology, chemistry, and environmental science. It’s a science party!

Grow Your Curiosity, Literally

Think of it as growing your curiosity. Agriculture Science Projects are like a never-ending adventure. Whether you’re a student or just a curious soul, get ready for a journey that’s as fresh as a ripe tomato.

So, if you’re up for a muddy, hands-on adventure that involves being the hero of the farming story, Agriculture Science Projects are your backstage pass to a green and exciting world.

Agriculture Science Project Ideas for Students

Check out agriscience project ideas for students:-

Crop Science and Agronomy

Check out how different types of soil make corn plants do a happy dance. Who knew soil could be such a party starter?
Let’s see if changing up the party guests (crops) keeps the wheat field rocking. It’s like a farmer’s version of musical chairs.
Meet the beans that can handle their water, or lack of it. Can they survive the ultimate water scarcity challenge?
Discover if lettuce loves a spotlight. We’re talking different light sources making lettuce the star of its own show.
Hang out with beans and find out if they’re the nitrogen-fixing heroes your garden needs.
Ever wonder if tomatoes like their personal space? Let’s test how close they can get without starting a vegetable drama.
Heat things up and cool them down for rice plants. Will they stay chill or get too hot to handle?
Uncover the love story between soybeans and hormones. Spoiler: it’s a hormonal rollercoaster!
It’s a genetic fiesta in the potato patch! Check out the different spuds and their unique moves.
Let’s see if tomatoes prefer a cozy or spacious dance floor. Can they salsa their way to a bigger yield?

Soil Health and Management

Take a peek at the tiny superheroes in soil – microbes! They might be small, but they’re making a big impact.
Join the mulch party and see who can keep the soil moisture in check. It’s like a magic show for plants.
Meet the earthworms and discover if they’re the composting MVPs. Can they turn kitchen scraps into black gold?
Dive into the rhizosphere and find out why it’s the VIP section for plant roots. The real plant party happens underground!
It’s a battle against soil erosion! Watch as cover crops and contour plowing fight to keep soil in its place.
Buckle up for the soil pH rollercoaster! Which amendments will make the soil happy or sad?
Witness the microbial maestros turning organic matter into compost. It’s like a symphony in the soil.
Roots take on soil compaction – who will emerge victorious? It’s the ultimate root rebellion!
Uncover the superhero powers of biochar in keeping soil fertile. Can it save the day for plant roots?
It’s a networking event for plants and mycorrhizal fungi. Can they strike a mutually beneficial deal?

Pest Management

It’s time for integrated pest management to show those pests they’re not invited! Who knew pests could be gatecrashers?
Neem oil steps into the ring with common pests. Will it be a knockout or just a friendly sparring match?
Check out if insects have a favorite plant perfume. Can we make them turn their noses up and fly away?
Biopesticides take on the chemical heavyweights. Who will emerge as the champion of pest control?
Meet the trap crops keeping pests away from the main party. Can they outsmart those sneaky insects?
Nematodes meet their match! Can we find a way to control these soil-dwelling ninjas?
Watch ladybugs take on aphids in the ultimate insect showdown. Will aphids escape or be ladybug lunch?
Enter the world of fungi fighting plant diseases. Can they chop down those pesky pathogens?
Genetically modified plants step up to defend against insects. Are they the superheroes of the plant world?
Join the cultural practices party and see if we can outsmart pests without using any chemicals.

Sustainable Agriculture Practices

Check out the skyscrapers of farming! Can vertical farms beat traditional farms in a resource-use showdown?
Dive into the underwater world of aquaponics. Can fish and plants be BFFs in a water dance?
It’s the heavyweight match of farming! Who will win – the organic or the conventional champs?
Design your own permaculture wonderland. Can we create a paradise where plants, animals, and humans live in harmony?
Explore rainwater harvesting for the win! Can we collect enough raindrops to keep our plants happy?
It’s a sun-powered party in the fields! Can we harness the sun’s energy to run the farm?
Trees meet crops for a leafy celebration. Can we create a forest-farm mashup that’s the envy of nature?
Let’s throw a buzzing party for the bees. Can we make our gardens the coolest spot for pollinators?
Join the CSA party! Can we create a farm-to-table movement that’s the talk of the town?
Dive into the world of zero-waste farming. Can we make every part of the farm contribute to the circle of life?

Technology in Agriculture

Plants demand water on their terms. Can we build a smart irrigation system that understands their needs?
Drones take to the skies to solve crop mysteries. Can they spot the culprits behind sickly plants?
Crops get their own GPS! Can precision agriculture guide them to a bumper harvest?
Imagine a greenhouse where plants control the show. Can we build a greenhouse that responds to plant wishes?
Blockchain steps into the food supply chain. Can it make our food journeys transparent and trustworthy?
Plants go digital with the Internet of Plants. Can we build a network where plants chat with each other?
Robots join the harvest party. Can they pluck, pick, and gather crops with robotic finesse?
Farm tools get a 3D makeover. Can we print out tools that make farming easier and more fun?
Satellites become crop explorers. Can they provide an aerial view that helps farmers manage their fields better?
AI becomes the ultimate pest predictor. Can it outsmart pests before they even think about crashing the plant party?

These projects are like hosting a science carnival for your plants – fun, informative, and a little bit wild! Let the agricultural adventures begin!

What are the 5 categories of agriscience fair projects?

Check out the 5 categories of agriscience fair projects:-

Dive into the world of plants and crops, exploring what makes them thrive. From soil secrets to growing good vibes, it’s all about the green gang!
Unearth the mysteries of soil! Get your hands dirty as we dig into the drama beneath our feet – it’s like a soil soap opera, but with more science!
Join the bug bash and witness the epic pranks pests play on our crops. We’re talking about bugs and the plants that outsmart them – it’s bug versus plant showdown!
Let’s talk green, mean, and sustainable! Explore farming that’s kind to the planet. It’s like giving Mother Earth a high-five while growing some serious crops.
Get your tech hats on! We’re diving into the agri-tech world, where farms meet gadgets, drones dance in the sky, and plants might just be sending tweets. It’s farming, but not as you know it!

These categories are like the different channels in the agriscience TV show – pick one, grab your popcorn, and let the agriscience adventures begin!

What are the 5 types of science project?

Check out the 5 types of science project:-

Ever wanted to play mad scientist? That’s experimental projects! You get to test your ideas, mix stuff, and see what happens. It’s like a science playground!
Imagine science as your favorite show, and you’re the star! Demonstration projects let you build cool models or show off fascinating science tricks. It’s science with a bit of magic!
Research projects are like detective missions. You dig deep into a topic you love, collect info, and become an expert. It’s your chance to be a scientific Sherlock!
Ever thought, “What if we had this?” Inventive projects let you create new stuff or improve what’s already there. It’s like being a scientist and an inventor rolled into one!
Investigatory projects turn you into a mystery solver. You spot a problem, propose solutions, and figure out the best way to fix it. It’s science meets detective work!

So, whether you’re cooking up crazy experiments or solving mysteries, science projects are your ticket to a world of discovery and fun!

What are some food science projects?

Check out some food science projects:-

Fluffy or Flat: The Muffin Mystery

Ever wondered why some muffins are like clouds, and others are a bit, well, flat? Let’s play kitchen scientist and figure out the secrets to the perfect muffin rise!

Sweet Science: DIY Rock Candy Magic

Ready to make your own sugary crystals? It’s like creating a candy masterpiece! Explore how sugar transforms into sparkly, delicious rock candy right in your kitchen.

Cooking Chemistry: The Browned Beauty Quest

Get ready for a flavor adventure! We’re diving into the world of cooking chemistry to uncover why our favorite dishes turn brown and tasty. Spoiler alert: it involves a little kitchen magic!

Preservation Picnic: Battle of the Food Titans

Canning, freezing, or drying – who wins the food preservation crown? Join our preservation picnic and discover which method keeps your snacks tasting top-notch for the longest time.

Cheese Time Travel: Aging Experiment Extravaganza

Cheese lovers, unite! Let’s embark on a time-travel journey to understand how different conditions affect the aging of our favorite cheeses. It’s like a flavor adventure through time!

Sourdough Symphony: Bread, Bugs, and Bubbles

Grab your apron; it’s time for a sourdough science jam! We’re exploring the magical world of wild yeast , bacteria buddies, and the science behind that perfect sourdough rise.

Colorful Kitchen: Food Coloring CSI

Become a food coloring detective! We’re using fancy science tricks to unmask the hidden colors in your favorite food dyes. It’s like a CSI episode, but in the kitchen!

Starch Showdown: Thickening Tales in the Kitchen

Who’s the superhero of thickening? Cornstarch, flour, or arrowroot? Join our starch showdown to reveal the ultimate thickening champion for your saucy adventures.

Veggie Superheroes: Nutrient Ninjas in the Kitchen

Vegetables to the rescue! Let’s discover the best way to cook them so they keep all their nutrient superpowers. It’s like a veggie superhero training camp!

Salted Sensations: The Great Salt Experiment

Ready to embark on a salt adventure? We’re playing with different salt levels to see how they dance on our taste buds. Get ready for some salty science fun in the kitchen!

Grab your apron and safety goggles – these food science projects are a delicious journey into the mysteries of the kitchen!

And there you have it, our journey through Agriculture Science Project Ideas! We’ve dug into the dirt, danced with bugs, and even taken a stroll through the high-tech side of farming. It’s been like having a backstage pass to the greatest show on Earth – the one where plants, soil, and science steal the spotlight!

As we wrap up, remember, these projects aren’t just about growing crops or staring at soil; they’re about discovering the secrets of our food, the land, and the incredible balance nature strikes every day. So, whether you’re dreaming of your future farm or just love the idea of playing mad scientist with plants, keep exploring, keep growing, and keep the spirit of curiosity alive!

Here’s to the farmers, the scientists, and everyone in between – may your seeds always sprout, your experiments always intrigue, and your journey in agriculture science be as bountiful as a sun-kissed harvest. Until next time, happy farming and happy exploring!

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these projects suitable for all age groups.

Yes, the complexity of the projects can be adjusted to match the age and skill level of the students.

Can these projects be done as part of a school curriculum?

Certainly, these projects are ideal for school curriculums and can be adapted to suit educational requirements.

6 Fun Agriculture Science Experiments For Kids

By Sarah Hunt, AZFB Communications Intern

Looking for fun activities to occupy your kids this summer and help them learn something new? We have six different ag-related science experiments that will do just the trick!

Grow an Avocado Tree

This experiment is so easy, and the kids will love watching their little avocado tree sprout and grow in your kitchen! With enough time, patience, sunlight, and water, you’ll be potting this plant in about a month.

Greenhouse in a Soda Bottle

With the greenhouse like environment of a soda bottle, seeds will sprout much quicker with the retained moisture inside the bottle. Kids will enjoy helping put this little project together and watching the seed’s progress each day.

Color Changing Flowers

I remember doing this experiment in elementary school and loving it! All you need is some white flowers, scissors, a cup, water, and some food coloring. Plus it makes a nice colorful centerpiece that your kids can make for your kitchen table!

Ice Cream in a Bag

This is another one of my childhood favorites. It’s very simple and tasty, but can be time consuming. Make sure you have plenty of hands on deck to help you shake the bag so no one’s hands get too cold from the ice and rock salt!

Make a Rubber Egg

This is a popular one! I did this years ago and thought it was so cool. Your kids will enjoy seeing the eggshell disappear over the allotted time and find this transformation fun and fascinating.

Hydroponics

This one will take a little longer, but hey, you’ve got two whole months of summer break to do this with, right? This experiment will teach your kids how to grow plants in nutrient rich water instead of soil! It gives them a responsibility to check on it every day and helps them see another way that we can grow the food we eat every day.

Find more fun summer experiments and activities for kids on Fill Your Plate’s blog!

Farm STEM Challenges

Whether you’re planning a farm-themed unit or are in need of motivating ways to teach kids important science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills, this activity pack is sure to do the trick.

The 6 playful challenges are perfect to use in STEM centers, math stations or as early finisher tasks.

Snag your set in our shop !

Inside You’ll Find

First up, dust off your geoboards and pull out a handful of rubber bands so kids can solve 15 farm-themed challenges.

Then learn the names of baby and grown up animals with a set of engaging puzzles.

Stretch kids’ design, engineering, problem solving and teamwork skills with 15 building challenges.

(They’re great to use with LEGOS, wooden blocks or even unifix cubes!)

Pull out your pattern block mats for some math practice.

There are two versions: one practicing numbers and a second for addition. It is so easy to differentiate for a variety of learners!

And dive into linear measurement by comparing the length of baby carrots and common school supplies like paper clips and unifix cubes.

There are six farm-themed STEM challenges in all!

Download Your Set

Snag your motivating pack in our shop !

Flip and Color Shape Game

Easter Egg STEM Challenges

Jellybean Addition Sort Game

Sweet Treats Number Puzzles

Preschool STEM Activities

DIY Lava Lamp

Celebrating Science & Innovation in Agriculture

A story by:.

Agriculture today is about so much more than a farmer simply planting a seed, rearing a cow or catching a fish. It takes a whole ecosystem and a host of actors to work together to produce the food we need for a population of more than eight billion people.

This complex agricultural production system has evolved over time through scientific discoveries and other innovations. It is this dynamic nature that will equip agriculture to cope with the competing challenges of addressing food and nutrition security, improving livelihoods, combatting climate change and sustainably managing natural resources.

Let’s take a closer look at “science and innovation” in agriculture: the ways it works, the benefits it provides and the future challenges it must still help us to overcome.

Natural Resource Management

The world’s 570 million farmers are arguably the most important stewards of the earth’s land, water and biodiversity. Worldwide, farming uses around 40% of total land area , two-thirds of water withdrawals and 85% of water consumption today. This is up from around 7% of total land area back in the year 1700 when the population was less than 10% of what it is today.

Advances in technology and farming practices have helped farmers become much more productive, growing crops efficiently in areas most suitable for agricultural production.

Without these advances, far more land would need to be cultivated to produce the food we need today. For instance, it has been estimated that we could produce the same amount of total food grown fifty years ago on less than one-third the amount of land used back then. If yields had stayed the same since 1961, we’d need to cultivate more than double the amount of land to feed the population today – a shift from 12.2 billion acres to at least 26.3 billion acres. That’s 82% of our total land area on earth.

Similarly, farmers tend to use water more efficiently as their yields increase. According to the International Water Management Institute , a farmer who grows about eight times the yield of another farmer uses only about three times as much water to do so.

In the coastal region of southern Bangladesh, soil salinity and a shortage of water for irrigation typically keep farmers from growing a crop in the dry season. However, a group of innovative women farmers is increasing production of maize, wheat and mung bean during the dry season despite these challenges. Key to their success has been using simple machinery to reduce tillage. This allows for earlier planting and keep crop residues on the soil surface to conserve soil moisture and reduce salinity. The women have also used crop varieties that mature faster.

In central Bangladesh, where the cost of irrigation and farm labour is skyrocketing, farmers and local service providers are teaming up to plant wheat, maize and legumes on raised beds to reduce labour and water requirements.

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia in Bangladesh (CSISA-BD) are working in partnership with the Regional Wheat Research Consortium of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute on this initiative.

Indonesia’s rich landscape makes it ideal for cultivating commodities like palm oil. Yet the increasing incidence of farmers burning land to bring it into production is having grave environmental consequences. Satellite-mapping company DigitalGlobe is working with the World Resources Institute in Indonesia to create a better picture of the earth’s surface, as part of the “Global Forest Watch” (GFW) initiative. Global Forest Watch is an interactive online forest monitoring and alert system designed to empower people everywhere with the information they need to better manage and conserve forest landscapes.

