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Information about our Faculty in Agriculture

Food insecurity and climate change are 2 major global challenges. Climate Change is increasingly percieved as one of the greatest challenges for food security. It reduces the productivity of the majority of existing food food systems and harms the livelihoods of those already vulnerable to food insecurity. The University of the West Indies, Mona through research and innovation reamins committed and focussed on adressing the challenges which conitnues to impact food security and nutrition. The UWI, Mona is using this opportunity to showcase its relevance to agriculture under our theme "Food Security and Climate Change".

Biotechnology

The Moringa is a new plant with much nutritional and medicinal potential for Jamaica which ties into food security. Additionally, this plant is drought-resisitant and can be planted on marginal soils, as such it would be more resistant to some of the impacts of climate change.

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Chemistry

Our ability to formulate and provide our own animal feed and fertilizer also has implications for food secutiry. The formulaiton of natural insecticides wll also have a positive impact on crop yields and proper food storage. The items/materials required for the pH and UV demonstrate the effects of climate change. The lowering of pH impacts the viability of plants including plants used for food.

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Engineering

Hydroponics involves plants being grown in water through a series of pumps and pipes. However, the hydroponics system also highlights another important technological step in the field of agriculture, one which can be used in current soil-based beds. The hydroponics system shows remote monitoring of crops.

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Sensors sends information back to centralized computer software about temperature, humidity, water level etc. This will allow a farmer to monitor multiple farms and be able to determine which farm, or specific location on a single farm, needs urgent attention.

Life Sciences

Jamaica's marine ecosystems (coral reefs, sea-grass beds and mangroves communities) contribute significantly to the island's aquatic biodiversity. The biota present, via their form and function, create the condititions necessary to supply and sustain the country's fishing industry ampng other ecological functions. Rising sea levels and temperatures, due to climate change, threaten the functionality of these systems and hence directly impact any marine/coastal-derived business

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The department's marine labs have successfully executed trails seeking to address potential and real climate change impacts on our marine environment. The idea is to demonstrate in a tangible way, some of the key methodologies and technology employed as well as recent discoveries. This will be done via interactive displays using aquaria to simulate in-situ practices and results.

Physics

The Physics “Smart House” highlights the potential for a non-grid connected home/farm base that can be set up at any convenient location with relative ease. The house is a simple wooden frame, but can be constructed of concrete and steel. It contains several different layers of technology that are all currently available. It showcases to farmers that they can set up a home or base location on remote farming plots, no matter how far off the JPS grid they may be and still enjoy some comforts of home.

This house also serves as a method of mitigating climate change as it is a carbon neutral device.

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