Company unveils game-changing tech that can protect food supply amid difficult conditions: 'We're delivering solutions that work'

Global temperatures are soaring, with 2024 being the hottest year in the modern record. As the world heats up, researchers are working hard to ensure food security amidst the changing climate.   

Regions that once were flourishing are now seeing crops affected by heat, drought, and extreme weather events. However, agricultural technology company iyris may have a solution to the problem, according to executive chairperson John Keppler.

Its flagship product is called Second Sky, as a report from Wired detailed, which integrates nanotechnology into agricultural plastics to help protect crops from extreme heat while reducing water consumption by 40% and lowering cooling costs. 

In addition, the company is investing in genetic engineering research to develop crops that are especially resilient to heat, salinity, and drought stress. 

The company's polyploid hybridized grafting process, which builds on decades of work done at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, essentially speeds up the "natural evolutionary process of breeding genetic resilience into plant rootstocks," as the report explained.

"Our mission is to make it easier to grow fresh produce in difficult climates," said Keppler. "The demand is there, and we're delivering solutions that work. By combining advanced genetics, innovative materials, and a focus on scalability, iyris is not only tackling food insecurity but also redefining agriculture for a changing world."

Although there's been progress in reducing planet-warming pollution since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, there still needs to be a 28% reduction by 2030 to meet the goals it laid out. 

As António Guterres, United Nations secretary-general, stated, "Extreme heat is having an extreme impact on people and the planet. The world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures."

The Second Sky tech uses nanocomposite additives in the polyethylene material that shrouds crop areas. It blocks near-infrared radiation and significantly reduces heat while still letting the light needed for photosynthesis pass through. 

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The company said that Second Sky helps to ensure optimal growing conditions for crops, even in hot and arid climates. It also "promotes sustainable farming practices by conserving resources and improving crop resilience." 

The green technologies from iyris are only a part of the science community's push towards more sustainable agriculture. Other research includes breakthroughs in protecting crops from heat through zinc oxide applications, as well as silicon soil management to boost resilience. 

"There have been numerous attempts at large-scale, commercialized innovative agriculture. In some cases, those solutions are spot on. However, our thesis is that providing a drop-in solution to the existing farming infrastructure using the existing supply chain is often more effective," as Keppler offered in a profile by TechCrunch. 

"This way, farmers don't have to change their behaviors. They can continue doing what they do best — growing their produce in their particular regions. Our goal is to make it a bit easier for them, extend their growing seasons, and increase their profitability along the way."

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