From ashes to fly larvae, new ideas aim to revive farm soil

A handful of Black Soldier Fly larvae, photographed in Malaysia in 2020. Nutrition Technologies/Handout via REUTERS

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - As extreme weather and human activity degrade the world's arable land, scientists and developers are looking at new and largely unproven methods to save soil for agriculture.

One company is injecting liquid clay into California desert to trap moisture and help fruit to grow, while another in Malaysia boosts soil with droppings from fly larvae. In a Nova Scotia greenhouse, Canadian scientist Vicky Levesque is adding biochar - the burnt residue of plants and wood waste - to soil to help apples grow better.