DigitalGlobe’s technology in Indonesia enables the team to see high-resolution visuals of fires and haze patterns that are affecting the environment. The images are then passed on to government agencies who are then better equipped to locate those responsible and develop better policies to prevent this from happening. Global Forest Watch allows users to create custom maps, analyse forest trends, subscribe to alerts, or download data for their local area or the entire world. Users can also contribute to GFW by sharing data and stories from the ground via GFW’s crowdsourcing tools, blogs, and discussion groups.

The low-rainfall area of Barmer, Rajasthan, India can remain dry for up to 11 months of the year. If the rains do not come, farmers struggle to find enough water for their food crops, or for the goats that families keep as a source of milk and manure. Many men have also migrated to the city to find work.

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is working with women in Barmer, offering interventions to help reduce the drudgery of the labour women must undertake to survive. Women are helped to organise themselves into self help groups, and taught how to harvest rainwater. Using this harvested water, the women are taught how to keep small agri-horticultural gardens, which they can also use to earn an income. Improved seeds of pearl millet and other beans are also provided.

One farmer who has seen great success is Mani Devi. She used the profits from her garden to buy a sewing machine, and is now training women in her family and the rest of the village on how to use it.

Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are most often linked to the military. However, potato scientists at the International Potato Centre (CIP) are putting them to another use – to gather data on plant life.

Remote sensing projects are helping scientists to observe how plant life develops and evolves across landscapes over time through characteristics such as biomass, nutrient content, disease and water use. In this sense, scientists can use UAVs to collect images and data on plant numbers and type, the lay of agricultural land, and how crops are being affected by disease and climate change.

Currently CIP uses a number of airplane and helicopter UAVs including an Oktokopter XL. This insect-like remote flying machine was acquired from MikroKopter (Germany) and assembled in CIP and is capable of carrying up to two kilograms of camera and computer equipment and flying at altitudes of over 100 metres for up to 12 minutes depending on the application. The Oktokopter XL is also able to fly at a stationary position, which makes it an excellent tool for aerial photography.

The forests of the Congo basin stretch over two million square kilometres, making it the second largest rainforest area in the world. Forests are essential for local and global life, as they not only provide food and a livelihood for the community, but also help prevent global warming by storing vast amounts of carbon from being released into the atmosphere.

But a rapidly growing population and a diminishing source of fish are leading people in the Democratic Republic of Congo to undertake slash and burn agriculture in the forest basin.

As part of a project run by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a new course at the University of Kisangani is helping students collect better data on Congo’s forest, and perform agricultural activities whilst managing its biodiversity sustainably. There are currently few technically trained academics and scientists in DRC, and even fewer women involved in these subjects. Agents responsible for stewarding the forests are also attending courses, to learn more about the impact of human activity on forests.

In Matopo, Zimbabwe, conservation agriculture (CA) techniques have been proved to help farmers increase their yields and conserve natural resources .

Trained in CA, farmers use a variety of practices and technologies such as digging planting pits, improving soil fertility with manure, mulch or legumes, and precise planting. By multiple cropping and rotating maize with indigenous nutrient-rich crops, the soil quality builds over time. Crop residues trap moisture, control weeds, and maintain cooler soil temperatures.

Despite challenging climatic conditions over a period of 3 years, farmers reported increases in yields of sorghum, millet and maize, from an average of about 0.5 tonnes to between 3-4 tonnes per hectare.

Another survey in Zimbabwe compared CA with conventional farming practices under low, normal and high rainfall situations. Regardless of the level of rainfall, farmers achieved yields between 2 and 6 times of those under conventional practices whilst benefitting from reduced input requirements.

Agriculture for Impact has compiled a comprehensive collection of case studies of “sustainable intensification” in action.

Agricultural Extension

Farmer and agriculture extension worker tending crops

Innovation is not only driven by technological advances, but also through novel ways of organizing farmers and connecting them to the information they need.

Many smallholder farmers around the world still farm the same way their ancestors did thousands of years ago. Traditional farming approaches may continue to work for some, but new practices can help many to substantially improve yields, soil quality and natural capital as well as food and nutrition security.

For example, a smallholder farmer in Africa might still scatter her seeds across her land, rather than planting evenly and in rows. This stops the plant’s roots from taking up the maximum amount of nutrients from the soil. She might use seed saved from generation to generation. While indigenous seeds are important to protect genetic diversity, improved seeds could also help her to adapt to changing climate conditions, fight crop diseases and produce higher yields. She may plant the same crop year after year, rather than rotating her crops or planting a range of crops together to grow more, maintain soil health and diversify her family’s diet. And she might store her harvest in such a way that leaves it susceptible to pests, diseases and rot.

Sometimes, innovations to address these issues are taken to farms via extension training. Farmers themselves can be organized in innovative ways so they are reached more easily and effectively with information. The type and style of the extension itself has evolved much over time. For instance, advances in satellite mapping and information and communications technologies (ICTs) are transforming more traditional agricultural extension work today. Farming is becoming more precise and productive as a result.

Banana bunchy top disease (BBTD) is a devastating virus infecting bananas worldwide. It has had a huge impact on both industrial banana production and on subsistence farmers who depend on the crop to feed their families and provide income. Once established, it is very difficult to eradicate and manage the disease.

According to FAO statistics, Nigeria is the second largest banana producer in West Africa, contributing about 2.7 million tonnes annually. Together with partners, the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has launched the ‘Stop Bunchy Top’ campaign in Nigeria to help farmers fight the BBTD infestation.

Training focuses on how they can identify the disease and produce virus-free planting materials. It also creates awareness among extension workers and policymakers about the danger of BBTD and control measures, including the need to plant clean banana suckers to prevent their fields from becoming infested.

iShamba is a mobile based platform that enables smallholder farmers to access real time agricultural and market price information and expert advice via SMS and a call centre. Funded by the TradeMark East Africa’s Challenge Fund and devised by Mediae Company Kenya, iShamba complements Mediae’s existing Shamba Shape Up programme that uses reality TV to give farmers the tools and knowledge to improve profitability and productivity sustainably.

iShamba offers a free subscription service to farmers, giving them market prices for two crops in the two closest markets to them; a weekly weather forecast for their area, including likely rainfall and agronomy tip text messages aligned to the season in the farmer’s specific region in Kenya. This helps them to know exactly when to harvest their crops and which pests and diseases to be on the look out for.

Farmers are also currently benefiting from ‘special offers’ and ‘discounts’ from key East African Community-based agri-product suppliers who are keen to work with iShamba to reach new customers.

How can we measure which technologies will have the most impact on our food supply? Until now, policymakers have struggled to make informed decisions on how to boost productivity in their regions in the most sustainable way.

The recent report “Food Security in A World of Natural Resource Scarcity: The Role of Agricultural Technologies” compiled by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks to answer these questions.

The report reviews 11 agricultural technologies ranging from traditional low-tech practices to more advanced technologies, such as no-till agriculture, heat-tolerant varieties and rainwater harvesting. The report finds that different regions will need different technologies. For example, when the impact of drought tolerance is tested globally, it seems to have a low impact, as drought only affects some regions in some seasons and years. Combining multiple technologies (or ‘stacking’ them) can have an even greater impact. Adopting the three types of crop protection (against weeds, diseases and insects) together could reduce the number of food-insecure people by close to 9 per cent. An online tool has been developed to allow policymakers and researchers hands-on access to the results.

In 2013, CropLife Latin America formed a partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to train Honduran farmers in good agricultural practices. The aim was to help lift 108,000 rural Hondurans out of extreme poverty by teaching farmers how to protect their crops from pests and disease.

AHSAFE-Honduras (the national member of CropLife Latin America) trained 120 USAID field officers on good agricultural practices and integrated pest management. The field officers in turn have trained more than 30,000 Honduran farmers. These farmers have been able to tackle pests and disease to improve the yield and quality of their crops and they are now earning higher incomes and enjoying a better quality of life. The project helped Emiliano Domínguez, a small-scale Honduran farmer, lift his family out of a life of poverty. He has been able to pay for a new house for his family of five and he has increased the amount of land he farms six times over.

The work in Honduras illustrates how public-private partnerships and good agricultural practices can address hunger and poverty around the world.

Rice production is not keeping up with demand in Africa. Changing diets, and rapid population growth mean that cultivation of this staple crop must dramatically increase its efficiency. To close the rice yield gap in Africa, AfricaRice, under the guidance of Dr. Kazuki Saito, has developed a decision support application (app) for providing African farmers with field-specific management guidelines called ‘RiceAdvice.’ It is an interactive tool, which generates recommendations based on farmers’ answers to around 20 questions.

RiceAdvice can identify the best choice of fertilizers to be purchased based on nutrient requirement and fertilizer prices, and their amounts and application timing. In RiceAdvice, farmers can also select their own target yield level based on their budget. It has been tested in the Senegal River valley and Kano, Nigeria. Results show that RiceAdvice guidelines give more than one tonne per hectare of yield advantage compared with farmers’ practices.

Saito is also leading a team that has developed the first version of a yield gap map for rice in nine African countries in the ‘Global Yield Gap Atlas’ website.

Seasonal rainfall forecasts can help farmers adapt to climate change and improve their resilience to climate shocks. The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) is collaborating with the Senegalese National Meteorological Agency (ANACIM) to develop climate information services that are relevant to farmers on a broad scale. Farmers have been involved in every step of the process, helping meteorologists and other specialists package and communicate climate information.

As of August 2015, seasonal forecasts are transmitted nationwide through 82 rural community radio stations and SMS, potentially reaching 7.4 million rural people across Senegal.

Receiving climate information is one thing, but putting it into practice is another. In the beginning, some farmers were reluctant to join the project, as they were very accustomed to basing their actions only on their own know-how.

However, as the project was willing to integrate local knowledge into the climate information disseminated, these farmers became less resistant. Today, farmers are no longer content to wait for climate information, but go in search of it.

Often in Dalung, Ghana, the cold winter winds chase people inside in the evening. But when they have the chance to watch a television screen that teaches better ways to farm, a crowd of 200 villagers gathers in the thoroughfare. They lean in to hear a message that challenges all they know about rice farming and how to grow more than ever.

This is one of several ways IFDC’s Feed the Future Ghana Agriculture Technology Transfer project (ATT) reaches rural farmers through media-based extension. These methods inform farmers quickly and in a cost-effective way. In Dalung, farmers learned about new technology through public video screenings, held on mobile “video vans.” ATT focuses on producing and curating content that appeals to all demographics of farmers. The project helped produce a reality show, “Kuapa,” that promotes good agricultural practices and is aired on Ghana’s most popular TV network.

Elsewhere, the project collaborated with Farm Radio International (FRI) to host programs designed to benefit small-scale farmers. This program implements an Integrated Voice Response System to provide on-demand assistance to farmers who desire to learn more on their own time, and in their own language.

Together these initiatives are estimated to have reached more than 1 million smallholder farmers.

Improved Inputs

The quality, availability and proper use of agricultural inputs is at the heart of agricultural production and sustainability.

The crops that we grow today have been bred over the past ten thousand years to be quite distinct from their wild ancestors. Maize, for instance, has evolved from a species called teosinte, which is native to Mesoamerica. Similarly, modern wheat is the result of farmers in the Near East selecting for mutations which resulted from the natural crossing of different species of wild grass.

(Photo credits: John Doebley ; LaSalle )

Farmers today are faced with a changing climate, which demands seeds that can cope with increased incidents of droughts, heatwaves, floods and elevated salinity levels. This is happening while arable land per capita is ever decreasing, which compels farmers to maximize harvests on existing land.

To do this, the right inputs need to be used in the right amount and at the right time, in the right location. This is called the 4Rs, and is an integrated part of best management practices for improved and more efficient fertilizer application. For example, in more developed countries, global positioning systems (GPS) are helping farmers to track their use of fertilizer and match it very precisely to various soil types on their farm. It can also help them to identify potential pest or disease outbreaks.

Without pesticides and other pest controls, an estimated 70% of the world’s crop might be lost , rather than 42% today. This would require substantially more cropland being brought into production to make up for this loss.

Rice dies within days of being completely submerged, resulting in total crop loss. In Asia, where most of the world’s rice is grown, about 20 million hectares of rice land is prone to flooding. In India and Bangladesh alone, more than five million hectares of rice field are flooded during most of the planting seasons, which severely damages food supplies and farmer incomes.

In response, scientists have developed a “flood tolerant” rice variety that can withstand being submerged for two weeks. Scientists at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) scoured rice’s rich diversity for a gene that gives flood tolerance. After the gene (called SUB1) was found, it was bred conventionally into popularly grown rice varieties in rice-growing countries in Asia.

Several varieties with this “scuba” gene were released to India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Lao PDR, and Nepal. Farmer Nakanti Subbarao of Andhra Pradesh, India, was one of the first to adopt Swarna-Sub1 in his community. After seeing that he recovered 70 per cent of this rice after three weeks of flooding, he distributed Swarna-Sub1 seeds to his fellow farmers in Maruteru, which led to coverage of 800 ha in his village, and its nearby areas during the wet season of 2009.

Scuba rice is spreading fast in several countries over the last few years, and currently grown by more than five million farmers in Asia.

In Bangladesh about 60 per cent of the population eats fish at least every other day. Just as a nutritious diet is essential for our own healthy growth and development, the quality of feed given to farmed fish directly influences how fast and large they grow—in turn impacting the yield and farmer profits.

Yet it can be expensive and difficult to access quality feed. WorldFish, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is working on the Aquaculture for Income and Nutrition (AIN) project in Bangladesh, training farmers to make their own fish feed from subsidized feed mills.

Since January 2014, AIN has established 62 feed mills and trained 430 farmers in feed production. Fish are now growing faster, and as growing feed is cheaper than buying it, fish farmers are enjoying a better income.

In a country where more than a third of the population lives below the poverty line, AIN is improving the productivity of household and commercial fish farms to help secure income and nutrition for rural farmers and their families.

In a country often referred to as the “pearl of Africa”, one crop—orange sweet potato (OSP)—has become a real gem for Ugandan farmers and their households. Bred conventionally through a process known as biofortification, OSP packs enough vitamin A to provide a child with a full daily dose. In Uganda, one-third of all children under five lack enough vitamin A, contributing to 29,000 deaths each year.

Diarrhoea is one of the leading causes of child mortality in Africa, but a recent study has shown that OSP can help children ward off or reduce the duration of the disease.

As their children enjoy the nutritional and health benefits of OSP, Ugandan farmers are realizing other gains from the crop, too; OSP is high yielding, early maturing, and drought tolerant, giving farmers good harvests and an additional way to make a living.

To date, nearly 300,000 Ugandan farming households are growing and consuming OSP in a project run by HarvestPlus. With demand for the crop continuing to rise, HarvestPlus and the Government of Uganda are working together to scale up nationally.

In 2005, a new strain of rust disease devastated lentil fields in Ethiopia. The local variety of seeds used by the farmers had little resistance to the new disease caused by unusual weather, a growing problem with climate change. Nearly 90 per cent of the farmers lost their produce.

In response, the Ethiopian government with the help of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) stepped up efforts to improve legume varieties, with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the government of Netherlands. ICARDA provided improved germplasm and varieties of lentils, chickpeas and faba beans for testing on farmers fields. The new varieties were first tested by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) for adaptability to the local environment, and after crossbreeding with local varieties, those with the highest yield potential were released.

