Yufeng Ge, Santosh Pitla and David Jones have already conducted research in the areas of ag-relevant sensors for more efficient application of fertilizer and water, and the development of an autonomous planter capable of seeding a 5-acre field all on its own. But now they’ve set their sights quite a bit higher — growing food in space. The three biological systems engineering faculty at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, along with others on their research team, were awarded a two-year Grand Challenge grant from Nebraska’s Office of Research and Economic Development to find ways to sustainably grow food in space.
In this episode, Frances Hayes, DWFI director of communications and public relations, sits down with Yufeng, Santosh and David as they explore their short-term goal of developing a center dedicated to studying space agriculture and their long-term goals of actually growing enough food on space to sustain people while translating the lessons learned to agriculture here on Earth.
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DWFI Podcast 31 - Agriculture in Space 33:49
The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska was founded with the mission to have a lasting and significant impact on achieving more food security with less pressure on scarce water resources by conducting scientific and policy research, using the research results to inform policy makers, and sharing knowledge through education and communication.
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