The Tech Ranch

Today's episode started with a discussion of the Roundup scenario and the news of Bayer acquiring Monsanto and its properties. The potential lawsuits against Roundup for being a carcinogen were discussed and they also talked about the increasing role of technology in agriculture, particularly in the area of precision agriculture. The conversation then moved to the requirements for organic farming and how technology has made it more feasible to switch to organic farming. Marlo and Steve also discussed the use of genetically modified crops and the controversy surrounding non-GMO foods. It is brought up how GMOs have facilitated the growth of crops in different regions and how they are necessary to feed the world's growing population. Finally, they discussed the emergence of new crops in North Dakota, such as grapes, that were not possible in the past due to the short growing season. They then move on to discuss the development of new technology for agriculture, specifically robots that use lasers to kill weeds