Today, 20 per cent of Ethiopian farmers grow improved lentil varieties from ICARDA’s project, and legumes are now becoming popular. Apart from boosting yields, these crops are making soils healthier and reducing their expenses on fertilizers.

Legumes, being rich in protein and essential minerals such as zinc, also enrich the diets and nutrition of farmers and their families.

Both water and fertilizers play a critical role in agricultural production – in fact, each depends on the other. Fertilizer’s influence on yield depends on the water available to crops, and water’s impact on yield depends on nutrients’ availability to crops.

Managing Water and Fertilizer Use for Sustainable Agricultural Intensification

This presents a significant challenge for countries that have limited, or erratic rainfall, and/or poor access to fertilizers. Traditionally, approaches to boost production in dry regions have focused on individual interventions such as fertilizer use, or water conservation measures. But scientific trials have discovered that approaches that integrate both fertilizer and water use are much more effective.

For example, in the Tadla region of Morocco, laser-assisted land levelling, that reduces water runoff after rainfall, has resulted in both saving 20 per cent more water, and increasing crop yields by 30 per cent. Tiered ridges that capture rainwater have a similar effect: sorghum grain yields at on-farm locations in Burkina Faso were higher with the combination of fertilizer and tied ridges than with either fertilizer or tied ridges alone.

Agronomists at the International Fertilizer Industry Association, together with partners, have produced a scientific book that reviews the latest knowledge on plant nutrition and water management that can optimize water productivity and fertilizer use efficiency and effectiveness.

Farmers walking through a field with different crops together

‘Resilience’ describes whether a farmer (and her farm) is able to withstand or recover from stresses and shocks. ‘Stresses’ are regular, sometimes continuous, relatively small and predictable disturbances (e.g. lack of access to inputs, a declining natural resource base, climate change and poverty) while ‘shocks’ are irregular, relatively large and unpredictable (e.g. floods, droughts, heatwaves and price volatility).

For farmers to be resilient, they must be able to bounce back from these challenges and achieve previous levels of growth – rather than suffer from reduced yields over time or even worse, a collapse in their production. Climate change already poses a risk, especially to smallholder farmers in the developing world.

Can farmers be supported to help predict these stresses and shocks? Can they be helped to prevent them, buffer themselves or fight against their negative impacts? And can they adapt in ways that make them even better off and more knowledgeable as a result?

According to the government of Ethiopia, 8.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance due to the current drought, coupled with successive failed seasons. El Niño weather conditions and rain failure are resulting in crop harvest loss, livestock death and declining productivity, putting over 400,000 people under emergency support needs. Despite this gloomy background, districts where World Vision has implemented Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) are exhibiting greater resilience. FMNR means helping naturally occurring trees to return to the landscape to help to keep the soil from washing away, to shade crops and to help the land to hold water.

Compared to the adjacent districts, agricultural production of the households that applied FMNR have largely been unaffected due to high moisture retention in their soils. Rivers and hand-dug wells have sufficient water despite reduced precipitation. Income from agricultural production has increased by more than double. Fodder for livestock, wood supply, and a stable microclimate all remain intact.

Furthermore, revenues from carbon credits that farmers have earned for planting more trees cover expenses such as school fees, medication and the purchase of improved seeds, thus safeguarding the wellbeing of families. The observed impact in Ethiopia clearly shows the potential for FMNR to serve as insurance against climate change induced shocks and stresses.

Back in the 1950s, Latin America and the Caribbean experienced one of the most devastating plant disease epidemics in history. The fungus, Panama disease, wiped out large production areas of Gros Michel, the export banana variety. This fungus still remains in the soil, and threatens the livelihood and food security of millions of smallholder farmers.

Bioversity International scientists, in collaboration with partners, have been working with 18 producers in the area of Turrialba, Costa Rica, and Tola, Nicaragua, helping them to become more resilient to Panama disease. Workshops were carried out to teach farmers how to recognise the disease, and stop it spreading. Good agricultural practices were promoted, such as using disease-free planting materials, as well as organic matter application and soil health-oriented fertilization. As a result of the interventions, farmers significantly improved their knowledge about Panama disease and management. They have also shared their experiences with neighbours through group training events, farmer field days and informal exchange.

Farmers now have a toolbox of validated practices for enhanced soil health and management of Panama disease in bananas, as a strategy for protecting their livelihoods.

In Ethiopia, an estimated 12-15 million livestock keepers live in the dry, low rangelands that cover most of the country. These rangelands have huge untapped potential, but drought, unsuitable farming practices and overgrazing have left the land in poor condition, which in turn has impacted the health, condition and value of livestock. Men, who are typically responsible for livestock production, are moving further afield in search of resources, taking them away for longer and increasing risks to their herds of disease and starvation. This affects household incomes, and results in distress sales or consumption of livestock during the hunger period, leaving many households unable to restock herds and lacking savings to invest in alternative incomes.

Farm Africa is working with partners to find more sustainable ways to use available grass and water, and to improve pasture quality. This process can be difficult to measure, as typically the areas in question are very large and remote.

The RaVeN monitoring tool under development by LTS International as part of this effort, aims to address this problem. This new tool uses freely available optical and radar satellite data in combination with meteorological data to measure the “greenness” of an area at different points in time, and therefore improve information on what good quality pasture is available for pastoralists to use for grazing their herds.

A new initiative being pioneered by scientists at the International Water Management Institute is channelling surplus surface water from flood‐prone rivers, to a modified village pond. Brick structures in the pond allow the water to flow swiftly down below ground, where they infiltrate the local aquifer. This water can then be pumped back up again during the dry season so that farmers can maintain or intensify their crop production.

Putting this into practice will save on the large funds spent each year on relief and restoration efforts of flood victims and on subsidies for groundwater extraction during the non‐rainy season.

With floods being a common occurrence across the Ganga basin, researchers hope that the scaling up of this intervention would help in effectively protecting lives and assets downstream, boosting agricultural productivity and improving resilience to climate shocks at the river basin scale. This will be especially important to help communities deal with climate change which is likely to bring ever more variability in water supply and rainfall.

Planting fruit trees is not a new practice in Central Viet Nam. Local species of pomelo and orange were once popular in home gardens and known for their special flavour. But as focus shifted towards extracting resources from the nearby forests, these fruit-bearing trees were slowly forgotten. But in the last decade, declining soil and water quantity, reduced river flow, and drought have forced farmers to seek alternatives. Tree planting in home gardens and sloping lands provides one such solution.

The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), in collaboration with partners and local people has established 12 agroforestry systems in home gardens and sloping land in three villages. The systems combine trees, annual crops and fodder grass. Pomelo and orange trees are planted amid annual crops, such as beans, peanut, sweet potato, maize and guinea fodder grass.

Mixed systems are not only more resistant to climate-related hazards but recent scientific findings show that local people residing in areas with diversified agricultural or forest products are also healthier owing to more nutritionally diverse diets.

Market Access

Market access allows farmers to buy the inputs they need such as improved seeds and fertilizers, and also to bring their crops, livestock and fish to market to earn a living.

Millions of smallholder famers live in remote areas, and are often isolated from market opportunities. Innovations in connecting these farmers to market are happening in many ways – resulting from social, technical and scientific advances. These advances help farmers find and share up-to-date market pricing information; protect and add value to their harvests; invest in their business; reduce and share risk; and access finance and training.

These innovations can be used and accelerated by actors all across the agricultural value chain to reduce transaction costs and risk while helping to give farmers equal access to the opportunities that exist through trade.

In Cambodia, traditional wood-burning stoves used to smoke freshwater fish typically result in low profits and emissions harmful to the environment. To improve this process and fetch higher prices from buyers, many young women engaged in this livelihood are taking part in the Cambodia HARVEST programme, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), that provides a new, fuel-efficient alternative. Eco-friendly stoves designed by the programme use 30 per cent less wood while smoking fish 15 per cent faster than conventional models. The end product is of a higher quality and ensures greater market access.

All 289 of the programme’s fish processors utilize these new stoves. Kry Sokly, a fish processor in in Kampong Prak village, has increased her family’s annual income by 75 per cent, from $1,000 to $1,750. Not only has the new stove contributed to this success, but Kry also took part in trainings on entrepreneurship and hygiene within her producer/savings group. These organizations, formed by Cambodia HARVEST as another way to connect fish processors to the market, offer an opportunity for women to come together for greater knowledge exchange. Moreover, members contribute money into a pool from which they can borrow when needed at interest rates lower than commercial lenders without stipulations on how they use the money.

In the Republic of Georgia, the agriculture sector is booming. Producers are required to adapt and utilise new technologies to keep up with both local and international market demand.

Equipment Investments pay off in Georgia

The company Herbia had run a consolidation centre, where local farmers could bring their produce to market for several years, as well as a three-hectare greenhouse for culinary production. Yet the company was in need of new technologies to increase its sales and market share, so applied to the USAID Restoring Efficiency to Agriculture Production (REAP) matching grant programme, and established a new refrigerated warehouse with two modern packing lines.

This new equipment quickly enabled Herbia to purchase more goods from smallholders and to launch a new product line that provides whole vegetables for ready-made salads. Additionally, REAP assisted Herbia in rebranding including the development of a new logo and packaging.

The new brand launched in April 2015 in more than 80 Tbilisi supermarkets, resulting in an immediate rise in sales of more than 20 per cent. The new equipment, coupled with Herbia’s rebrand, has produced 16 new jobs (including nine for women), generated more than U.S. $222,690 in sales, and enabled the purchase of more than 44MT of new herbs and vegetables from more than 150 new farmers.

Hidden in the conflict-ridden borderlands of Colombia and Ecuador, farmers have been growing exceptional quality coffee beans, but have remained largely disconnected from gourmet coffee markets. Scientists at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) joined forces with Catholic Relief Services last year, to analyse the coffee trade and find out how coffee farmers in the Nariño region could be linked to these more lucrative markets.

It was soon discovered that buyers from big coffee brands were purchasing Nariño’s coffee based on sight and not a taste test. Farmers were receiving a flat rate for any coffee beans considered to score above 85 out of 100, even though many, when tasted, could actually reach the high 90s. A “cupping” session was arranged by the project, to teach farmers about the rigorous tasting process that could set their coffees apart and help them earn much higher financial rewards.

In its first year, the project enabled around 100 farmers to break into the gourmet coffee market. This year they are up to around 550 and that number is likely to rise.

Traditional business model analysis dictates that the agricultural sector across Africa represents substantial risk. So it is no surprise that existing financial institutions have only met 1 per cent of the overall demand for credit in agriculture. Umati Capital focuses on data and technology, to help small to medium sized enterprises and agribusinesses unlock cash for immediate growth but also achieve operational efficiencies for sustained growth.

Umati Capital has been working closely with one of the leading fair-trade and organic certified Kenyan exporters of macadamia and cashew nuts. Before Umati Capital, the exporter painstakingly procured raw nuts from 60,000 smallholder farmers in remote areas across Kenya using manual and paper-based processes, resulting in errors and delayed payments to the farmers.

Umati Capital helped the exporter by providing invoice discounting, and automating the exporter’s supply chain processes, enabling on-time payments for the farmers.

As a result, the exporter increased purchases from farmers by 50 per cent and improved efficiencies in procurement by 90 per cent.

The MilkIT innovation platform has helped women stuggling to make ends meet in the Himalayan hills of Northern India to generate a regular income from milk from their cows.

Beginning in early 2013, the MilkIT project made efforts to unite dairy development actors, researchers and farmers, to improve access to dairy markets and improved dairy feeds, Now, more than 800 households are selling their milk at higher prices due to collective marketing by self-help group-based cooperatives and closer links to the state cooperative, with subsidies provided to those transporting milk from distant villages to markets.

Livestock keepers have been able to replace unproductive stock with higher yielding animals due to credit support provided by development. Simple feed innovations such as feed troughs, forage choppers suited to women’s needs, adoption of improved forage varieties and dual-purpose crops that act as feed and food, has helped to reduce women’s labour while increasing the availability of fodder.

An impact study conducted in November 2014 showed that families participating in this innovation platform earned five times more income from their dairy animals than non-participants in one year.

PHOTO CREDITS: ©2017 CIAT/NEIL PALMER, ©2021 CIAT/JUAN PABLO MARIN GARCÍA, YUSUF AHMAD (ICRAF), ©2016CIAT/GEORGINASMITH, DEVASHREE NAYAK (ICRAF), ©2009CIAT/NEILPALMER, GEORGINA SMITH (CIAT), S. STORR (CIMMYT), GUILHEM ALANDRY, P. SAVADOGO (ICRAF), NEIL PALMER (CIAT), OLIVIER GIRARD (CIFOR), THOMAS LUMPKIN (CIMMYT)

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Science Projects on Which Fertilizer Makes a Plant Grow Faster

Two Week Science Projects

Plant growth is important to agriculture because farmers need to produce food efficiently. Fertilizer assists in plant growth. Farmers select fertilizers they believe will not only make their plants grow larger, but faster as well. You can conduct science experiments related to the speed of plant growth. You need only a few supplies for each project and a week or two of time to complete them.

This science project determines if the amount of fertilizer used will make a plant grow faster. To make an accurate determination, you must have three plants all the same size, in the same size and type of container and existing in the same conditions. Place the three plants in a sunny location and water them daily. In one container, put no fertilizer at all. In the second container, place ¼ cup of fertilizer. In the third pot, place 1 cup of fertilizer. Use the same type of fertilizer for each plant and work the fertilizer into the soil of each of the two pots. Check on the plants daily and water as needed. Observe the differences in the plants and take pictures of their progress over a period of two weeks. See if there is a difference between the plant without fertilizer and the two plants with fertilizer.

Both store-bought and natural fertilizers are believed to assist plant growth, but which type of fertilizer makes a plant grow faster? Find out by getting two of the same size and type of plants in the same size container. Add ¼ cup of cow manure to the soil of one of the plants and ¼ cup of manufactured fertilizer to the soil of the other plant. Water both plants and place them in a window where you can monitor them daily over the course of two weeks. Note any changes in growth and whether or not one fertilizer seems to make one plant grow faster than the other.

Does a plant grow faster if it receives fertilizer more often? In this experiment, use two plants in the same size pots that are the same type and size. For one of the plants, put nothing in the soil. This plant is your control plant. In the other container, put ¼ cup of any type of fertilizer in the plant's soil. Add ¼ cup of fertilizer to that plant every day for a week. Make sure to work the fertilizer into the soil and water both plants as needed. Place the plants in a sunny location and monitor them daily. Note if there is any difference in the growth of either plant.

Find out if one organic fertilizer is more effective in making a plant grow faster than another. You will need two types of organic fertilizer, two plants of the same size and type, two containers for the plants that are the same, soil, water and a sunny location for the plants to grow. Mix ¼ cup of one type of organic fertilizer into 1 cup of soil in one container and ¼ cup of the other type of organic fertilizer into 1 cup of soil in the other container. Put one plant in each of the containers and water both plants. Set the plants in a sunny location and keep them watered as needed. Observe the plants everyday for a few weeks and make note of any differences in the plant growth. Which organic fertilizer makes a plant grow faster?

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Science Projects: The Great Plant Race
Science Made Simple: Botany Science Projects

About the Author

Patrice Lesco has been a writer since 2001. Also a certified teacher, she writes for newspapers, magazines, books, theater and film. Lesco holds a Master of Fine Arts in theater from Michigan State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in education and theater from Methodist College.

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Ideas for Pre-K & Preschool Teachers

Farm Science Center

By Karen Cox | Affiliate Disclosure | Filed Under: Farm Theme

Here’s a Farm Science Center that is simple to set up and engaging for young children. This center not only fosters sorting and classifying skills but also encourages learning all about farm animals and farm life .

