FARM NEXT

ClearFlame Engine Technologies, based out of Chicago, developed a technology that integrates low-carbon alternative fuels into diesel engines using a novel, high-temperature combustion process.

Using renewable, low-carbon, domestically sourced fuels like ethanol, ClearFlame has developed a patented system to upgrade the traditional diesel engine to achieve higher power output with significantly lower emissions of soot, smog and carbon dioxide.

Jack Keating founded Corral Technologies with a passion to make ranching more efficient and profitable. Corral’s virtual fencing technology and system of cattle wearables were specifically developed for cow-calf operations and are proven to be safe and effective.

Cow-calf operations utilizing Corral can virtually fence any pasture, decreasing the number of rented acres and reducing fencing costs. This technology allows ranchers to utilize more rotational grazing practices with less labor involved.

The CoverCress™ crop is an exclusive, new-to-market winter oilseed that creates a low-carbon source of fuel and feed. It acts like a traditional cover crop while also producing oil and high protein feed that can fit markets like canola.

Unlike traditional cover crops, which are planted to improve and protect the soil but are not harvested, CoverCress acts as a traditional cash crop. This unique combination of soil improvement with grain production without displacing other crops is what sets CoverCress apart.

Crop.Zone developed an electrochemical solution to replace chemical herbicides. By combining non-toxic conductive liquids, following organic farming guidelines, and the applying a low voltage electric charge, Crop.Zone can create an effective weed control combination. By pre-treating and conditioning the plants with substances that are highly acceptable for agriculture, plant growth is controlled while efficiently utilizing inputs.

Developed by a father-son team in Aurora, Nebraska, Grain Weevil is a grain bin safety and management robot that directly engages the surface of the grain.

Grain bins are dirty, dangerous workplaces. The Grain Weevil robot will level, break crusts, do inspections and feed grain into the extraction augers, eliminating any need for the farmer to work in the bin.

Phosphorus is the second largest nutrient needed for food production, yet research shows only 10-30% of phosphorus is taken up by the plant. Inefficient use of phosphorus is depleting finite reserves and causing widespread global pollution.

Phospholutions developed RhizoSorb, a product that effectively and efficiently delivers fertilizer to the plant and helps utilize existing phosphorus in agronomic soils. Phospholutions is dedicated to developing technologies to enhance the efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of phosphorus.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Professor Santosh Pitla envisions a future in which swarms of small, autonomous robots roll through row crop fields, planting seeds or applying fertilizers. These highly sensitive robots could detect conditions, such as soil makeup and moisture, in a given field and apply varying amounts of inputs tailored to the conditions.

Santosh and his team have been working to develop the framework and automation for this system at the Nebraska campus.

Salin 247 is developing small-scale, lightweight, electric-powered, autonomous farm equipment. By using smaller, lighter, less costly equipment in the field, Salin 247 believes growers will be able to reduce soil compaction, lower capital, and operating costs, increase asset utilization, alleviate labor issues, and contribute to a cleaner environment.

Verge Ag develops solutions that help farmers manage their land and equipment to execute field operations efficiently and remotely.

Verge Ag’s software technology, Launch Pad, combines interactive field mapping simulations with geospatial intelligence that recognizes each field’s unique shape, topography, and obstacles. Launch Pad can help farmers compare inf-field equipment paths and create routes and rows that generate greater farm profits, all without ever stepping foot in the cab.

Yard Stick was created with a mission to positively impact the climate by improving soil carbon measurement technologies.

Soil carbon sequestration efforts have been historically hindered by the complexity and cost of measuring soil organic carbon. By reducing the cost of high-quality soil carbon measurement by more than 90%, Yard Stick is dramatically expanding the opportunities for evidence-based, climate-positive agriculture. This will simultaneously improve ecosystem health, increase farmer livelihoods, and combat climate change.