New technology out of MIT makes pesticides stick to plant leaves

New technology out of MIT makes pesticides stick to plant leaves

Reducing the amount of agricultural sprays used by farmers — including fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides — could cut down the amount of runoff that ends up in the environment while at the same time reducing farmers’ costs and perhaps even enhancing their productivity. A classic win-win-win. A team of researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a spinoff company they launched has developed a system to do just that. Their techno…

Farmers spray far more pesticides than is actually necessary, not because they want to damage the environment, but out of need, because most of the water that contains the active ingredient simply drains from the plants, leaks into the soil and ends up in rivers and lakes. In case of overdose, the chances are that the resources will work and save the harvest. Image: Varanasi Lab Save money and protect the environment In the future, farmers will …