Set up this hands-on, interactive science center and your little learners will be transported straight to the countryside!

farm science center preschool kindergarten

Farm Science Center: Getting Started

Before unveiling the Farm Science Center to your little learners, I recommend spending some time exploring the world of farms by reading farm-themed books and engaging in class discussions about farm animals, the roles of farmers, and the various machines found on a farm. This gives children prior knowledge that is important for enriching the learning experience at the Science Center.

Creating the Farm Science Center

To set up this center, here’s what you’ll need:

Visual Aids:

Set up photos of farms, farm animals, and farm equipment in the Science Center. These visuals serve as conversation starters and spark children’s curiosity about farm life.

“What Belongs on a Farm?” Sign:

To add environmental print to your center, print the sign “What belongs on a farm?” I attached this sign to a white board in a wooden stand.

Download the Farm Sign

Create Farm Terrain:

Replicate the farm’s terrain by laying down brown and/or green felt on the Science Center table or shelf to represent ‘dirt’ and ‘grass’. Craft foam sheets are another great option for this purpose.

Farmyard Collection:

Collect mini farm animals and other related items like tractors, barns, wagons, and farmer figures. Place these in a basket for easy access. To contrast, include mini safari animals or any non-farm animals to encourage sorting and classifying. While optional, toy farm fencing can add a realistic touch.

Children will classify the animals by placing the farm animals on the farm, and the non-farm animals outside of the farm.

These are the items I used (affiliate links):

Mini Farm Animals
Mini Farm Objects
Farm Fencing
Mini Safari Animals

farm animals sort and classify in the science center

The Activity in Action

With the stage set, invite your preschoolers to explore the Farm Science Center. Encourage them to use the mini farm animals and items to create their own farm scenes on the ‘land’ you’ve prepared. The inclusion of non-farm animals serves as a playful challenge, prompting discussions about why certain animals might not be found on a farm.

As your students play in the Farm Science Center, they’ll not only reinforce their knowledge of farm life but also sharpen their sorting and classifying skills.

farm animals in science center, sort and classify which animals belong on a farm

More to Add to a Farm Science Center:

Grow a seed sprout in a zip bag.

Learn more and get the printable here:

Seed Sprout Bag Topper

Add seed sorting and seed growth activities to your Science Center. Learn more here:

Seed Science Activities

Chicken Life Cycle Printables

Includes: Book, Poster, Sequencing Cards & Sequencing Sheet

Get it here

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19 February 2024

How science is helping farmers to find a balance between agriculture and solar farms

Magali Reinert 0

Magali Reinert is a science and environment journalist in Montpellier, France.

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

A combine harvester in a field, under hanging solar panels.

A farmer drives a combine harvester under hanging solar panels on an agrivoltaic site in Amance, France. Credit: PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP via Getty

In March 2023, the French government passed a law requiring all solar projects on farmlands to provide some sort of service to agriculture: from improving yields to protecting crops from frost or heatwaves. The decree, entitled ‘On Accelerating the Production of Renewable Energies’, hopes to address a rising call to protect agriculture from an increase in the amount of land being used to harvest solar energy rather than crops.

This trend has become common, thanks to the shrinking costs and growing profitability of the photovoltaic technology behind solar panels. In France, a landowner could make between 10 and 100 times more money per hectare renting out their land to an energy company than they’d make from conventional farming. This puts the future of agricultural land at risk.

The bill hopes to build a compromise — aiming to meet the demands from energy companies to install solar panels, without damaging the yield of land used for food production. More laws on the issue are being drafted, including one that specifies the penalty that landowners might face for not meeting productivity targets.

The government’s target to generate 100 gigawatts of solar power by 2050 looms large in discussions, but in a country where the agricultural lobby holds immense political power, any debate is fraught with political tensions. Furthermore, the changing balance between market forces in France might signal economic shifts elsewhere. As solar projects get cheaper to build, and as many of the world’s economies cry out for more renewable energy, how will conventional farmlands cope?

And ongoing protests by farmers across Europe, particularly in France, might affect the coming debates around the use of solar technologies on farmland. Distrust of the new rules, as well as calls for better prices and access to affordable farmland, have fuelled the strikers’ outcry.

Changing old viticulture for all the right rieslings

According to the French Agency for Ecological Transition, solar projects contributed 16 gigawatts to the French grid in 2022. So far, only 1.3 gigawatts is expected to come from photovoltaics built on agricultural enterprises, some of which are still under construction. Around 61.4 gigawatts(45% of the country’s electricity) comes from nuclear power. Today, renewable energies account for only 20% of the total energy consumed in France, and the government has pledged to reach 33% by 2030. It also plans to comply with the more ambitious European Union’s target of 42.5% of energy from renewables by 2030.

French researchers have been investigating how solar panels can be installed without damaging the growth of crops for decades. Farms make up half of France’s land, by far the easiest host for solar-power projects compared with the urban regions, forests or protected natural areas that blanket the rest of the country.

Christian Dupraz and his team of agronomists at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) in Montpellier research the benefits of temporary shade for plants, and how solar-based systems can help. In Occitania, in the south of France, the team has been experimenting with various ways of mitigating harsher temperatures caused by global warming. Shade structures equipped with solar panels are part of one such technique. With this system, nicknamed agrivoltaic by Dupraz, panels rise over crops to protect them from sunlight when required, rather than simply replacing farmland acreage.

“Crops don’t use all the Sun’s rays. Their needs depend on life cycle, and some stages — such as grain filling and end of the production cycle — need less light than others,” Dupraz says. The panels also provide protection against weather hazards that come and go, such as night frosts, hail and heatwaves. The technical challenge is therefore to create structures that can harness the Sun’s energy as well as being smart enough to adapt to the needs of the crops growing beneath them.

Agronomical tracking model

Several companies are working on these models, including Sun’Agri, based in Lyon, France, which has operated a joint research programme with Dupraz’s team for more than ten years. Damien Fumey, an agronomist at Sun’Agri, says that fields in southern France equipped with mobile solar panels saw increased yields in perennial crops such as vines or fruit trees.

INRAE also created a national cluster of 56 partners, including energy companies, for agriphotovoltaic research in February 2023. The director, agronomist Abraham Escobar-Gutiérrez, points to a 2023 Applied Energy publication 1 , which concluded that lucerne crops ( Medicago sativa ) — beansprout-like plants — alongside mobile panels showed slightly higher yields than those elsewhere, thanks to reduced evapotranspiration and the plant’s adaptation to shaded conditions.

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Although the agriphotovoltaic model seems to be an attractive compromise on the surface, it’s less appealing to the energy industry, because it produces lower electricity yields than do panel systems, which simply prioritize their placement to the Sun. Critics also point to the costs of such systems. Escobar-Gutiérrez estimates that a sophisticated agronomical tracking system is ten times more expensive than a standard solar farm.

Another battle rages around the proportion of land that can be covered by solar panels. Energy companies are lobbying the French government to legalize covering up to 40% of farm plots in solar panels, in the name of the profitability. Agronomists counter that anything more than 25% will jeopardize agricultural production. Dupraz says that “by accepting a high coverage of panels while forbidding agronomic losses, the law could be unenforceable”.

Japan — another country attempting to find a balance between sustainable agriculture and a green electricity transition — has chosen to regulate yield losses rather than land coverage. Since 2013, Japanese regulations have required farmers with solar panels in their field to comply with a yield reduction of less than 20% compared with the average yield of the surrounding farmland. Christian Doedt, a researcher at the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP) in Tokyo, says that Japanese farmers have concerns regarding this rule, especially about the threat to those who don’t comply. “The yield requirement of 80% and the legal possibility of dismantling agrivoltaics projects that don’t fulfil it are still a huge barrier to the expansion of agrivoltaics in Japan,” Doedt says.

Fighting for the light

And although legislation is being drafted, for some farming areas it is already too late. As solar panels started to become commercially affordable around 2000, many of the vast greenhouses that grew fruit and vegetables in France’s farmlands got kitted out with them by enterprising farmers. In 2018, the local authorities of the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales estimated that two-thirds of the greenhouses equipped with photovoltaic panels had been completely emptied of crops.

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Last year’s law aims to redress the balance and prevent this from occurring in the future. “Before the law of 2023, photovoltaic projects in agriculture were highly disparate across the country, with some local authorities allowing all projects to go ahead, and others systematically blocking them in the name of agriculture. The law is trying to find a bridge between the two,” explains Benoit Grimonprez, rural-law researcher at the University of Poitiers, France. Escobar-Gutiérrez says that he ‘is optimistic’.

Whereas France and Japan’s regulatory approaches are motivated by protecting the quality and supply of food, a different market-driven trend is emerging in the United States and Germany, supported by the energy lobbies that want to have access to land at the lowest cost, says Dupraz. Germany accepts a one-third loss of yield in farms with solar-panel systems. But further legal and economic battles might arise in the coming years in countries with similar conflicts about land use.

In some countries, there’s space for everyone. “The situation is different in countries with large uncultivable and unproductive areas, such as Spain and the USA,” Dupraz adds.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00518-6

This article is part of Nature Spotlight: France , an editorially independent supplement. Advertisers have no influence over the content.

Edouard, S., Combes, D., Van Iseghem, M., Ng Wing Tin, M. & Escobar-Gutiérrez, A. J. Appl. Energy 329 , 120207 (2023).

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5 Data Science Projects in Agriculture to Improve Agronomy

Explore Data Science Projects in Agriculture to Understand the Role of Data Science in Agriculture | ProjectPro

The use of data science in agriculture has evolved in the recent few years. Agriculture professionals have considerably greater access to data today than in the past, allowing them to analyze it and apply it to make well-informed decisions. Data science in agriculture aims to expand the vast amount of information gathered from data analytics methods and offers predictability through machine learning algorithms . This blog gives you an overview of various data science applications in agriculture. It also lists a few exciting data science projects in agriculture to help you understand the use of data science in agriculture.

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Role of Data Science in Agriculture

Decision-making among farmers and other agricultural experts is evolving due to data science. The modern Internet of Things (IoT) technology can now collect and store farm data on soil, water, and minerals in a centralized system. The volume of such data can be increased by combining it with data from other sources, like satellites, weather stations, and even nearby farms. Farmers can use the insights obtained from data analytics to improve their farming by incorporating them into the gathered information. Farmers can therefore use that information to make wise decisions about their activities at all stages of the production cycle, from planning to planting to harvesting to marketing.

ProjectPro Free Projects on Big Data and Data Science

Additionally, farmers can use the data supplied by cutting-edge technologies like spectroscopes to assess the quality of the soil and the availability and quality of the fruits grown there. Farmers can perform precision agriculture with the help of localized and external data if they have access to it. Farmers can evaluate the plants using precision agriculture and supply each one's specific mineral, fertilizer, and water requirements.

Data Science Applications in Agriculture

Here are a few data science applications in agriculture that will further give you insights into using data science in agriculture.

1. Smart Farming

Smart farming enables farmers to closely monitor relevant indicators, such as soil and weather conditions, irrigation systems, etc., using data science technologies. These technologies might also help farmers automate and optimize activities like irrigating, spraying pesticides, regenerating the soil, and other similar activities.

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2. Increasing Yield and Production

Lack of access to best practices for planting, harvesting, and storage is one of the biggest challenges farmers encounter. To get the highest yield, farmers must choose their crops and crop-care methods based on their field's soil and weather conditions. When it comes to what to grow, when to plant it, and what farming techniques to use, data science can offer farmers actionable insights specific to their land and ownership history. Making informed decisions could save expenses and increase a farmer's income and profitability.

3. Digitalized Pest Control

Advanced algorithms are useful in agriculture to recognize natural patterns and behaviors that help predict the occurrence of pests and the spreading of microscopic infections. Modern agricultural analytics are guiding how farmers should control pests. In agriculture, hazardous insects are being dealt with scientifically using digital tools and data analysis. Some businesses employ data science techniques to create user-facing platforms that assess when and how much pesticides should be applied.

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5 Data Science Projects in Agriculture

Check out these five exciting data science projects in agriculture to understand the real-world use of data science in agriculture.

1. Image Classifier for Plant Species Identification

This data science project aims to identify 99 plant species accurately by using binary leaf images and extracted attributes, such as shape, margin, and texture. You will use various classification algorithms to determine the effectiveness of classifiers in image classification applications. This project will help you discover which Python libraries, including Scipy , Sklearn, and TensorFlow, are best suited for the individual dataset files for developing an effective system for identifying plant species.

Source Code: Image Classifier for Plant Species Identification

2. Crop Mask using R-CNN

With the help of multispectral satellite images, this project aims to build and implement instance segmentation methods for mapping barren and irrigated center-pivot agriculture. The key objective is to create a model or group that can map center-pivot agriculture across various dryland agriculture regions with high precision and recall. The primary approach of this project involves transfer learning before fine-tuning Landsat tiles from several cloud-free scenes captured in Nebraska during the growing season of 2005. (late May - early October).

Source Code: Crop Mask using R-CNN

3. Smart Agriculture System

Data science is ideally helpful in analyzing data involving soil conditions, such as moisture content, temperature, and chemical composition, all of which affect crop growth and livestock welfare. This data science project aims to assess the quality of various plant species' crops to detect crop diseases and weed infestations. The first step of this project entails performing exploratory data analysis , where it uses HeatMap to check null or missing values in the dataset. The project uses various machine learning models for different purposes, such as KNN classifier for crop prediction, decision trees, random forest, Support Vector Classifier, etc., for classification.

Source Code: Smart Agriculture System

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4. Crop Recommendation Using Weather and Soil Content

Data science is ideally helpful in analyzing data involving soil conditions, such as moisture content, temperature, and chemical composition, all of which affect crop growth and livestock welfare. This data science project aims to assess the quality of various plant species' crops to detect crop diseases and weed infestations. The first step of this project involves performing exploratory data analysis, where it uses HeatMap to check null or missing values in the dataset. The project uses various machine learning models for different purposes, such as KNN classifier for crop prediction, decision trees, random forest, Support Vector Classifier, etc., for classification.

Source Code: Crop Recommendation Project

5. Plant Disease Prediction

Machine learning is particularly effective at identifying and detecting plant diseases early on by identifying symptoms of the diseases. Bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other insects all damage leaves. The project uses a Support Vector Machine algorithm to categorize tree leaves, diagnose the disease, and recommend fertilizer. The Support Vector Machine (SVM) technique divides the leaf image into normal and impacted categories. Leaf characteristics, including color, shape, and textures, are used to build vectors. The preprocessed leaves are then classified using a hyperplane.

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20 Playful Farm Science Activities for Preschoolers

Welcome to the world of Playful Farm Science Activities for Preschoolers!

Engaging young minds in hands-on exploration of the natural world can spark their curiosity, foster a love for learning, and deepen their understanding of various scientific concepts.

The farm provides a wonderful setting for preschoolers to discover the wonders of plants, animals, and the environment around them.

In this collection of exciting science activities, we will delve into exciting experiments, observations, and investigations that are both educational and fun.

Let the farm become their outdoor laboratory, where they can learn, play, and marvel at the wonders of nature.

Activity 1: Seed Exploration and Germination

20 Playful Farm Science Activities for Preschoolers

Materials needed: Assorted seeds (e.g., sunflower, pumpkin, corn), small pots or cups, potting soil, water, and magnifying glasses.

