SensNews Nov 2017

Sensor100 November 2017 12 MIT engineers create sensor that shows when a plant needs water The technology can predict droughts and let farmers and gar- deners know when their plants are dying, long before they wilt. MIT engineers have developed a sensor that can be “printed” onto a plant’s leaf and transmit data from the plant itself about if it’s experiencing water stress. That sen- sor contains electronic circuit nanotechnology and is about five times thinner than a human hair, said Michael Strano, an MIT chemical engineering professor and the senior author of the new study on the development.The sensor sits on top of the plant’s “stomata,” the small pores found on leaves. “If you look on the surface of a leaf, you’ll see millions of little pores that actually look like eyes, and they actually open and close in real time,” he said. ”Because the plant uses water potential to open and close this pore, [when there’s no water], the plant is almost drowsy, like a sleepy child whose eyes are opening and closing slowly.” That drowsiness, or latency, helps predict if the plant is in a water shortage before it starts dying. Strano is working on developing a small sticker that contains the sensors, so the amateur gardener can put it on their plants and monitor them via their phone. This has huge implications for our food system, Strano said. First, it can help predict droughts so farmers better able to rescue their crops.Second — and to Strano, more importantly — these sensors can help scientists specifically identify plants that are good at handling lower amounts of water. Reported by: Metro N ovember 15 See plant pores open and close in real time: https://www.metro.us/news/the- big-stories/mit-engineers-cre- ate-sensor-shows-when-plant- has-water-shortage Gif Courtesy of : Volodymyr Koman MIT Chemical Engineering