“Self-flying planes have been slower to emerge than self-driving cars, despite operating in what is generally considered a more structured and predictable environment.

That is partly because big tech companies 'doubled down' on cars, pouring vast sums into the technology, says Mykel Kochenderfer, an expert in safe aviation autonomy at Stanford University.

But it is also because aircraft are held to stricter safety standards than cars, creating a much higher bar for deployment…

In the US, the largest autonomous fixed-wing aircraft approved for commercial civilian use so far is Pyka's crop sprayer, which won authorization last year.

Though operations are limited to a tightly defined agricultural setting and require a ground operator and visual observer. It earlier secured similar approval in Brazil, where rules are more permissive…

Supporters say autonomous aircraft could address pilot shortages, remove people from dangerous work such as crop spraying, improve efficiency – for example, by allowing aircraft to carry more cargo – and cut costs if one operator can oversee many planes.

They also argue automation could make flying safer, pointing to past declines in accidents as more automated systems have been introduced.”

From BBC.

“Grape growers in Mexico have a new tool to fight powdery mildew, a common fungal disease, after the country became the first in the world to approve the commercial sale of an RNA-based biofungicide…

Oifirax, developed by the U.S. company GreenLight Biosciences, uses RNA molecules to silence a gene essential for the survival of the disease-causing fungus Erysiphe necator. The Mexican government announced the product’s commercial approval on 12 August, following a 9-month regulatory process involving the country’s health, agricultural, and environmental authorities…

Scientists have spent more than a decade developing products to control pests and diseases using a process called RNA interference. First off the block were pesticides: In 2023 GreenLight released Calantha, which targets the Colorado potato beetle. The spray uses RNA molecules to block a specific gene that encodes a key protein in the beetle. When the larvae eat leaves that have been sprayed, the RNA makes it into their gut, where cellular machinery destroys the matching messenger RNA (mRNA) that contains the instructions for creating the protein, killing the beetle.

The company’s new fungicide works in a similar way. It targets CYP51, a gene conserved among various fungal species that is involved in producing a crucial compound called ergosterol. When sprayed on grapes affected by powdery mildew, it prevents E. necator from producing ergosterol, causing its cell membranes to break down. This prevents the fungus from growing and ultimately leads to its death.

Oifirax has proved effective in eliminating E. necator without harming species such as monarch butterflies, honey bees, and earthworms, GreenLight CEO Andrey Zarur said during the press conference announcing the approval. He said the company submitted a bioinformatics analysis showing Oifirax doesn’t affect other soil organisms or vertebrates, and that Mexico’s regulatory agency will continue to conduct rigorous studies to ensure its safety.”

From Science.

“Britain's food industry warned in February that soaring energy costs following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran could push food price inflation towards 10% by Christmas.

Six months later, food ​inflation has instead fallen to a near two-year low, as fierce supermarket competition, consumers' resistance to further price rises and better hedging by suppliers helped absorb ‌the shock.”

From Reuters.

“Near-record inventories, technological advances and the rise of key exporters such as Brazil and Russia have made the global food system more resilient to this year's 'super' El Nino than similar past events…

In 1997-98 and 2015-16, severe El Nino episodes slashed production of key crops, fuelling food shortages, inflation and sapping economic growth…

This time, near-record grain inventories, drought-tolerant seeds, better weather forecasting, ​precision agriculture, improved irrigation and the emergence of newer export powerhouses are poised to cushion much of the fallout.”

From Reuters.