Description: Begin this activity by gathering a variety of seeds commonly found on a farm. Show the preschoolers the different shapes, sizes, and colors of the seeds. Allow them to explore the seeds using their senses and examine them closely with magnifying glasses. Discuss the concept of germination and how seeds grow into plants. Provide each child with a small pot or cup filled with potting soil and help them plant a seed of their choice. Encourage them to water the seeds regularly and observe changes in the soil over time. Discuss the importance of sunlight and water for plant growth and watch as the seeds germinate and sprout.

Benefits: This activity introduces preschoolers to the life cycle of plants and helps them understand the process of seed germination. It promotes sensory exploration, and fine motor skills, and encourages responsibility as they care for their plants.

Activity 2: Animal Tracks Investigation

Materials needed: Clay or playdough, animal track identification guide or pictures, outdoor space.

Description: Take the preschoolers on a walk around the farm to search for animal tracks. Explain that animals leave footprints or tracks behind as they move. Encourage the children to look closely at the ground and identify different tracks they come across. If possible, use clay or playdough to make imprints of the tracks they find. After returning indoors, provide them with animal track identification guides or pictures and help them match the tracks they observed to the corresponding animals. Discuss the animals’ habitats and their unique footprints.

Benefits: This activity enhances observation skills, promotes outdoor exploration, and introduces children to animal diversity and habitats. It encourages critical thinking as they match tracks to animals and stimulates their curiosity about the natural world.

Related: 20 Best No Spend Weekend Activities With Family

Activity 3: Weather Watchers

Materials needed: Weather chart (with symbols for sunny, cloudy, rainy, and windy), markers, paper, and pencil.

Description: Create a weather chart with symbols representing different weather conditions. Hang it up in a visible spot. Each day, engage the preschoolers in a discussion about the current weather. Have them observe and describe the sky, temperature, and any noticeable changes. Ask them to choose the appropriate weather symbol and draw it on the chart using markers. Encourage them to keep a daily weather journal, where they can draw pictures or write simple descriptions of the weather. At the end of the week, review the observations and discuss any patterns or changes they noticed.

Benefits: This activity helps preschoolers develop observation and recording skills while fostering an understanding of weather patterns. It encourages communication and vocabulary development as they describe and discuss the weather.

Activity 4: Butter Making

Materials needed: Heavy cream, a clean glass jar with a lid, a pinch of salt (optional), and farm-themed music (optional).

Description: Begin by explaining to the preschoolers that milk comes from cows on the farm and is used to make various dairy products. Pour some heavy cream into a clean glass jar, ensuring it is only filled about halfway. Add a pinch of salt if desired. Securely close the jar with the lid. Encourage the children to shake the jar vigorously, passing it around and taking turns. After a few minutes, the cream will transform into butter. Open the jar and show the preschoolers the butter they made. Spread the butter on crackers and enjoy as a snack, accompanied by farm-themed music if desired.

Benefits: This activity introduces children to the concept of food production on the farm and demonstrates the transformation of liquid to solid. It promotes sensory exploration, and fine motor skills, and provides a delicious hands-on experience.

Related: 20 Easy Frog Crafts for Preschoolers

Activity 5: Planting a Vegetable Garden

Materials needed: Vegetable seeds (e.g., tomatoes, carrots, lettuce), gardening tools (child-sized shovel, watering can), garden beds or containers, and potting soil.

Description: Begin by discussing the importance of vegetables in a healthy diet and where they come from. Invite the preschoolers to help prepare a small vegetable garden bed or containers for planting. Assist them in digging small holes or furrows for the seeds. Show them how to plant the seeds at the appropriate depth and space them apart. Provide guidance on watering the plants and discuss the need for sunlight, water, and care to help the vegetables grow. Encourage the children to monitor the garden regularly, noting any changes in the plants and documenting their growth with drawings or photographs.

Benefits: This activity allows preschoolers to experience the process of planting and nurturing plants while learning about the source of vegetables. It promotes responsibility, patience, and an understanding of plant needs. It also encourages a connection to nature and healthy eating habits.

Activity 6: Farm Animal Sounds

Materials needed: Pictures or figurines of farm animals.

Description: Gather a collection of pictures or figurines representing different farm animals such as cows, pigs, chickens, and sheep. Show each animal to the preschoolers and discuss their characteristics and the sounds they make. Encourage the children to imitate the sounds of the animals and have fun guessing and mimicking together. Play a game where you make the sound of an animal, and the children try to identify which animal it is. This activity promotes auditory discrimination, creativity, and vocabulary development.

Benefits: This activity introduces preschoolers to the sounds and characteristics of farm animals, enhancing their knowledge and language skills. It encourages imagination and auditory perception, making learning enjoyable.

Activity 7: Egg-cellent Egg Experiments

Materials needed: Eggs (hard-boiled and raw), vinegar, clear containers, magnifying glasses, and markers.

Description: Begin by discussing the different types of eggs found on the farm, focusing on chicken eggs. Show the preschoolers both hard-boiled and raw eggs and ask them to describe the differences they observe. Set up an experiment by placing a raw egg in a clear container filled with vinegar. Ask the children to predict what they think will happen to the egg. Observe the egg daily and encourage the children to describe any changes they notice. After a few days, carefully remove the egg from the vinegar and let the children explore it with magnifying glasses. Discuss the effect of the vinegar on the eggshell and why it became soft. You can also provide markers for the children to decorate the hard-boiled eggs.

Benefits: This activity promotes scientific inquiry, observation skills, and critical thinking. It allows preschoolers to explore the properties of eggs and understand the concept of chemical reactions. It also provides a hands-on experience and stimulates curiosity.

Activity 8: Farm Sensory Bin

Materials needed: Plastic bin or large container, dried corn kernels, toy farm animals, small shovels or scoops, farm-themed objects (e.g., mini tractors, hay bales, fences), optional: small toy pond or watering can.

Description: Create a sensory bin by filling a plastic bin or large container with dried corn kernels. Add toy farm animals, small shovels or scoops, and other farm-themed objects. You can also include a small toy pond or watering can for additional sensory play. Invite the preschoolers to explore the sensory bin, encouraging them to dig, scoop, and bury the objects in the corn kernels. Discuss the textures, sounds, and smells they experience during the activity. Encourage imaginative play and storytelling using farm animals and objects.

Benefits: This activity stimulates sensory exploration and fine motor skills. It encourages imaginative play, language development, and creativity. The sensory bin provides a tactile and interactive learning experience centered around farm-themed objects.

Activity 9: Weather Vane Creation

Materials needed: Craft sticks, cardboard, markers, scissors, pin or thumbtack, straw or pencil, glue, and pictures of different weather symbols (optional).

Description: Begin by discussing the concept of wind and its role in determining weather patterns. Help the preschoolers create a weather vane by gluing four craft sticks together to form a cross shape. Cut out a square piece of cardboard and glue it to the top of the craft stick cross. Let the children decorate the cardboard with weather symbols or drawings. Attach a pin or thumbtack to the center of the cardboard. Slide a straw or pencil through the pin and attach it securely. Take the children outside and place the weather vane in an open area. Observe the direction of the wind and discuss how it changes throughout the day. The weather vane will point in the direction the wind is blowing.

Benefits: This activity introduces preschoolers to the concept of wind and its relationship to weather. It promotes creativity, fine motor skills, and understanding of directional concepts. It encourages outdoor exploration and observation skills.

Activity 10: Milk Carton Greenhouses

Materials needed: Clean milk cartons (cut in half), potting soil, seeds (e.g., beans, radishes, sunflowers), and water.

Description: Explain to the preschoolers that plants need warmth and protection to grow. Show them how to make mini greenhouses using clean milk cartons cut in half. Help the children fill the bottom halves of the cartons with potting soil and plant seeds according to the package instructions. Water the soil gently, and then cover each carton with its matching top half to create a greenhouse effect. Place the milk carton greenhouses in a sunny spot and remind the children to water them regularly. Encourage them to observe the changes in the plants as they grow and discuss the importance of the greenhouse environment.

Benefits: This activity allows preschoolers to observe plant growth up close and understand the concept of a greenhouse. It promotes responsibility, nurturing skills, and an understanding of the needs of living organisms. It also provides a sense of ownership as the children care for their own mini gardens.

Activity 11: Farm Animal Sorting

Materials needed: Pictures or figurines of different farm animals, a large tray or table, sorting containers (e.g., small baskets, cups, bowls), farm animal labels or pictures (optional).

Description: Introduce the preschoolers to a variety of farm animals using pictures or figurines. Place the farm animal items on a large tray or table. Provide sorting containers labeled with different categories such as “Mammals,” “Birds,” or “Size.” Alternatively, you can use pictures or labels to indicate the sorting categories. Encourage the children to sort the farm animals into the appropriate containers based on the given criteria. Discuss their reasoning behind each placement and facilitate discussions about the characteristics and features of the animals.

Benefits: This activity promotes categorization skills, logical thinking, and animal recognition. It enhances vocabulary development, and critical thinking, and encourages discussions and social interactions among preschoolers.

Activity 12: Farm-Themed Sensory Bottles

Materials needed: Empty plastic bottles (with secure lids), water, vegetable oil, food coloring, small farm-themed objects (e.g., mini farm animals, corn kernels, hay), optional: glitter or sequins.

Description: Help the preschoolers create farm-themed sensory bottles by filling empty plastic bottles with water and a splash of vegetable oil. Add a few drops of food coloring to create the desired colors. Invite the children to place small farm-themed objects into the bottles, such as mini farm animals, corn kernels, or hay. Optionally, you can add glitter or sequins for extra visual interest. Seal the bottles securely and ensure they are tightly closed. Encourage the children to shake, roll, and explore the sensory bottles, observing the movement of the objects and colors within the liquid.

Benefits: This activity stimulates sensory exploration, fine motor skills, and visual perception. It encourages calmness and relaxation while providing a hands-on sensory experience centered around farm-themed objects.

Activity 13: Farm Field Trip

Materials needed: Transportation (if applicable), permission slips, and farm visit arrangements.

Description: Organize a field trip to a local farm, ensuring necessary permissions and transportation arrangements are in place. Prior to the visit, discuss with the preschoolers what they might expect to see and learn at the farm. On the day of the trip, guide the children through the farm, pointing out different animals, crops, and farm equipment. Encourage them to ask questions and engage in conversations with farmers or staff members. Discuss the farm’s functions, the role of farmers, and the importance of agriculture in our lives. After the visit, reflect on the experience and encourage the children to share their favorite moments or newfound knowledge.

Benefits: This activity provides a firsthand experience of farm life, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for agriculture. It enhances observation skills, social interactions, and the ability to ask questions. It also encourages a connection with the local community and promotes experiential learning.

Activity 14: Farm-themed Scavenger Hunt

Materials needed: Farm-themed scavenger hunt checklist or cards (with pictures or words), pencils, or markers.

Description: Create a farm-themed scavenger hunt for the preschoolers to enjoy. Prepare a checklist or individual cards with pictures or words representing various farm-related items or elements. Examples may include a red barn, a cow, a tractor, a vegetable patch, or a scarecrow. Distribute the checklists or cards to the children, along with pencils or markers. Guide them around the farm or designated play area as they search for the items on their lists. Encourage them to check off or mark the items they find. Celebrate their success and discuss their discoveries afterward.

Benefits: This activity promotes observation skills, attention to detail, and perseverance. It encourages physical activity, cooperation, and engagement with the farm environment. It also enhances vocabulary development and knowledge about farm-related items.

Activity 15: Farm Animal Sounds Matching

Materials needed: Farm animal picture cards or figurines, audio recordings of farm animal sounds.

Description: Prepare a set of farm animal picture cards or figurines, representing various farm animals. Gather audio recordings or videos of farm animal sounds. Play the recordings of the animal sounds for the preschoolers and ask them to match the sound to the corresponding animal picture or figurine. Encourage discussion about the different sounds and characteristics of each animal. This activity promotes auditory discrimination, memory skills, and animal recognition.

Benefits: This activity enhances listening skills, memory recall, and animal recognition. It encourages critical thinking and helps preschoolers develop connections between sounds and their corresponding sources.

Activity 16: Farm Equipment Exploration

Materials needed: Pictures or models of farm equipment (e.g., tractor, plow, harvester), toy vehicles (optional).

Description: Introduce preschoolers to various farm equipment used on a farm. Show them pictures or models of tractors, plows, harvesters, and other machinery. Discuss the purposes of each piece of equipment and how they help with farming tasks. Optionally, provide toy vehicles for the children to play with, mimicking the movements and functions of the farm equipment. This activity promotes imagination, fine motor skills, and knowledge of farm machinery.

Benefits: This activity introduces preschoolers to the tools and machinery used on farms, fostering an understanding of agricultural practices. It encourages imaginative play, fine motor skills, and vocabulary development.

Activity 17: Farm-themed Storytime

Materials needed: Farm-themed storybooks.

Description: Set up a cozy reading corner and select a variety of farm-themed storybooks suitable for preschoolers. Gather the children and read aloud the stories, engaging them in the narratives and asking questions along the way. Discuss the characters, farm settings, and lessons or messages conveyed in the stories. Encourage the children to express their thoughts and feelings about the stories and relate them to their own experiences or knowledge. This activity promotes language development, listening skills, and imagination.

Benefits: This activity fosters a love for reading and storytelling. It enhances language skills, comprehension, and imagination. It provides an opportunity for discussion and critical thinking.

Activity 18: Farm Field Journal

Materials needed: Blank notebooks or journals, pencils, colored pencils or markers.

Description: Provide each preschooler with a blank notebook or journal to create their own farm field journal. Take the children on a visit to a farm or utilize farm-related activities in a simulated farm setting. Encourage them to make observations, draw pictures, and write about their experiences in the journal. They can record the animals they saw, the crops they explored, or any interesting details they observed. This activity promotes observational skills, writing abilities, and creativity.

Benefits: This activity encourages journaling, observation, and documentation skills. It fosters a sense of ownership and pride in creating a personal record of farm experiences. It also promotes reflection and language development.

Activity 19: Farm-themed Number Recognition

Materials needed: Farm animal picture cards with numbers, and manipulatives (e.g., plastic farm animals, counters).

Description: Create farm animal picture cards, each depicting a different number (e.g., 1-10). Spread the cards out on a table or the floor. Provide manipulatives such as plastic farm animals or counters. Instruct the preschoolers to count the number of objects on each card and place the corresponding number of manipulatives next to it. Encourage them to say the numbers aloud as they count and match them. This activity promotes number recognition, counting skills, and one-to-one correspondence.

Benefits: This activity introduces number recognition and counting in a farm-themed context. It enhances visual perception, fine motor skills, and mathematical concepts.

Activity 20: Farm-inspired Artwork

Materials needed: Construction paper, glue, scissors, colored pencils or markers, farm-themed craft materials (e.g., cotton balls, hay, popsicle sticks).

Description: Provide a variety of art materials and craft supplies to the preschoolers. Encourage them to create farm-inspired artwork using their imagination and the provided materials. They can make farm animal collages using construction paper and cut-out pictures or draw their own farm scenes using colored pencils or markers. They can also use craft materials like cotton balls for sheep, hay for haystacks, or popsicle sticks for fences. Display their artwork to create a farm-themed art gallery.

Benefits: This activity promotes creativity, fine motor skills, and artistic expression. It allows preschoolers to explore different materials and textures while creating their own farm-themed masterpieces. It also provides a sense of pride and accomplishment in their artwork.

Sohaib Hasan Shah

Sohaib's journey includes 10+ years of teaching and counseling experience at BCSS School in elementary and middle schools, coupled with a BBA (Hons) with a minor in Educational Psychology from Curtin University (Australia) . In his free time, he cherishes quality moments with his family, reveling in the joys and challenges of parenthood. His three daughters have not only enriched his personal life but also deepened his understanding of the importance of effective education and communication, spurring him to make a meaningful impact in the world of education.

