The science behind the future of farming

Science and Health

Agriculture is at a crossroads. As global populations surge and climate challenges intensify, the demand for sustainable farming practices has never been more critical. Modern farming must evolve to meet these demands while minimizing environmental impact and maximizing efficiency. The convergence of technology, data analytics and innovative techniques is transforming the agricultural landscape, promising a future where farms can flourish sustainably and profitably.
Precision Agriculture: Establishing Data-Driven Decision Making
Precision agriculture is at the forefront of this transformation. Farmers can utilize advanced technologies such as GPS, IoT sensors and drones to monitor and manage their crops with unprecedented accuracy. According to Grand View Research, the global market for precision agriculture is projected to reach $24.09 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 12.8% from 2024 to then.
These technologies enable farmers to collect real-time data on soil conditions, crop health, weather patterns and pest activity. Analyzing this information can help them make informed decisions about irrigation, fertilization and pest control, optimize resource use and improve crop yield. For instance, precision irrigation techniques have been found to reduce water usage, helping farmers adapt to increasing scarcity. 
Vertical Farming: Maximizing Space and Resources
Vertical farming is another innovative approach gaining traction, particularly in urban areas with scarce land. This method involves growing crops in vertically stacked layers, often in controlled indoor environments. The global vertical farming market was valued at $5.1 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $15.3 billion by 2028, as indicated by Markets and Markets (2023).
The benefits of vertical farming are manifold. These farms can produce crops year-round with minimal water and land use using LED lighting, hydroponic or aeroponic systems, and climate control technologies. For example, leading vertical farming company AeroFarms reports that its systems use 95% less water than traditional methods and yield up to 390 times more produce per square foot annually (Fang, 2023).
Genetic Engineering: Enhancing Crop Resilience
Genetic engineering is also pivotal in the future of farming. Advances in biotechnology allow scientists to use tissue culture techniques to develop crops with improved nutritional content and greater resistance to pests, diseases and extreme weather conditions. The Food and Drug Administration (2024) also emphasized that adopting genetically modified crops has already shown significant benefits like reduced pesticide use and increased resistance to plant viruses.
CRISPR-Cas9, a revolutionary gene-editing technology, is enabling even more precise modifications. Researchers have used CRISPR to develop rice strains with enhanced drought tolerance and higher yield potential (Rai, et al., 2023). Such innovations are crucial as climate change threatens global food security.
Sustainable Practices: Balancing Profit and Planet
Sustainable farming practices are essential for ensuring long-term agricultural productivity and environmental health. Techniques such as crop rotation, cover cropping and reduced tillage help maintain soil health, reduce erosion and enhance biodiversity. 
Moreover, integrating livestock and crop production systems can create more resilient and efficient farming operations. The practice of agroforestry — where trees and shrubs are grown around or among crops — has been shown to improve soil fertility, sequester carbon and increase biodiversity.
Robotics and Automation: Redefining Labor in Agriculture
Robotics and automation are set to revolutionize the agricultural sector by addressing labor shortages and enhancing efficiency. Autonomous tractors, robotic harvesters and AI-powered sorting machines are increasingly being adopted on farms worldwide. As Markets and Markets noted last year, the global agricultural robots market is projected to grow from $13.5 billion in 2023 to $40.1 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 24.3% during the forecast period.
These technologies reduce the reliance on manual labor and enable precision tasks that enhance productivity. For instance, robotic weeders can identify and remove weeds with minimal herbicide use, preserving soil health and reducing chemical runoff. Similarly, automated harvesters equipped with machine vision can pick fruits and vegetables with optimal ripeness, reducing waste and ensuring better quality produce.
Blockchain: Ensuring Transparency and Traceability
Blockchain technology is emerging as a powerful tool for enhancing transparency and traceability in the food supply chain. Transactions are recorded on an immutable ledger, ensuring the authenticity and safety of agricultural products. The blockchain market in the agriculture and food supply chain is poised to grow from $133 million in 2020 to $948 million by 2025 at a CAGR of 48.1%, according to Markets and Markets.
Blockchain can provide consumers with detailed information about the origin, production methods and food journey from farm to table. Big companies like Walmart, Unilever and Nestlé use IBM’s Food Trust blockchain platform to track products and reduce instances of foodborne illnesses. This level of transparency builds consumer trust and helps farmers command better product prices by demonstrating adherence to high quality standards.
Cultivating a Sustainable Future
The future of farming lies at the intersection of technology, innovation and sustainability. Precision agriculture, vertical farming, genetic engineering, sustainable practices, robotics and blockchain are more than just buzzwords — they are transformative forces reshaping the agricultural landscape. As these advancements evolve, they promise to create more productive, profitable, resilient and environmentally friendly farms.
Embracing these innovations is essential for meeting the growing global demand for food while safeguarding the planet for future generations. Business professionals across various industries must stay informed and engaged with these developments to strive for a sustainable and prosperous agricultural future.

