Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Microsystems and Solid State Technologies EMFTThe current nutrition systems are both drivers and victims of ecological changes endangering the agricultural productivity. Long-term retainment of natural resources requires more sustainability in agricultural production including animal farming; economical efficiency, social fairness and ecological viability. A promising and pragmatic approach for combining economic and ecologic goals in food production is the deployment of modern information and communication technologies in agricultural production - also known as smart farming. This is where the Fraunhofer EMFT expertise in sensor and actuator technologies enter the scene, combined with the use of AI algorithms.
Sensors and Actuators for Smart Farming
Sensors applied directly to a leaf to monitor the vital signs of plants. Using electrochemical measurements, these sensors can detect the water content or nutrient content of plants, among other things.
Fraunhofer EMFT's competence portfolio in the field of smart farming offers approaches for optimizing agricultural production that tackle both ecological and economic challenges.
Plant monitoring with agriculture sensors
Within the framework of the Center for Biogenic Value Creation and Smart Farming, Fraunhofer EMFT Researchers are developing innovative agriculture sensor solutions for targeted plant monitoring. These include suction probes for analyzing soil water to enable tailored fertilization through real-time monitoring of nitrate levels. This ensures an optimal supply of nutrients and prevents environmentally harmful overfertilization.
Gas sensors developed at the institute can detect specific gases released by plants under stress conditions such as drought or nutrient deficiency. This enables precise monitoring of plant condition and helps prevent environmental damage caused by overfertilization.
Another approach is on-plant sensor technology, in which electrically conductive structures are applied directly to plant leaves. These non-toxic, flexible sensors provide valuable data on plant vitality and can be read wirelessly.
Sustainable plant protection
Plant protection products are essential to meet the growing global demand for plant-based foods. However, the widespread use of pesticides also has negative effects on the ecosystem: one example is the decline in insect populations, especially wild bees, which are important for pollination. Fraunhofer EMFT is conducting research into the development of sustainable plant protection measures that both protect the environment and ensure high crop quality.
Environmental monitoring for Smart Farming
Constant monitoring of relevant climate and environmental parameters in greenhouses or livestock facilities helps farmers ensure optimal growing or stabling conditions and can also provide early warning of possible parasite infestation or pathogens.
Critical emissions can also be monitored, such as ammonia gases in livestock facilities that are harmful to the environment and animals. Critical emissions can also be monitored in this way, such as ammonia gases in livestock facilities that are harmful to the environment and animals.
Fraunhofer EMFT is working on the development of intelligent, wireless sensor networks for environmental monitoring in agricultural facilities. With the help of artificial intelligence, the data obtained can already be pre-processed at the edge.
Through these versatile research approaches, Fraunhofer EMFT is making a significant contribution to the transformation of agriculture towards more sustainability and efficiency, thereby helping to ensure sustainable food production in the future.
Fraunhofer Center for Biogenic Value Creation and Smart Farming
Fraunhofer EMFT is a part of the Fraunhofer Center for »Biogenic Value Creation and Smart Farming«. Within this framework, Fraunhofer institutes cooperate for research and development of innovative Technologies for sustainable production and processing of agricultural products along the whole value chain. The ultimate goal of these activities is to generate added value for agriculture through technological innovation, aligned with the specific regional needs.
Biogenic Value Creation and Smart Farming