Farm science – 3 agricultural science activities for kids!

Agriculture is not only on the farm, it’s all around us! From the fruit and vegetables in your fridge to the plants in your backyard, agricultural science is a part of our everyday lives.

Round up the kids off the computer and get them involved in some easy and inexpensive science experiments that will get them excited about agriculture!

Grow an avocado tree

– Avocado pit – Toothpicks – Glass – Water

The experiment:

1. Carefully remove the pit from the avocado and gently wash it in warm water.

2. Determine the bottom of the pit: the bottom is wider and has a bump on it, which is where the new root will form.

3. Use toothpicks to skewer the top of the avocado pit so that it can balance evenly on the rim of the glass and the bottom of the pit is submerged in water. (If desired, you can peel the pit for faster germination).

4. Set the glass on a sunny windowsill and change the water every few days.

5. What will happen? The seed will begin to sprout and in 3-4 weeks it will be ready to be planted in soil.

Egg-speriment

– 2 raw eggs – Vinegar – Water – Glasses

1. Place one egg in a glass filled with water (the control) and another in a glass filled with vinegar.

What happens in the glass filled with vinegar compared to the glass filled with water? Bubbles should form all over the egg in the glass filled with vinegar causing the egg to rise to the surface.

2. Leave the eggs for a few hours or overnight.

What is happening to the egg shell? Almost all of the shell will be eaten away and the top of the vinegar should be foamy.

3. Carefully rinse the eggs under a gentle stream of water. If there is still egg shell left, put the egg back in the glass with fresh vinegar and let the egg sit for a few more hours or another night until the shell is completely gone.

4. What do you see and feel? The egg should be rubbery, bouncy, translucent and bigger in size

5. Why did this happen? The vinegar broke down the egg calcium carbonate shell, producing the tiny carbon dioxide gas bubbles. The egg got bigger through a process called osmosis (the movement of liquid across a membrane) because the membrane is semi-permeable. Membranes like to be balanced, so particles of vinegar moved inside the egg to make the level of vinegar inside and outside of the egg balanced, which is why the egg got bigger.

Rainbow Flowers

– Vase/jar/glass/bottle – Any white flower (two per jar) – Food dye

1. Place the flowers with trimmed stalks in a jar, vase or glass filled with water.

2. Add a six drops of food dye into the water and leave for a few hours or leave overnight.

3. What happens? The flower petals change colour.

4. Extra challenge: carefully split the stem in half to the mid-point of the stem. Place one half of the stem in one colour water and the other in a different colour. After a few hours the petals will be two different colours.

5. Why does it happen? The reason this happens is because of transpiration, which is when the flowers “drink up” the water. The water molecules travel up the stem (or the xylem) like a vacuum. The water (which is now coloured) evaporates through the leaves and petals making them hydrated and in this case change colours as well.

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14 innovative projects helping to save the planet and make the world a better place

Environment nature biodiversity conservation

UpLink helps communities across the world face the threats of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Image: Unsplash/Noah Buscher

.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:hover,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:focus,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);} Natalie Marchant

.chakra .wef-9dduvl{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-9dduvl{font-size:1.125rem;}} Explore and monitor how .chakra .wef-15eoq1r{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-size:1.25rem;color:#F7DB5E;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-15eoq1r{font-size:1.125rem;}} COVID-19 is affecting economies, industries and global issues

A hand holding a looking glass by a lake

.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;color:#2846F8;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{font-size:1.125rem;}} Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale

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Digital crowdsourcing platform UpLink was created to address the world’s most pressing problems.
The initiative seeks sustainable solutions to tackle issues such as climate change and social injustice.
Projects are also aimed at tackling the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic.

The importance of sustainable solutions came to the fore in 2020 as communities across the world faced the threats of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital crowdsourcing platform UpLink was created to address such challenges and help speed up the delivery of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

Unveiled at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in 2020, the platform - launched with founding partners Deloitte and Salesforce - connects the next generation of change-makers and social entrepreneurs to networks of contacts with the resources, expertise and experience to help bring about change.

Since its launch, UpLink has surfaced the best entrepreneurial solutions through competitions such as its Ocean Solutions Sprint , Trillion Trees Challenge , COVID-19 Social Justice Challenge and COVID Challenges . Here are some of the most innovative.

Have you read?

3 innovations leading the fight to save our forests, these 15 innovations are helping us fight covid-19 and its aftermath, 4 ideas that could make our response to covid-19 more equal.

Ocean Solutions Sprint

Cubex Global

Oman-based Cubex Global aims to cut global shipping emissions by enabling businesses to easily buy and sell unused container space on existing cargo routes. The company claims that its blockchain-based marketplace could help reduce emissions from shipping vessels by up to 20% and recover about $25 billion in lost freight revenue each year.

Waste management service RecyGlo works with businesses in Myanmar and Malaysia to recycle and process material in a safe and non-hazardous manner, helping to avoid mismanaged plastic being dumped in the region’s rivers and ending up in the ocean. The Yangon-based company manages 500 tonnes of waste and saves 1,470 tonnes of CO2 each month .

Scottish biotech start-up Oceanium uses sustainably-farmed seaweed to create food and nutrition products and compostable biopackaging. It believes that a sustainable seaweed farming industry can help mitigate the effects of climate change and create jobs.

COVID Challenge

Intelehealth

Developed at Johns Hopkins University, Intelehealth is a telemedicine platform that connects patients and frontline health workers with remote doctors to deliver primary care services at a distance in countries such as India.

UpLink is a digital platform to crowdsource innovations in an effort to address the world’s most pressing challenges.

It is an open platform designed to engage anyone who wants to offer a contribution for the global public good. The core objective is to link up the best innovators to networks of decision-makers, who can implement the change needed for the next decade. As a global platform, UpLink serves to aggregate and guide ideas and impactful activities, and make connections to scale-up impact.

Hosted by the World Economic Forum, UpLink is being designed and developed in collaboration with Salesforce, Deloitte and LinkedIn.

Emergency services app Flare provides next-generation 911 for those who do not have access to help in case of an emergency. In Kenya, its ‘Uber for ambulances’ platform has reduced response times by 87% and helped save 2,500 lives since its 2017 launch.

Carbon Health

Tech-enabled primary care provider Carbon Health aims to improve access to world-class healthcare. In the US, it established pop-up COVID clinics in 30 cities, with doctors available on video call, and has so far tested more than 500,000 people .

Desolenator

Desolenator’s solar-powered water purification systems help remote communities produce clean drinking water, without the need for filters, chemicals or external energy sources. This helps them build water resilience in the face of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic .

Trillion Trees Challenge

Borneo Nature Foundation

For over a decade, Borneo Nature Foundation has developed planting methods to reforest degraded deep peatland, which is an important carbon store, key to local economies and home to populations of orangutans. It has planted more than 30,000 seedlings , and established community seedling nurseries in villages near Borneo’s remaining tropical rainforests.

Reforestum and Ecosphere+

Spain-based CO2 offsetting service Reforestum teamed up with UK climate solutions company Ecosphere+ to enable individuals and businesses to finance forest conservation and restoration by offsetting their carbon footprint.

Inga Foundation

Slash-and-burn farming is the only source of income for millions of farmers but it’s devastating the world’s rainforests. This is something that the UK-based Inga Foundation wants to counter through its Inga Alley farming method, which helps farmers build long-term food security on one plot of land.

Social Justice Challenge

Global platform citiesRise seeks to transform mental health policy and practice for young people across the world through its Mental Health and Friendly Cities framework – something that is only likely to become even more relevant in the COVID-19 era.

Philippines-based telerehabilitation platform TheraWee aims to improve access to rehabilitation services for children with difficulties by connecting their parents with individuals, groups and communities that can offer them support.

Noora Health

US start-up Noora Health provides families with medical skills training to help look after their loved ones, both in health facilities and at home. Its Care Companion Program has already reached more than 1 million relatives in India and Bangladesh .

Family Mask’s #PPEforAll

Global Citizen Capital and its company Family Mask’s #PPEforAll initiative was set up to boost access to affordable personal protective equipment (PPE) as the pandemic hit. By July 2020, more than 1 million masks had been distributed to elderly people across the world.

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World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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The Classroom | Empowering Students in Their College Journey

Science Activities Relating to Farm Animals for Preschoolers

Titles for Science Projects About Plants

Farm animals seem to hold a special fascination for kids. Unlike zoo animals, it's possible to get up close and personal with domesticated creatures such as chickens, sheep, pigs, goats and cows. Kids are also interested in learning about the food products these animals provide -- milk and eggs especially. Farm animals provide a good opportunity to introduce some basic science concepts to preschoolers as well. Best of all, most of these activities are done indoors -- and that means no stinky barnyard.

Churning Butter

Once you have explained that milk comes from a cow's udder, you can begin to experiment with it. One of the simplest activities to assign pre-K kids is that of churning butter. Give each child a clean glass jar labeled with their name -- baby food jars are perfect for this. Pour heavy cream to fill the jar about 3/4 full. Screw on the lid as tightly as possible. Now let the children shake their jar. It could take a lot of shaking, and little arms may get tired, so feel free to take some breaks. But sooner or later, the fat and the whey will separate. Pour off the liquid whey -- you can let them taste it if you like, or use it for painting later. Each child will now have a jar of their own hand-churned butter. They can take home the butter or taste it right in class if you have crackers and table knives at the ready. Hint: Add a pinch of salt. You can use this activity to discuss solids and liquids, to learn measurements -- try measuring the cream before and the butter and whey after, then compare -- or just discuss the components of milk and its origin.

Magnifying Glass

Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest. Put out large plastic trays and magnifying glasses. Provide chicken feathers and wool or fleece for the children to study. If you like, you can also add lengths of wool yarn and even small knitted squares or woven wool cloth to the trays and talk about the process by which raw wool gets turned into strands of yarn and then into clothing.

Egg Detective

Chicken eggs are one of the important animal products found on a farm and they lend themselves to plenty of scientific learning projects. Let your kids play egg detective with these series of experiments. Let them carefully squeeze a raw egg in their hand and see how strong it is. Discuss why an egg breaks when it's struck on the edge but stays strong when compressed. Place one raw egg and one hard-boiled egg on a table and ask kids to determine which is which. The answer: Raw eggs wobble when spun on their end, while hard-boiled eggs spin cleanly. Explain to children that this is because raw eggs are liquid inside while hard-boiled eggs are solid, and the sloshing of the liquid in the raw egg is what causes it to wobble. You can demonstrate this with a translucent plastic egg and water with food coloring. Finally, fill a clear cup with tap water and place a raw egg into it. It will sink. Take another clear cup of water, add 2 tablespoons of salt and stir until it dissolves. Add another raw egg. It will float. Explain to children that salt water is more buoyant than plain water and that other items will also float more easily in salt water such as the ocean -- including their own bodies.

Incubate a Chick

If you have time, space and equipment available, it can be quite enriching to let small children watch eggs incubate and eventually hatch into tiny baby chickens or quails. You must make sure that children are gentle with the newborn chicks, and of course you must also have a new home available for the chicks after they are about four days old. Chicken eggs take about 21 days from fertilization to hatch; quail eggs require 16 days. Depending on your incubator set-up, eggs may have to be turned manually -- this can be an exciting opportunity for children to participate.

If you can arrange a field trip to a local farm or a farm animal petting zoo, do so. Even just a visit to a backyard chicken coop works in a pinch. Let children interact with farm animals directly by feeding, touching and gently holding them. This activity requires close supervision but it's immensely rewarding. Be aware that small children may be understandably intimidated by large farm animals such as cows and horses.

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Lori A. Selke has been a professional writer and editor for more than 15 years, touching on topics ranging from LGBT issues to sexuality and sexual health, parenting, alternative health, travel, and food and cooking. Her work has appeared in Curve Magazine, Girlfriends, Libido, The Children's Advocate, Decider.com, The SF Weekly, EthicalFoods.com and GoMag.com.

Data in Harmony: NASA’s Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 Project

April 22, 2024

By Chris Burns, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Video credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

/// VIDEO SCRIPT ///

Every day, the sun rises and the sun sets. Seasons change – snows melt and flowers bloom. Time marches on. Some rivers run dry, while others crest their banks. Some forests grow, while others burn. Earth is a planet of constant change – cities expand, coastlines recede, volcanos erupt. Tracking these changes, be they subtle or profound, is critical to our understanding of the health of our planet. For nearly half a century, the Landsat program has been at the forefront of monitoring Earth’s ever-changing surface, providing an unparalleled record of our planet’s land use, vegetation cover, and natural resources. From tracking deforestation in the Amazon to monitoring water quality in the Chesapeake Bay, Landsat data has become the foundation for understanding Earth’s ecosystems, paving the way for many other remote sensing missions. In recent years, a new player has emerged in the world of Earth observation: Europe’s Sentinel-2A & 2B satellites. Part of the European Space Agency’s Copernicus program, the Sentinel-2 satellites, launched in 2015 and 2017 respectively, circle the Earth and continuously collect data from the planet’s surface, much like Landsats 8 & 9. The beauty of these two satellite systems is that, while they are complementary, they each have unique strengths. While the Landsat program provides the longest continuous record of Earth’s land surfaces, Sentinel-2 offers more frequent revisits and additional spectral bands, taking a complete picture of the planet every 5 days. But what if we could bring these strengths together? That’s exactly what NASA’s Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 project, or HLS, aims to do. Imagine trying to put together a puzzle, but the pieces come from two different puzzle sets – the HLS project is like finding a way to make those pieces fit together seamlessly to create one unified picture. HLS is a deliverable of the Satellite Needs Working Group, an interagency effort of the US Government dedicated to identifying and addressing Earth observation needs across US civilian federal agencies. With global production of HLS data being led by NASA’s Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team or IMPACT, the HLS project takes the raw satellite data from each mission and puts them through a series of algorithms to make them compatible. The algorithms remove atmospheric effects such as haze and cloud cover, adjust the imagery from each satellite to perfectly align, account for varying sun angles at different times of the day and year, and fine-tune the spectral bands to calibrate the colors between the satellites. The end result is a harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 data product ready for analysis that provides a snapshot of the Earth’s surface every 2-3 days on average – a powerful tool with the potential to help farmers optimize their crop yields, city planners more efficiently map urban growth, forestry managers more effectively monitor the health of our forests, among many other uses. Following the initial release of HLS in 2018, it didn’t take long for researchers to take advantage of the high level of spatial and temporal detail provided by the product. Seasonal Phenology A paper published in 2020 by a team led by researchers from Boston University aimed to test the effectiveness of using HLS data to track annual vegetation growth cycles, also known as seasonal phenology, across North America. Every year, plants across the continent sprout leaves and flower in the spring, peak in the summer, and come autumn, change color and fall as winter approaches. Small variations in the timing of this annual change, however, can have ripple effects, impacting how plants absorb carbon dioxide or how nutrients cycle throughout the ecosystem. Some insects and birds, for example, time their life cycles and migration patterns based on when plants emerge in the spring. In the past, satellite imagery has been a key tool for tracking seasonal phenology, but the coarse temporal resolution of the data has limited the detail and accuracy of the analysis. But researchers believed the detail afforded by harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 data could be the answer to these challenges. They developed a sophisticated multisource land surface phenology algorithm and fed it HLS data from 2016-2018. The results were impressive – applying their algorithm across North America, the researchers were able to track vegetation phenology at a level of detail through time and consistency never before possible. They could map out the greening and browning of vegetation in incredible detail, observing differences not just on a continental scale, but even within single fields and forests. And they were even able to observe how elevation in Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains affected the timing of leaves emergence in the spring. Researchers believe that, going forward, their algorithm could have a wide range of potential applications, from precision farming, helping farmers increase crop yields, to monitoring our ecosystems, allowing conservationists to make informed decisions about the timing of controlled burns. Every year, thousands gather in the spring to witness the cherry blossoms bloom in Washington DC’s Tidal Basin or, in the fall, to take in the vibrant Vermont foliage, seasonal changes everyone can look forward to. But other seasons, such as the Atlantic Ocean’s hurricane season, fail to generate such enthusiasm. Every summer, the warm waters off the coast of Western Africa create the perfect breeding ground for spawning hurricanes, storms that travel west across the Atlantic, with some developing the potential to wreak havoc along the eastern coasts of North and South America. States like Florida are no stranger to these devastating hurricanes, with coastal communities contending with violently high winds and damaging storm surges on an annual basis. Quickly locating and assessing the extent of damage in the aftermath of a hurricane can be critical in aiding search and rescue operations on the ground, especially if you’re getting help from high above in orbit. In September 2022, Florida fell directly in the path of Hurricane Ian, a category 5 hurricane with wind speeds topping out at 160mph, causing damages estimated at over $100 billion. Mapping Disaster Aftermath In the aftermath, environmental researchers at the University of Connecticut Department of Natural Resources and the Environment’s Global Environmental Remote Sensing (GERS) Laboratory sprang into action, leveraging HLS data to create a near real-time map of the damage caused by Hurricane Ian. Building on previous work the team had done with Landsat data, the researchers developed an algorithm that could sift through the massive HLS dataset and detect even subtle changes in the satellite imagery, allowing them to map out the areas that were likely damaged by the storm. As soon as the research team had access to the first, clear satellite images following the storm, they were able to put their system to work. The open-source disturbance map was released to the public just days after the storm, highlighting areas where damage was likely to be most severe, allowing rescue teams to prioritize their efforts. By harnessing the power of harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 data, these researchers were able to provide yet another example of how advanced remote sensing techniques and open-source data sharing can have a real, tangible impact in emergency situations. Whether it’s giving us insight to the seasonal changes of our planet or helping us respond to natural disasters, the Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 project is a potential game-changer in the world of Earth observation. By combining the strengths of two of the most advanced satellite systems, HLS data is providing us with an unprecedented view of our ever-changing planet. But the future of HLS isn’t just about more data – it’s also about making that data more accessible and actionable. HLS data scientists are working on developing new tools and platforms that will allow users to easily visualize, analyze, and share harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 data. With projects like HLS lighting the way, the future of international cooperation for Earth observation is bright. New missions with enhanced spatial and temporal resolution throughout the electromagnetic spectrum will offer fusion capabilities to provide unprecedented information about our Earth system. As the project continues to grow and evolve, it will undoubtedly play a crucial role in our efforts to better understand and protect this incredible planet we call home.

