Technology

 Figure: Polyculture of corn and a cucurbit crop in Nicaragua

DR. PAUL VINCELLI

PRINCETON, KENTUCKY

   I had a chance to speak with author Charles C. Mann, who has written several fascinating books, including 1491, 1493, and The Wizard and The Profit. I asked him what guidance his work offered towards a more sustainable food system. If I understood his response correctly, he offered an interesting idea: that, through human history there have been many food systems that have helped to feed people, but not always successfully. He wondered whether technology might help to overcome the limitations of historical farming systems that offer potential benefits to our farming systems. He gave the example of polyculture: the co‐cultivation of two or more crop species. 

   Polyculture has pros and cons, but one advantage is the possibility of reduced disease pressure.

   Polyculture is uncommon in commercial agriculture because it requires substantial hand labor, for weed control and other reasons. What if robotics could make polyculture more cost‐competitive?

   Agricultural engineers are doing amazing things with robotics. I suspect they can do so some amazing things to help implement new, and possibly more sustainable, farming systems.

   I was so enamored by this idea that I couldn’t help sharing it, and I thought immediately of MidAmerica Farmer Grower, with its wide readership, including university students and professors. Who knows – maybe a young team of researchers will pick up on this and see where it leads? ∆

   DR. PAUL VINCELLI: Extension Professor, University of Kentucky