By Blake Jackson
A study underscores the crucial role of interdisciplinary collaboration in shaping the future of agriculture, highlighting the necessity of coordinated advancements in biology, chemistry, engineering, and data science to tackle farming's most pressing issues.
Published in Global Change Biology, the study presents five case studies illustrating how this deep collaboration can revolutionize crop monitoring, fertilizer application, and water resource management.
The research was a joint effort by 25 scientists from two National Science Foundation (NSF) Science and Technology Centers (STC): Cornell University's Center for Research on Programmable Plant Systems (CROPPS) and North Carolina State University's Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center.
"Working across disciplines doesn’t just expand our toolkit it reshapes the questions we ask," stated Vesna Bacheva, a mechanical engineer at Cornell, who co-authored the study with Imani Madison, a postdoctoral researcher at North Carolina State University.
The researchers emphasize that feeding a growing global population while managing finite natural resources presents ongoing challenges for scientists, engineers, farmers, and policymakers.
One case study showcases nanosensors and soft robotics, developed through CROPPS, for real-time monitoring of plant water status in the field. Another, based at STEPS, investigates innovative fertilizers and phosphorus recovery systems aimed at enhancing nutrient use efficiency.
"These kinds of integrated solutions are possible because researchers in our centers are working creatively across disciplinary boundaries to achieve common goals," explained Abe Stroock, director of CROPPS and a senior author of the study.
The study also highlights the importance of engaging with agricultural stakeholders, including farmers, engineers, and university collaborators, to inform research directions and facilitate the development of practical technologies.
Social scientists involved in the project conducted interviews and surveys to understand adoption factors for phosphorus recovery and nutrient management technologies.
The authors stress the significance of institutional support for cross-disciplinary collaboration and training. They also suggest that the approaches outlined in the paper can be adapted to address a wide range of agricultural innovation topics.
According to Margaret Frank, a corresponding author and professor at Cornell, "This work is an example of how different kinds of scientific expertise can be brought together to develop new approaches to agricultural production and resource management."
The research received support from the National Science Foundation through grants to CROPPS and the STEPS Center, along with additional funding from the Schmidt Science Fellows program and the Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science.
Photo Credit: istockgetty-images-plus-claraveritas
Categories: New York, Education