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STELLA Spring Webinar: April 15, 2024

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The GLAMR integrating sphere mounted on the thermal vacuum chamber during Landsat 9 OLI-2 testing.

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Webmaster: Michael P. Taylor

Curators: Landsat Science Outreach Team

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NASA Official: Chris Neigh

USDA funds 19 Wisconsin clean energy projects for job creation

by Ashley Kaster, FOX 11 News

A newly installed solar array stands in a field in Marion, Wisconsin. This small array will save a local cabinet manufacturer $981 per year, replacing 89 percent of the company's energy use. (Photo courtesy of Tegan Griffith, USDA)

(WLUK) -- Federal grants are helping clean energy projects across the state, including in Northeast Wisconsin.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is funding 19 clean energy projects to lower energy bills, expand access to domestic biofuels and create jobs and new market opportunities for Wisconsin farmers, small business owners and agricultural producers.

RELATED I Wisconsin to boost solar power with $62.4M grant, benefiting low-income households

More than $2.8 million in grants will be awarded through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

Recipients in Northeast Wisconsin include:

Clover Hill Dairy LLC in Campbellsport will use a $361,556 grant to replace existing diesel-powered feed mixing and moving equipment with more efficient electrically powered equipment. The project is expected to save $88,033 per year. It will save 1,097,060 kilowatt hours (20 percent of the farm's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power 101 homes.
Town and Country Stables in De Pere will use a $70,995 grant to install a roof mounted solar electric array. This project is expected to save the small business $6,898 per year. It will generate 62,711 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, which is enough to power five homes.
David Blashe in Marion will use a $13,166 grant to install a small solar electric array. This project is expected to save the rural cabinet maker $981 per year. It will replace 7,377 kilowatt hours (kWh) (89 percent of the company's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power one home.

And in other areas of Wisconsin:

Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co. Inc. in Wausau will use a $793,450 grant to install a solar electric array. The project is expected to save $70,770 per year. It will replace 1,263,753 kilowatt hours (kWh) (31 percent of the business's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power 116 homes.
Associated Milk Producers, Inc. in Jim Falls will use a $500,000 grant to install more efficient steam boilers. The project is expected to save $146,508 per year. It will save 9,052,798 kilowatt-hours (kWh) (Nine percent of the business's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power 835 homes.
Daigle Brothers Inc. in Tomahawk will use a $341,850 grant to install a small solar electric array. The project is expected to save $24,463 per year. It will replace 437,991 kilowatt hours (100 percent of the business's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power 40 homes.
Boilini Farms Inc., in Burlington will use a $143,516 grant to install a new, more energy efficient grain dryer. The project is expected to save $9,122 per year. It will save 370,414 kilowatt-hours (68 percent of the farm's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power 34 homes.
Robert Helbach Jr. in Wittenberg will use a $122,539 grant to install an energy efficient grain dryer. This project is expected to save $4,615 per year. It will replace 37,783 kilowatt hours (kWh) (32 percent of the business's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power three homes.
Winter Cooperative in Bayfield will use a $84,162 grant to install more efficient refrigeration equipment and controls in their store. The project is expected to save $15,954 per year. It will save 161,152 kilowatt hours (39 percent of the business's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power 14 homes.
Turnip Rock Farm in Clear Lake will use a $74,198 grant to install a small solar electric array. This project is expected to save the farming operation $7,882 per year. It will replace 71,653 kilowatt hours (kWh) (100 percent of the farm's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power six homes.
Rice’s More Than Floors LLC in Marshfield will use a $73,015 grant to install a small solar electric array. This project is expected to save $7,358 per year. It will replace 80,571 kilowatt hours (kWh) (100 percent of the company s energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power seven homes.
Horstmann Homestead Farm and Events LLC in West Salem will use a $63,982 grant to install a small solar electric array. This project is expected to save $4,539 per year. It will replace 39,886 kilowatt hours (kWh) (100 percent of the company s energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power three homes.
Ackwood Lodge LLC in Hayward will use a $49,200 grant to install a small solar electric array. This project is expected to save the small business $2,826 per year. It will replace 21,708 kilowatt hours (100 percent of the business's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power two homes.
Anna Bonilla in Fennimore will use a $44,083 grant to install a small solar electric array. This project is expected to save the small business $4,627 per year in electrical costs. It will replace 41,999 kilowatt hours (kWh) (100 percent of the business's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power four homes.
Foley’s Forest Products LLC in Tomahawk will use a $29,880 grant to install a small solar electric array. The project is expected to save the small business $3,637 per year. It will replace 30,060 kilowatt hours (31 percent of the business's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power two homes.
Northland Farms LLC in Rice Lake will use a $23,290 grant to replace a diesel irrigation pump motor with a more efficient electric pump motor. This project is expected to save the farming operation $2,973 per year. It will save 40,354 kilowatt hours (82 percent of the farm's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power three homes.
Andy Pagel Ginseng Farms LLC in Merrill will use a $16,072 grant to install a small solar electric array. This project is expected to save the rural ag producer $2,008 per year. It will replace 11,261 kilowatt hours (kWh) (64 percent of the business's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power one home.

USDA is also awarding $1.7 million in grants through Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to two business owners to increase the availability of domestic biofuels and give Americans cleaner, more affordable fuel options.

In Wisconsin:

Jandu Oil Inc. Inc. will use a $1,389,750 grant to create infrastructure to expand the sales and use of renewable fuels. Jandu Oil Inc. is the owner of 10 or fewer fueling stations. This project will install (13) E15 dispensers, (13) E85 dispensers, (13) B20 dispensers, three ethanol storage tanks, and three biodiesel storage tanks at three fueling stations, located in Wisconsin. Station locations impacted by this grant are in Sturgeon Bay (2), and Algoma. This project projects to increase the amount of biofuel sold by 2,150,017 gallons per year.
Barbara Kraft Smoke Shop Inc. will use a $364,000 grant to create infrastructure to expand the sales and use of renewable fuels. Barbara Kraft Smoke Shop Inc. is the owner of 10 or fewer fueling stations. This project will install one E15 dispenser, two E85 dispensers, and one ethanol storage tank at one fueling station, located in Wisconsin. Station locations impacted by this grant are in Ashland. This project projects to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 92,566 gallons per year.

The Colorado Sun

Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state.

Are low-water crops a realistic way to cut back on Colorado water use? 10 southwestern farmers are trying to find out.

The Trust Project

a pair of green tractors pulling a trailer in a field

MONTEZUMA COUNTY — This summer, 10 farmers in southwestern Colorado are experimenting with low-water-use crops, like wheat and barley, as a way to cut their water use in times of drought. But their hopes aren’t high that the crops will become a dominant part of their business anytime soon.

“There’s just not a big enough market for it,” said Bob Neely, a farmer in Montezuma County.

Colorado, which supplies water to its residents, 19 states and Mexico, is facing a water-stressed future. Its cities are replacing lawns with drought-resistant landscaping. Its water officials say every drop counts, and are in tense negotiations with other states about how to handle painful water cuts in the future. Farmers are being paid to temporarily reduce their water use, sometimes by switching to crops that need less water or by halting planting altogether.

The farmers in southwestern Colorado cut their use by about 1 acre-foot per acre on fields where they switched crops from alfalfa, which typically needs 2.5 to 3 acre-feet in that region each season. The normal one acre-foot roughly equals the annual water use of two to three households.

Even with those savings, farmers still face a significant challenge: finding reliable places to sell their lower-water-use crops.

“We’re here, we’re trying other crops to see what we can do,” Neely said, but planning what to plant each year is always a complex puzzle with an eye toward profits. “Sometimes you might have to put in more fertilizer, sometimes you might have to do something else. Then, is it going to net you the same as alfalfa will?”

Climate research has found that, starting in 2000, the southwestern U.S. has experienced its driest 22-year period on record stretching back 1,200 years.

In 2021, the water supply was so low that farmers in Montezuma and Dolores counties only got 5% to 10% of their normal allocation from McPhee Reservoir, which is managed by the Dolores Water Conservancy District.

“It was a horrible loss,” said Brian Wilson, one of the farmers experimenting with crops that use less water. It was a financial loss that amounted to about $250,000.

a large body of water surrounded by brown landscape with snowcapped mountains in the background

The looming water crisis and historically low reservoir storage in 2021 and 2022 shook officials in the Colorado River Basin.

In response, the federal government relaunched its System Conservation Pilot Program in 2023 with $125 million in federal funds. The program pays water users, mostly farmers and ranchers, in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming to temporarily cut back on water to save the overstressed Colorado River.

This year, the federal government is spending about $797,000 in Colorado on drought-resistant crop projects as part of the program.

This Fresh Water News story is a collaboration between The Colorado Sun and Water Education Colorado. It also appears at wateredco.org/fresh-water-news .

Also in 2023, the Colorado Water Conservation Board granted $900,000 to the Colorado Ag Water Alliance for its drought-resiliency program, which helps farmers experiment with ways to adapt in dry years. In 2023, the alliance paid about $144,000 to farmers to fund alternative crop experiments.

As concerns about the state’s water future increase, pressure has mounted on the state’s agriculture industry. One crop, alfalfa, has become a flashpoint, gathering defenders and opponents who debate its benefits on farms against its high water use and dominance in the Colorado River Basin.

For farmers and ranchers in southwestern Colorado, the focus on agricultural water cuts has been grating. They’re already operating with thin margins, in complex economic markets and with increasing expenses, farmers say.

But program funding has been a helpful way to deal with the financial ups and downs of the industry while farmers experiment with crops, like sorghum, wheat, oats and barley, that use less water than their regionally dominant crop, alfalfa.

a man with baseball cap and blue polo shirt sits in a drivers seat of a tractor

The question really is whether they can base their businesses on those crops and others, like kernza, that are still being researched, said Montezuma farmer Landan Wilson, Brian Wilson’s son. He is growing alfalfa on some fields, while dedicating others to alternative hay crops, like spring wheat, oats and beardless wheat and barley, as part of the Colorado and federal water programs.

“If there’s no market for us as farmers to sell it, we aren’t going to jump on the bandwagon,” said Landan Wilson, who is also on the Dolores Water Conservancy District board.

The allure of alfalfa

In Montezuma and Dolores counties, rolling hills are covered with acres of farmland. Mid-April marks the time when farmers prepare their fields to plant wheat, barley, oats and their longstanding go-to, alfalfa.

For decades, it’s been a key part of the state’s agricultural industry, which contributes $47 billion every year to Colorado’s economy and represents 90% of the state’s annual water use. In the Colorado River Basin, which spans seven Western states, including Colorado, and parts of Mexico, alfalfa uses 26% of the river’s water — more water than cities, commercial users and industries across the entire basin.

That water use has become a much-debated issue in recent years because of two decades of prolonged drought and heightened concern about water supplies in the future.

Each year, farmers and ranchers must decide what crops to plant and how many acres should go to each crop. They’re basing those decisions on unpredictable water supplies and changing crop prices, which can be impacted by everything from what their neighbors are planting to a global pandemic, inflation or a sudden war in Ukraine.

They have to take into consideration their equipment — like a hay baler that can cost about $225,000 — because not every crop can be harvested with the same equipment. Their location is also a factor: Some areas have rail lines that help ship crops, but farmers in southwestern Colorado depend on pricey hauling by semitrucks. Those freight costs influence, and limit, where farmers can sell their goods and which crops they choose.

For farmers in southwestern Colorado, alfalfa is a reliable way to stay in business.

Dairy companies serve as consistent buyers that offer high prices. They need a consistent, high-quality crop that meets nutritional standards and does not cause cows’ bellies to bloat. Alfalfa has been that crop for years.

“Market prices are driven by demand,” said Dan Mooney, an assistant professor of agricultural economics at Colorado State University. “Buyers are willing to pay more for alfalfa because it’s a high quality forage and well-suited to the livestock industry. … You know what you’ll get.”

A dairy may offer $320 per ton of alfalfa, while a beef cattle operation may only pay $180, Neely said. The farmer depends on selling crops to cover expenses, like shipping, fertilizer, seed, equipment, water, land and other bills, so the price is a major factor.

“Almost 100% of the dairy-quality alfalfa in this area goes to Texas,” Neely said.

Alfalfa also helps replace nitrogen in the soil, and it goes dormant in times of drought, growing again when water is available. Ranchers can also grow alfalfa and use it as feed for their livestock, which helps insulate them from changing crop prices, Mooney said.

“I do think alfalfa will continue to be dominant. That’s driven by the livestock industry,” Mooney said. “I think it’s possible to start to see alternative forages or alternative crops appear, but they’ll remain niche markets for a while until multiple pieces come together, and that could take awhile.”

