BALTIMORE, Md. — Farmers and ranchers struggle to combat the economic pressures and growing environmental scrutiny of traditional agricultural practices. The key is to transform waste and emissions from a liability into an asset. Developers design innovative on-farm technology to capture emissions and turn them into products, increasing sustainability and profitability.
Current State of the Agriculture Industry
In the United States, the agriculture industry creates about 9.4% of direct greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock and manure also produce methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Rising input costs and market volatility are putting a financial strain on already struggling farmers. Creating a circular economy for farms is the necessary response.
How On-Farm Technology Can Be Used in Emission Capture
Professionals have created many on-farm technologies to capture emissions, reducing farms’ overall emissions and turning them into profitable outcomes. Other technology provides less or zero emissions while also decreasing agricultural costs.
Natural Fertilizers
Farmers can create natural fertilizers using technology. Livestock help create renewable natural gas and fertilizer. When a cow or other animal digests food, the organic waste they create is converted into biogas or digestate using on-farm technology. Biogas is a renewable natural gas and digestate is a nutrient-rich fertilizer. Both serve the farm, selling biogas for profit or reusing digestate for fertilizer.
Technology can also create clean fertilizer by converting wind and air without any fossil fuels. A device takes water vapor and nitrogen from the air and uses wind energy to perform ammonia synthesis. This creates fertilizer without heat or emissions, reducing fertilizer expenses and enhancing sustainability.
Wastewater
Farmers can safely reuse leftover wastewater from other agricultural operations. A machine treats the water to cleanse and remove any potentially toxic substances. They then use it to water crops or feed livestock safely, reducing water waste and lowering emissions.
Smart Tractors
Smart tractors run on electricity, so they do not create emissions like traditional tractors. These vehicles run for hours on a full charge using an oil-cooled thermal system. They also charge quickly. This saves farms money on fuel and cuts back their emissions.
Pesticide
A new pesticide spray sticks to leaves to prevent continuous spraying. Using an oil coating, the substance stays on plants longer. When it is time to reapply, all farmers must do is change the nozzle on the spray instead of overhauling their equipment. This saves time and money, and reduces the amount of pesticide-related chemicals in the air.
AI and IoT
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is another technology ranchers can use. Certain AI models calculate the nutrient cycle of crops. It uses this data to communicate to farmers when they should reuse leftover materials, as well as ways to do that. Internet of Things, or IoT, compost devices provide moisture and temperatures to decompose organic matter faster and prepare it for reuse. These technologies reduce farm emissions and costs by recycling used materials.
Benefits of Emission-Capturing Technology
There are many benefits to emission-capturing technology. It saves on costs and time, and makes farming practices more sustainable. Below are a few examples.
Energy and Fuel
Farmers can sell back any excess electricity or renewable natural gas generated from the technology and methods described above to the energy grid, creating a new source of revenue for struggling farms. It can also power other farming operations, reducing outward expenses.
Using the right equipment that generates renewable energy on its own also saves money. For example, electric trucks cost about $1,066 per year, which is significantly less than a traditional vehicle. Electrical products, such as trucks or tractors, are more sustainable and can help farms conserve energy in the future.
On-Site Fertilizer
Using the fertilizer created through natural methods saves farms a lot of money on bags of store-bought fertilizer. It also enhances sustainable operations on the farm, enabling ranchers to charge premium prices for their products. Cost savings also provide a necessary incentive for farmers to utilize this new technology.
How to Implement Emission-to-Profit Technology
For farmers and ranchers to adopt this technology, they should start small and work up to bigger operations. First, understand the farm through studies. Look at waste streams, potential Return on Investment, or ROI, options and various energy needs. Identify the most concerning areas and focus on the technologies that limit the negative impact.
While on-farm technology may have high up-front costs, it offers long-term benefits. To fund the initial cost, government grants and incentives exist to promote sustainability. The National institute of Food and Agriculture, or NIFA, offers numerous grant and professional development programs with a focus on sustainable agriculture. Consider local and national initiatives if funding is a concern.
Create Profits and Boost Sustainability
New on-farm technology creates profits by reducing agricultural costs, saving time and providing sustainable alternatives to traditional farming practices. Consider the technology not as a one-time expense but as a long-term investment to make farms more resilient and profitable.
-Renovated
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