Mum describes putting her baby in the shower to sleep as her ‘number one travel hack’

Travel

Your support helps us to tell the storyAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentFind out moreA mother has defended her parenting travel hack after a video went viral in which she explains that her “baby sleeps in the shower” when her family stay in hotel rooms.TikToker Chloe Molina, 25, sparked debate online after she told her followers that when her family go on away and stay in hotel rooms or rental properties, she puts her baby’s crib in the shower, calling it “the best travel hack”.“When we travel, our baby sleeps in the shower,”  Molina started off by saying in a video posted on 28 August.The first-time mother then proceeds to explain she does not mean that in the literal sense but instead puts her five-month-old’s crib in the bathroom so the baby has “their own room without paying for another room”.“Yes, our baby does sleep in the shower, but he sleeps in a crib in the shower, and the reason why we do this is because, for us, when our baby sleeps in our room, he smells us he sees us, he just knows we’re there, and he’s gonna wake up all the time,” Molina explains.“Usually, the bathroom’s way too tight to fit a crib, and the shower’s big enough, so we put the crib in the shower, and then we crack the bathroom door open so it can feel like he has his own room, his own space. He doesn’t smell us, he doesn’t see us, he has his own room.“It’s honestly just way better to put him in the shower because you can slightly close the curtain, and you can still pee without them seeing you there.”However, not everyone was totally on board with the hack, voicing concerns about leaving a baby in a bathroom.“I’d be too worried about water pipe would burst in the middle of the night,” one user said. “What if the tap runs by itself?”“Personally with the strong cleaning agents that hotel room bathrooms are cleaned with that is the LAST place I would be putting my baby of a night breathing that air plus likely mould,” another commenter added.“It’s cute but I would just be worried about the air quality for baby in there.. everything we know about fecal bacteria, is there another place close enough?” someone else questioned.While some commenters were worried about the hygiene or safety of letting a child sleep in a bathroom, others said that they wished they thought of this sooner.“This is genius momma,” one user wrote, while another said, “I’m more disappointed I didn’t think of this before!”Others also added that they had used this travel hack before: “When our kids were babies we had them sleep in so many bathrooms, so handy!”Some other TikTokers said that they also give their babies their separate roomsusing other parts of the accommodation.“We do this with walk-in closets at Airbnbs!” someone else wrote.After the controversial travel hack started a debate in her TikTok comments, Molina defended her reasoning, telling PEOPLE that they used the shower hack for the first time in Mexico after their baby was “up all night long” when he was sleeping in his crib beside her.”They know if you’re two feet away from them, so they’re going to constantly wake up and see you sleeping right next to them and want milk,” Molina explained. “Especially if you’re breastfeeding, they can smell your milk, they can smell you.”Yet, when they placed his crib in the bathroom, she said her baby “slept through the whole night”.For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast

SIU’s Banned Books Week includes donation of 500+ books to Morris Library

Arts & Culture, Books

A celebration of donated books to Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) and a continuing focus on the harms of censorship will highlight Banned Books Week, which runs Sunday through Saturday, Sept. 22-28, at Morris Library.The SCRC will host a free, public reception with refreshments at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 23, in the library’s Hall of Presidents and Chancellors to celebrate the addition of more than 500 books about diverse communities, donated by SIU Carbondale’s Student Multicultural Resource Center.“The donation has become part of our McCoy First Amendment (Freedom of Speech, Religion, and the Press) collection, which began in the 1960s to support the right to read by preserving books that had been challenged or spoke to issues of disadvantaged groups,” said Anne Marie Hamilton-Brehm, associate dean for library affairs. “Along with challenged books ranging from adult to children’s literature, the collection preserves many volumes on health care. The donated books speak largely to the lived experience and issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community, women, African Americans, immigrants and Native Americans.”Hamilton-Brehm noted that many titles recently challenged and banned from schools and public libraries “have been written by or about members of the LGBTQ+ community and people of color.”The books are available to the public by request to read at the SCRC from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.“We are very excited to see this collection of books have its home at the Special Collections Research Center, where it will be open to researchers of all backgrounds and experiences,” said Juniper Oxford, program coordinator with the LGBTQ Resource Center. “Many of the most commonly banned books across the nation are LGBTQ-related — which stifles our collective understanding of the most basic components of our beings. With such an effort to obliterate the diversity of history, we must make an effort to remember those voices. It is vital that we preserve and uphold a broader and more detailed vision of our collective history, told through a diverse multitude of perspectives.”Rise in book challengesStatistics from the American Library Association show an “unprecedented rise” in book censorship and unique titles being challenged in 2023 compared with 2022, said John Pollitz, dean of library affairs at SIU Carbondale. There were 4,240 unique books titles targeted for censorship last year. Before 2021, the average number of challenged titles was 273 per year, he added. Public libraries and school libraries are affected most often, with higher education libraries receiving 2% of the challenges.In June 2023, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation outlawing book bans in Illinois, becoming the first in the nation to do so. Morris Library has incorporated the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights into its mission statement.“The law protects the freedom of libraries to acquire books without restrictions as they see fit for their communities and campuses,” Pollitz said. “The Illinois State Library has taken the lead in promoting the adoption of the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights. In fact, when Morris Library last applied for a grant from the State Library, we were obliged to certify that we have officially endorsed that document in order to be eligible for state funding.”McCoy First Amendment CollectionMorris Library’s Freedom of the Press collection was established by the library’s first director and journalism professor Ralph E. McCoy. The collection, housed in the Special Collections Research Center, consists of thousands of books, pamphlets, manuscripts and letters that document the history of censorship in the English-speaking world over the last four centuries. Morris Library purchased McCoy’s renowned collection in 1981.

The best movies under 90 minutes

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

You hear the grumbling all the time these days. ‘Ugh, two hours? Why are movies so long these days?’ It’s not a great sign for our collective attention spans in a content-saturated world that we can’t sit still and absorb a story longer than the average rush-hour commute. Sometimes, though, you really do just need a quick film fix that’ll allow you to get a dose of entertainment and then move on with your life. And so, with apologies to Martin Scorsese and Andrei Tarkovsky, here are 20 of the best movies you can watch in 90 minutes or less. Because length doesn’t always matter.Recommended:
🆓 30 legitimately great movies you can watch for free on YouTube🔥 The best movies of 2024 (so far)📺 The best TV and streaming shows of 2024

Sheinelle Jones Announces Her First Book Through Mom’s Eyes, Including Interviews with the Moms of Famous Celebs

Arts & Culture, Books

Sheinelle Jones’ new book is an ode to mothers.
On the Thursday, Sept. 19 episode of the Today show, Jones, 46, officially announced her first book, Through Mom’s Eyes, will be released on April 15, 2025. Described by publisher G.P. Putnam’s Sons as an “inspiring collection of heartfelt life lessons from hardworking moms who raised some of our favorite celebrities,” the book includes Jones’ interviews with the moms of stars including Lady Gaga, Stephen Curry and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

“If you are a mom, a grandmom, an auntie, a big sister, a cousin — if you take care of any children, and I say children ages 0 to even 62, because mothering never stops, this is my love letter to you,” the morning show host said.