Others are not so sure about the future of alfalfa in Colorado and the Colorado River Basin, which provides water to 5.5 million acres of agricultural land.

To grow a healthy alfalfa crop, farmers need to use 30 acre-inches of water or more, which equals about 2.5 acre-feet. Other forage crops, like wheat, need about 12 to 18 acre-inches of water.

Given the amount of greenhouse gases that humanity has pumped into the atmosphere, it’s a near-certainty that the water supply in the Colorado River Basin will continue to decline for all water users, said Mike Cohen, a senior associate at the Pacific Institute, an independent nonprofit that provides research and policy analysis on water issues.

“Simply put, if the water isn’t physically available, irrigators have to reduce their use,” Cohen said in an email to The Colorado Sun.

Water use and alternative crops

Switching to other types of forage comes with challenges, mainly contending with uncertain markets.

Even if farmers switch to crops like beans or corn, which can compete with alfalfa’s high prices, they would still need to use the same amount of water to maximize their production. Wheat may need slightly less water, but in southwestern Colorado, it requires more fertilizer, and its prices aren’t competitive.

“It’s real tough to compete on wheat, period, because we’ve got to add so much fertilizer, and the input cost there just kills you,” Neely said. “Almost nobody will do that now because all you’re doing is breaking even, and once again, it’s not a water saver.”

a canal of water through a brown landscape with a green pasture on the left

Alfalfa may cost around $200 per acre for seed, but a single round of seeds lasts for five to seven growing seasons. Single-season seed for similar crops costs around $50 per acre, the farmers said.

Sid Knuckles, another Montezuma farmer who is participating in the state and federal programs to grow alternative crops, says the startup costs for alfalfa are not always worth it when there’s no guarantee he’ll have five to seven good water years in a row to actually grow and harvest the crop.

Knuckles has several hundred acres of pastureland and irrigates up to 450 acres depending on his water allocation each year. He only grows alfalfa on 36 acres, and he bases most of his business on other forage crops, like sainfoin and a combined forage, which includes triticale, oats and barley.

“If the years were good enough that I could have alfalfa again, I’d definitely make more money,” Knuckles said. “But when I don’t have any alfalfa, it makes it a lot easier to make a decision. I’m like, I don’t have a stand of alfalfa to save. I might as well just plant these crops that I know will take less water.”

But the markets for some crops are too unreliable to become a mainstay in some farmers’ businesses.

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In 2023, several farmers lost their alfalfa stands and planted other forage grains, like triticale, wheat, oats or barley, instead. The crops fetch the best prices if sold to local ranchers — to avoid the shipping costs — but soon the local market was glutted and the prices fell. The next alternative was to sell the crops in other states, but then the freight costs chipped into their overall profit.

One suggestion: The government programs should use some of their budgets to invest in research and development that would help establish reliable markets and supply chains, the Wilsons said.

Mooney agrees.

“That could be a huge boost,” Mooney said. “Farmers will always be willing to experiment with new crops and new forages, but they’re unlikely to go all in until they see proof that somebody will reliably buy it.”

Corrections:

This story was updated Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 4:44 p.m. to include the title for Dan Mooney, assistant professor of agricultural economics at Colorado State University.

MONTEZUMA COUNTY

Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Shannon Mullane Colorado River Reporter

Shannon Mullane writes about the Colorado River Basin and Western water issues for The Colorado Sun. She frequently covers water news related to Western tribes, Western Slope and Colorado with an eye on issues related to resource management,... More by Shannon Mullane

College of Engineering

Comics to explain science.

This semester, the Communicating Data through Stories class took on a creative assignment that combined science and comics to tell the story of each student’s research project. The students were challenged to translate the complexities of their work into a public-facing comics-style format with the assistance of a digital art program, and these completed projects were printed and are now displayed in the Hanson Center for Communication (HCC).

Click through the gallery below to see the students' comics; author names are in the captions.

Also, congrats to Darasimi and Vishalini! A new article on using comic books to communicate the science of persistent organic pollutants published as part of the HCC Communicating Data through Stories training:

Atanda, O. & Rajaram, S. & Scherer, M. M. & Hartsgrove Mooers, K. L., (2024) “PCBs: Here, There and Everywhere”, Synthesis: A Digital Journal of Student Science Communication 5(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.17077/2643-8410.33689

See Darasimi and Vishalini's full comic on PCBs .

View of the CEAS Expo hall from the stage

Engineering students present at third annual Expo

More than 230 student projects were featured at the event.

Senior students at the University of Cincinnati's College of Engineering and Applied Science came together this month to present their final capstone projects at the third-annual CEAS Expo. College faculty, staff, alumni and industry professionals attended the event to witness the innovation created at CEAS.

The annual CEAS Expo is organized by the college's student government, CEAS Tribunal. Photo/Corrie Mayer/CEAS Marketing.

"The Expo is my favorite event of the year," Dean John Weidner said. "When I see what the students have accomplished, I'm in awe."

Hosted at the Duke Energy Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati, the event featured projects from all engineering disciplines that were segmented into four different categories: product/device, software, poster board, and student organization-sponsored projects. More than 100 industry professionals, faculty and alumni volunteered to judge this year's Expo.

Groups were judged and scored on their professionalism and presentation skills, as well as the quality of their concept, execution and demonstration based on their category. Participants said the opportunity to present their projects to judges and receive feedback is invaluable experience for entering the workforce upon graduation.

The Expo is vital to the success of CEAS.

Rob Cohen, CEO of DRT Holdings

"The Expo is vital to the success of CEAS," said Rob Cohen, CEO of DRT Holdings, LLC, this year's platinum level Expo sponsor. "It's a showcase for local industry to experience firsthand the creative energy and work that students pour into their projects and for DRT as a company, it was an excellent opportunity for us to interact with the students."

At UC, engineering students embark on a unique, challenging journey through their five years at CEAS. Alternating between semesters of classroom instruction and semesters of engineering field or research work through the cooperative education, or co-op, program. Students complete a capstone project as the finishing piece of their undergraduate degree.

Senior engineering students presented their final capstone projects to judges at the third annual CEAS Expo. Photo/Corrie Mayer/CEAS Marketing

At the largest CEAS Expo to date, projects included an automated ice cream machine, an automated greenhouse, productivity software, medical devices, aircraft and motor vehicles, and cutting-edge research. Additionally, student groups partnered with other UC units such as UC Clermont and the College Conservatory of Music to maximize the potential of these projects.

"The senior projects weren't merely research projects but will have a definite impact on further advancing technology," said Ray Brooks, Chair of the CEAS College Advisory Council. "I'm impressed with how the Expo has grown over the past couple of years."

Projects presented at the CEAS Expo ranged from all disciplines. Photo/Corrie Mayer/CEAS Marketing

Reintroduced in this larger format in 2022, the Expo is organized and managed by the college's student government, CEAS Tribunal. This year, Tribunal elected two Expo Chairs to manage the bulk of the event planning, Jada Teregeyo and Maggie Sprung. They shared that planning for Expo was a three-semester commitment for them.

Without the dedication of the students in Tribunal, the volunteer judges, and the event sponsors, Expo would not be possible. CEAS would like to extend its gratitude to DRT Holdings, LLC, Salas O'Brien, KZF Design, Belcan, and the CEAS Alumni Board for sponsoring this year's Expo.

12 category winners were selected by the volunteer judges. The CEAS academic departments also selected departmental winners. The winners for each of the four categories are listed below.

The Robotic Focus Subject for Theater Applications project received third place in the Software category. Photo/Corrie Mayer/CEAS Marketing

The University of Cincinnati Aerocats team received first place in the student organization sponsored category at the CEAS Expo. Photo/Corrie Mayer/CEAS Marketing

Student groups received awards in each category of the CEAS Expo. Photo/Corrie Mayer/CEAS Marketing

Featured image at top: The 2024 CEAS Expo was the largest yet. Photo/Corrie Mayer/CEAS Marketing.

Alumni Association
Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management
Biomedical Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Student Experience
Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
Next Lives Here
College of Engineering and Applied Science
Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Engineering Education
Computer Science

Engineering students present senior capstone projects digitally

April 24, 2020

Engineering students showcase capstone projects at CEAS Expo

May 6, 2022

Graduating engineering undergraduates from the University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering and Applied Science gathered for the inaugural CEAS Expo in April to showcase their senior capstone projects to more than 500 attendees, including faculty, staff, alumni and industry representatives. The event, organized by the college and CEAS Tribunal student government, was held in downtown Cincinnati at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

IMAGES

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Little Farmer Science Kit

VIDEO

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10 Awesome Plant Science Projects

COMMENTS

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The United Nations projects that by 2050 the world population will have risen to 9.7 billion people—more than 2 billion more people than today! To feed everyone, we will need a lot more food, which makes agricultural technology incredibly important. Agricultural technology is the use of science, engineering, and technology to make agriculture ...
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50 Exciting Agriculture Science Project Ideas: Unearthing Knowledge
50 Exciting Agriculture Science Project Ideas: Unearthing Knowledge. Embarking on an exploration of Agriculture Science through engaging projects not only brings learning to life but also cultivates a deeper understanding of the vital connection between science and the agricultural world. In this realm of Agriculture Science Project Ideas, we ...
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This science project explores how analyzing bird's-eye-view pictures of a field can make farmers aware of variations in their fields. Farmers can use this information to optimize their farming practices, or even feed this information to high-tech agricultural equipment so the machines can automatically adjust their actions (like fertilizing or ...
PDF Ideas for Agriscience Fair Projects
Ideas for Agriscience Fair Projects Many students, and teachers for that matter, think that the Agriscience Fair project has to be something amazing, complex, and outstanding. Unfortunately, this type of thinking is counterproductive to developing ideas. It's best to start by keeping it simple. We do "science projects" in our everyday life.
Agricultural Technology STEM Activities for Kids
Agricultural technology is the use of science, engineering, and technology to make agriculture (farming) better. This can mean a wide range of things, including preventing plant diseases, gathering data to optimize crop yield (the amount of food you can grow on a piece of land), using resources like water more effectively, or even creating more ...
6 Fun Agriculture Science Experiments For Kids
We have six different ag-related science experiments that will do just the trick! Grow an Avocado Tree. This experiment is so easy, and the kids will love watching their little avocado tree sprout and grow in your kitchen! With enough time, patience, sunlight, and water, you'll be potting this plant in about a month. Greenhouse in a Soda Bottle.
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Whether you're planning a farm-themed unit or are in need of motivating ways to teach kids important science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills, this activity pack is sure to do the trick. The 6 playful challenges are perfect to use in STEM centers, math stations or as early finisher tasks. Snag your set in our...
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The world's 570 million farmers are arguably the most important stewards of the earth's land, water and biodiversity. Worldwide, farming uses around 40% of total land area, two-thirds of water withdrawals and 85% of water consumption today. This is up from around 7% of total land area back in the year 1700 when the population was less than ...
Science Projects on Which Fertilizer Makes a Plant Grow Faster
Place the three plants in a sunny location and water them daily. In one container, put no fertilizer at all. In the second container, place ¼ cup of fertilizer. In the third pot, place 1 cup of fertilizer. Use the same type of fertilizer for each plant and work the fertilizer into the soil of each of the two pots.
Farm Science Center
The Activity in Action. With the stage set, invite your preschoolers to explore the Farm Science Center. Encourage them to use the mini farm animals and items to create their own farm scenes on the 'land' you've prepared. The inclusion of non-farm animals serves as a playful challenge, prompting discussions about why certain animals might ...
How science is helping farmers to find a balance between ...
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Browse Science Projects. Over 1,200 free science projects for K-12. Browse by subject, grade level, or try our Topic Selection Wizard to find your winning science project. With science projects in 32 different areas of science from astronomy to zoology, we've got something for everyone! Let us help you find a science project that fits your ...
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Activity 4: Butter Making. Source: frugalfun4boys.com. Materials needed: Heavy cream, a clean glass jar with a lid, a pinch of salt (optional), and farm-themed music (optional). Description: Begin by explaining to the preschoolers that milk comes from cows on the farm and is used to make various dairy products.
Farm science
Supplies: The experiment: 1. Carefully remove the pit from the avocado and gently wash it in warm water. 2. Determine the bottom of the pit: the bottom is wider and has a bump on it, which is where the new root will form. 3. Use toothpicks to skewer the top of the avocado pit so that it can balance evenly on the rim of the glass and the bottom ...
Middle School, Agricultural Technology Science Projects
Science projects and lesson plans to explore concepts in agriculture technology - innovations to help improve farming practices and feed the world. ... Farmers can use this information to optimize their farming practices, or even feed this information to high-tech agricultural equipment so the machines can automatically adjust their actions ...
PDF LC Agricultural Science Project
The Farm Project - Overview Oﬀicially known as "Practical Experience" but more commonly know as the the farm project this part of the coursework involves you writing about your own farm or an "adopted farm" that you visited or a combination of the two. It is worth a total of 35 of the 100 marks assigned to the practical coursework.
121+ BEST AGRICULTURE ENGINEERING PROJECTS TOPICS
AGRICULTURE BASED ENGINEERING PROJECT IDEAS . 1. Solar Powered Tea Leaf Cutting Machine. 2. Plant watering automation. 3. Monitor and control your irrigation system with a mobile app. 4. Wireless soil moisture probe with helium and df robot.
science project useful for farmers
science project useful for farmers
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Inga Foundation. Slash-and-burn farming is the only source of income for millions of farmers but it's devastating the world's rainforests. This is something that the UK-based Inga Foundation wants to counter through its Inga Alley farming method, which helps farmers build long-term food security on one plot of land.
Science Activities Relating to Farm Animals for Preschoolers
Egg Detective. Chicken eggs are one of the important animal products found on a farm and they lend themselves to plenty of scientific learning projects. Let your kids play egg detective with these series of experiments. Let them carefully squeeze a raw egg in their hand and see how strong it is. Discuss why an egg breaks when it's struck on the ...
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NASA's Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS) project is a groundbreaking initiative that combines data from Landsats 8 & 9 with the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2A & 2B satellites. Let's take a look at how HLS data is revolutionizing Earth observation, from aiding search and rescue operations in the aftermath of hurricanes to helping farmers optimize crop yields.
USDA funds 19 Wisconsin clean energy projects for job creation
Horstmann Homestead Farm and Events LLC in West Salem will use a $63,982 grant to install a small solar electric array. This project is expected to save $4,539 per year.
Colorado farmers switch to low-water crops, worry about unreliable market
The farmers in southwestern Colorado cut their use by about 1 acre-foot per acre on fields where they switched crops from alfalfa, which typically needs 2.5 to 3 acre-feet in that region each season. The normal one acre-foot roughly equals the annual water use of two to three households. Even with those savings, farmers still face a significant ...
Comics to explain science
Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Image Gallery. This semester, the Communicating Data through Stories class took on a creative assignment that combined science and comics to tell the story of each student's research project. The students were challenged to translate the complexities of their work into a public-facing comics-style format with the ...
Engineering student studying flight physics of birds
On the theoretical front, I work nonlinear control techniques, particularly Extremum Seeking Control, which is a model-free, adaptive control technique. I aim to develop tools to better analyze and improve the structures of such control systems for real-life applications. On the application front, I explore the flight physics of soaring birds ...
Engineering students present at third annual Expo
Senior engineering students presented their final capstone projects to judges at the third annual CEAS Expo. Photo/Corrie Mayer/CEAS Marketing. At the largest CEAS Expo to date, projects included an automated ice cream machine, an automated greenhouse, productivity software, medical devices, aircraft and motor vehicles, and cutting-edge research.