Sensors Help Crops Tell Farmers when They Are Thirsty

Recent research at the University of Colorado may completely revolutionize the agriculture industry...well, maybe I'm being a little too dramatic. But, a new invention will at least alert farmers of when their crops need to be watered, and of course how much water they need.

In essence, the new technology contains a miniscule sensor that wirelessly transmits data to the farmer's computer system. The sensor is clipped to the leaves of the plants, which then detect how much water is present in the plants and how much they lack. This will help farmers to cut down on water over usage, as well as help to conserve energy and potentially save farmers millions of dollars a year.

The leader of the study, Hans-Dieter Seelig of CU-Boulder's BioServe Space Technology Center, states, "We think this is an exciting technology, and the implications for the agriculture industry are enormous." The device has already been presented to AgriHouse Inc., a Berthoud, Colorado, high-tech company that sells agriculture equipment to commercial farmers. AgriHouse hopes to have the device approved and ready to sell within twelve months.

Richard Stoner, founder and president of AgriHouse, says, "What we are developing is a non-intrusive device that gently rests on the plants and lets them interface with the digital world. Basically, this is a device that will allow plants to talk to humans and communicate their needs, like when to water and apply fertilizer." Although soil sensors do exist that test the ground for moisture, many times these sensors are bulky and inaccurate, leading to inconclusive results regarding watering and fertilizing. Therefore, a great need for these leaf sensors exists, which will hopefully be filled because of the University of Colorado's work.