Sheinelle Jones (center) with her three children in 2023.
Nathan Congleton/NBC/Getty

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Jones went on to explain how the project has been in the works for “so long,” and was born out of a recurring Today segment focused on her interviews with the mothers of celebrities. “As a mom of three, I thought, ‘Man, what did their mother feed them? Why are they so delightful?'” she recalled.

Her interest in understanding how people like Matthew McConaughey’s mother Mary Kathleen raised such a well-rounded person led to Jones deciding to put together a book sharing the advice and experiences of some of her favorite celebrities’ moms. The news anchor even took her journey a step further by trying out some of their tips on her own kids.

The result is a book that looks at all aspects of motherhood. “When life gets really hard, mothering doesn’t stop,” she added, before sharing that the book includes Kevin Durant’s mom Wanda’s journey as a single parent, which paralleled that of her own mother’s.

Jones previously teased Through Mom’s Eyes to PEOPLE during her fellow Today show host Al Roker’s 70th birthday celebration in August.

Through Mom’s Eyes by Sheinelle Jones.
G.P. Putnam’s Sons

“I do a series on the show, it’s called Through Mom’s Eyes, where I interview moms of people we admire, from Steph Curry to Shaq[uille O’Neal], Lady Gaga, Lin-Manuel Miranda, you name it,” Jones said, at the time. “And I noticed after interviewing about 20 of them that I was taking all of these jewels and applying it to myself for my own kids, calling my girlfriends and being like, ‘Can I tell you how Steph Curry’s mom got him to do his chores?’”

“And then I finally realized maybe I should share the wisdom,” she continued. “And so I sat down and I thought, you know what? Let me see if I can write about what I’ve learned. And it has been one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done.”

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Through Mom’s Eyes comes out on April 15, 2025 and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.

Tips for Avoiding Safety Incidents at Your Business

Business News

Running a business comes with its own set of challenges, and one of the most crucial aspects is ensuring safety for everyone involved. Safety incidents harm people, but they can also harm the reputation and productivity of your business. As a business owner, it is your responsibility to avoid safety incidents at your business, and the best way to make that happen is to create and maintain a safe business environment for both customers and employees. Train Your Employees Proper training is crucial for preventing safety incidents at your business. Ensure that all of your employees are well trained on the safe use of equipment, handling hazardous materials, and emergency procedures. This training should be part of the onboarding process for new hires and include practical demonstrations and hands-on practice. Refresher courses and continuous training will also help keep everyone up to date with existing and new safety protocols. Training and education will go a long way toward helping your employees prepare for all kinds of situations. Follow Proper Maintenance Timelines If you want to keep your business safe, you need to follow proper timelines when it comes to inspections and maintenance. For example, if your industry uses storage tanks for water, you need to regularly inspect, maintain, and sometimes replace tank liners. Knowing the right replacement timeline is important, but you must also know how to safely replace tank liners so you don’t create additional problems during replacement. Whether you’re replacing tank liners, adjusting other equipment, or just sweeping your facility, following proper maintenance timelines is a must. Keep Everything Clean and Organized A cluttered workspace is not only unprofessional but also poses a significant safety risk. Loose wires, stacked boxes, or spills can cause accidents if left unattended. Implement a regular cleaning schedule and assign responsibilities for maintaining different areas of the workspace. Also, encourage your employees to keep their work area clean and organized to avoid any potential hazards. When you promote a tidy and organized environment, you greatly reduce the risk of accidents. Emphasize Open Communication Creating a culture of open communication in your workplace can help prevent safety incidents. Encourage your employees to report any potential hazards or near-misses without fear of repercussions. Also, establish clear channels for reporting and act on feedback promptly to show that you take their concerns seriously. Regularly reviewing and addressing these reports can help you identify areas for improvement and prevent future incidents. Safety should be a top priority for any business, regardless of its size or industry. Thankfully, when you follow these tips, you can avoid safety incidents at your business, thus creating a safe environment for everyone. Prioritizing safety will protect everyone while also strengthening your business’s reputation and success.