Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Microsystems and Solid State Technologies EMFTEfficient use of resources while maintaining high yields from the fields has become a central topic for agriculture. Monitoring various plant parameters, such as their water or nutrient content, plays an important role here. Currently, such parameters are deducted from soil samples by complex and lengthy processes in laboratories. The scientists at Fraunhofer EMFT are working on the development of reliable and faster methods to monitor relevant plant parameters.
On-Plant Sensor Technologies
Sensors based on organic semiconductors enable monitoring of the vitality of plants and serve as indicators for infestation by parasites.
Minister Hubert Aiwanger observing sensors on a plant in the kickoff event of Fraunhofer Center for Biogenic Value Creation and Smart Farming.
The goal of the researchers working on the On-Plant Sensor Technologies is to record and analyze these parameters directly on the plant. For this purpose, a suitable printing method is used for applying electric conducting structures directly on the leaves of the plants. The first structures have been implemented with conjugated polymeres, also known as organic semiconductor materials. They are not toxic and remain flexible after applying them on the leaves, unlike metallic conducting structures. Applying the sensors as 2D or 3D structures directly on the plant enables the Fraunhofer EMFT scientists to directly and efficiently monitor the plant vitality based on their water and nutrient content, for example. In the future, such sensors could be placed on the plants by machines and the parameters read out automatically, which would facilitate their integration with other Smart Farming systems.