About the Farm: Sci-Fi Ag
An Agricultural Science Fiction Story
Sci-Fi Ag
Science Fiction is my favorite genre to read, but I’ve never tried writing it. All that world building!
I was thinking, if I wanted to write a Sci-Fi novel involving agriculture it would be fun to write about really cool solutions. There could be a world where they grow food just like we do, and they’ve got weeds like we do. They’ve been spraying the weeds with herbicides, which turn out to be poisonous for the world’s inhabitants. Their soil and crops and farmers are all suffering. Yields are down and farmers are getting sick and dying from all the poisons on their land. Even worse, the weeds are becoming more and more resistant so they have to use more poison each year and the soil is being damaged.
Then, someone invents a machine that makes the poisons unnecessary!
I know it’s hard to believe, but this is fiction so I can make it however I want it.
The machine uses targeted energy to kill the weeds, and deep learning through computer vision to recognize 150 million weeds and crops. The machine doesn’t even need a driver, but can run on its own, day and night. The crops are healthier because there’s no weed pressure and they haven’t gone through the stress of the poisons or root damage from mechanical weeding. The farmers save money because the machine turns out to be cheaper than the cost of manual labor plus the cost of the poisons. With no herbicides and no soil disruption, even the soil ends up healthier. It’s a win win win.
Alright, you caught me. This plot has already been written. In fact, it’s being written right now, in our own world. Laser weeders, available from about eight different innovative companies, are being used on large industrial farms around the planet, with spectacular success. These are the same farms that previously drenched their fields in toxic herbicides each year.
Could this be the off ramp from the herbicides in the industrial agriculture part of our food systems? We’ll have to keep reading (and living) this story, as it’s being written, to find out.
In the meantime, want a one minute Sci-Fi agricultural experience from Carbon Robotics (the leader in laser weeder technology)?
Check. This. Out.
gotta respectfully disagree with the laser scenario. disruption of every natural cycle is what has led to 'weeds'. coming back into balance is the solution. crop rotation, multi crops rather than mono cropping. mixing animals into the fields. what ever the heck the amish do which I am quite sure 1) works and 2) doesn't rely on teen male war on everything schemes.
You had me at “Science Fiction Story”!
I am amazed and pleased to hear that “Big Ag” would consider this over pesticides and close planting!
This is exciting news!! Hope it ends up catching on!!
(Ps - Have you read C.S. Lewis’s space trilogy? A fav at our house!)