Rational Agriculture

I didn't expect to be using these two words as a title for a posting (at least, not just yet). Agriculture, despite the enormous technological strides made over the centuries, is still seen as a very basic (though not necessarily "natural") activity. Nanotechnology, on the other hand, seems to epitomise the current cutting edge of science.

Nevertheless, a survey just published in Public Library of Science Medicine (Nanotechnology and the Developing World) puts agricultural productivity enhancement as second in its top ten of the most important development-related application areas for nanotechnology. Energy storage, production and conversion was first and this also arguably has a significant overlap with efficient farming systems.

Bear in mind that this report covers a Delphi study, so is essentially a collection of individual views of people with an understanding of the technology and its implications. In that sense, it is not objective, but should still be seen as a consensus view from people in a good position to know. Food for thought here, and confirmation, if we needed it, that all possible tools need to be made available if the world's poorest people are to be lifted out of poverty.

For sake of completeness, the particular applications the respondents identified in the agricultural area were:

Nanoporous zeolites for slow-release and effi cient dosage of water and fertilizers for plants, and of nutrients and drugs for livestock
Nanocapsules for herbicide delivery
Nanosensors for soil quality and for plant health monitoring
Nanomagnets for removal of soil contaminants