Product news

The developing of a minaturized monitoring sensor systems for plants and agriculture aims to provide an innovative sensor system that will offer farmers real added value through the continuous monitoring of agricultural land. By detecting, for example, nitrate concentrations in the soil, soil moisture or leaf wetness, farmers can decide specifically whether fields need to be irrigated or fertilized. In this way, water resources are used more carefully or the use of fertilizers and pesticides can be reduced to a minimum. This ensures the fertility of soils and agricultural yields in the long term.

Within the project PLANtAR, the researchers at Fraunhofer ENAS have developed various technologies and components for the realization of an almost biodegradable sensor stick for agriculture. This represents a complete sensor system and includes a battery and antenna printed on paper, inert electronics for sensor readout and data communication, a fully biodegradable and cost-effective soil moisture sensor, the inert nitrate sensor from the project partner Kurt-Schwabe-Institut für Mess- und Sensortechnik Meinsberg e.V. (KSI) and integration technologies for housing the components in an also fully biodegradable sensor housing.