In a significant stride for agricultural sustainability, MIT engineers have come up with a solution that makes pesticides cling to plant leaves, potentially cutting down on environmental pollution and reducing costs for farmers. The technology entails a novel coating for spray droplets, allowing them to adhere to foliage rather than bouncing off and contaminating the ground. This new system could lead to a drastic reduction in the use of harmful chemicals in farming practices, offering economic benefits while also protecting the ecosystem.
Agricultural runoff has long been recognized as a cause for concern, given that fertilizers and pesticides contribute to the pollution of waterways and soil—a situation exacerbated by the tendecy of farmers, due to the absence of precise application technology to rely heavily on their judgment and experience, leading to overuse of these substances. According to data provided by a recent MIT study, which was detailed in an article on MIT News, if pesticide usage were to be drastically reduced, the loss of produce could ascend to 78 percent for fruit, 54 percent for vegetables, and 32 percent for cereal crops; nevertheless, with the new system, environmentally detrimental runoff—and the expenses associated with it—could become less of an issue.
Previous attempts to improve the application of agricultural chemicals involved dual-spray nozzles and electrically charged mixtures, however, the new technology simplifies the process significantly by utilizing a single-nozzle system enhanced with a thin coating of an oil material. This advancement was described by MIT's Kripa Varanasi in the MIT News article. This streamlined method not only simplifies the upgrade for existing farming equipment but also opens the door for widespread adoption and subsequent reduction in chemical pollutants.
In testing, the enhanced efficiency of this new approach was clear; droplets treated with minuscule amounts of oil showed a remarkable improvement in adherence to hydrophobic surfaces akin to plant leaves. "When these droplets are hitting the surface and as they expand, they form this oil ring that essentially pins the droplet to the surface," said MIT graduate student Simon Rufer, as described in the MIT News article. The benefits of this technology extend beyond pesticides, applying to herbicides, fungicides, and even foliar nutrients, denoting a potential revolution in the efficiency of crop treatment.
Building on this innovation, MIT professor Varanasi and MIT alumni Jayaprakash have founded a company named AgZen to commercialize the spray-coating system—it's anticipated to be introduced to approximately 30,000 acres of farmland this year. RealCoverage, an AgZen system designed to monitor spray application in real time, has already demonstrated its value, saving farmers between 30 to 50 percent on their pesticide expenses. Jayaprakash, cited in the MIT News interview, detailed the potential economic impact: "You could give back a billion dollars to U.S. growers if you just saved 6 percent of their pesticide budget." With AgZen's recent securing of $10 million in venture capital, the prospects for improved agricultural practices seem more achievable than ever.
