Biomimicry
for shaping future
Agriculture
Pro & con list
Patterns in Landscape Hexagons Algae/nutrient cycle
How to solve the cons?
- Biodiversity
- Diversity in interactions and
ecoservices
- Naturally occuring
- Increase yield per plant because of
lower competition
- Highly original
- Less disease/pest spread
- Creative/flexible
- Regionaly adaptable
1. Possible yield reduction per hectare
2. Practicality
3. Incomporating design: time consuming
4. Risk of being time consuming for
making a design
1. Select pattern with high cover
Make productive 'empty' space
Use local crops
2. Use new technologies/machinery
Use crops that have a simila harvest
timing
3. Start by implementing in wastelands
4. Concentrate on one pattern as a case
study
Use existing knowledge/models
Ask experts on pattern to help select
a pattern
- Occupies the space efficienctly
- High number on interaction
- Biodiversity
- Fullfilling the Malézieux 2010 criteria
- Allows crop rotation
- Allows the formation of stable community
1. Practicality
2. Topography issue
3. Incorporating design: time consuming
4. Mathematical analysis needed
5. Influence of infrastructure in design (road, space for harvesting machinery,...)
1. Use new technologies/machinery
Create a functional infrastructure
between patches (enough space for
machine to turn, roads, etc.)
2. Use experts
Include a clear management plan
3. Start with wastelands
4. Use experts and existing knowledge
Adapt design based on analysis
5. Minimize infrastructure needed
Take infrastructure into account in
analysis
Make infrastructure part of the design
and multi-functional
- Reduce the external nutrient input
- Reduce eutrophication of surface water
- Reduce nutrient loss
- Possibility of controlling growth
conditions of algae
1. Require water availability
2. Size of tanks for algae
3. Frequency of harvesting
4. Still need nutrient input
5. Processsing of algae required
1. Apply in place where water is not
limiting
Think of a way to adapt it to dry region:
-grow algae in irrigation water
2. Make one large algae production
"farm" for a number of farms
Harvest algae regularly
Find optimum
3. Larger tanks
4. Use organic/sustainable fertilizers
Don't use excess fertlizer
5. Use existing algae harvesting
technology
Use current knowledge on algae growth