51267Radical and Environmentally-friendly Agricultural Sprayer Technology using Ultra-Fine BubblesClosedCollaborative R&DISCFFrom time-to-time a technology comes along that offers potential for significant change and disruptive economic benefit, CDs and smart-phones being cases in point. More modest, but never-the-less significant is the emergent technology based on ultra-fine bubbles (UFBs), also known as nanobubbles. These UFBs are less than a millionth or so of a centimetre in diameter (1000 times smaller than the width of a human hair), which in their stabilised form exhibit a range of remarkable properties, notably their longevity (the period of time they remain as bubbles), and importantly their capability for carrying, in aqueous media, gases of various kinds and bubble surface adherents. As a consequence, they are already realising ground-breaking applications in many aligned industries, including, cleansing-sterilisation, oil, gas, and mineral extraction processes, pharmaceutical, food-flavouring and cosmetic industry, with in-roads into medicine and cancer treatment; each with, or the potential for, £multi-million market values. That versatility in UFB properties, together with advances in UFB research are pointing to significant potential for purposely incorporating appropriately characterised bubbles into agricultural aqueous media, for spraying and irrigation purposes, and with a view to achieving more effective reductions in inputs (water, chemicals, etc.) more effective coverage, water usage, delivery of crop nutrients, pest-control agents and agents for control of plant diseases. The aim of this project is to establish the feasibility of integrating UFB and proven magnetic-assist technology in a generic platform that can be used to specify a wide-ranging modalities and applications, and the basis for new, economically viable and environmentally-friendly products and services. A successful outcome can also mean a significant step towards new UK enterprise and new employment opportunities. Appropriately managed the outcome can turn the £0.25million investment into a rolling agenda for enterprise, conceivably capable of achieving a 100-fold return-on-the investment within five years. The need for greater productivity in agriculture to meet food security challenge is without question, as is the need to do so with regard to environmental protection and climate change. UFB technology has the potential as a technological platform to contribute significantly to meeting these demands. But the benefits do not end there, effective land use and land reclamation are significant considerations in meeting the challenge, as are other planetary boundaries, including, emissions and climate change impact, land and water usage, bio-geo chemical flows and biodiversity.The risk in the investment is modest, the potential for substantive returns for the UK is enormous.