Sensor could help prevent food spoilage and waste

May 13, 2020

By Kate Ayers
Staff Writer
Farms.com

A tiny quick-acting sensor could help the world reduce food waste, thanks to the work of American chemists.

Food industry stakeholders could use this sensor to monitor fruit and vegetables throughout production, a March Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) release said.

The sensor is made of carbon nanotubes, which are semiconducting cylinders, that can detect ethylene gas in concentrations as low as 15 parts per billion. Plants produce ethylene as they get ready to bloom or as the crops start to ripen, the release said.

The sensor responds to this plant hormone almost immediately upon exposure.

“There is a persistent need for better food management and reduction of food waste,” Dr. Timothy Swager, a chemistry professor at MIT, said in the release.

“People who transport fruit around would like to know how it's doing during transit, and whether they need to take measures to keep ethylene down while they're transporting it.”

The study is published in the March edition of the journal ACS Central Science.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.