A leaf sensor is a phytometric device (measurement of
plant physiological processes) that measures water loss or the water deficit stress (WDS) in plants by real-time monitoring the moisture level in plant leaves. The first leaf sensor was developed by LeafSens, an Israeli company granted a
US patent
Under United States law, a patent is a right granted to the inventor of a (1) process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, (2) that is new, useful, and non-obvious. A patent is the right to exclude others, for a limit ...
for a mechanical leaf thickness sensing device in 2001. LeafSen has made strides incorporating their leaf sensory technology into citrus orchards in Israel. A solid state smart leaf sensor technology was developed by the
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a Public university, public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a Federated state, state, it is the fla ...
for
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
in 2007. It was designed to help monitor and control
agricultural water demand. AgriHouse received a
National Science Foundation
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an Independent agencies of the United States government#Examples of independent agencies, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that su ...
(NSF) STTR grant in conjunction with the University of Colorado to further develop the solid state leaf sensor technology for precision irrigation control in 2007.
Precision monitoring
Water deficit stress measurements
A Phase I research grant from the National Science Foundation in 2007 showed that the leaf sensor technology has the potential to save between 30% and 50% of irrigation water by reducing irrigation from once every 24 hours to about every 2 to 2.5 days by sensing impending water deficit stress. Leaf sensor technology developed by AgriHouse indicates water deficit stress by measuring the
turgor pressure
Turgor pressure is the force within the cell that pushes the plasma membrane against the cell wall.
It is also called ''hydrostatic pressure'', and is defined as the pressure in a fluid measured at a certain point within itself when at equilibri ...
of a leaf, which decreases dramatically at the onset of leaf dehydration. Early detection of impending water deficit stress in plants can be used as an input parameter for precision irrigation control by allowing plants to communicate water requirements directly to humans and/or electronic interfaces. For example, a base system utilizing the wirelessly transmitted information of several sensors appropriately distributed over various sectors of a round field irrigated by a center-pivot irrigation system could tell the irrigation lever exactly when and what field sector needs to be irrigated.
Irrigation control
In a 2008 USDA sponsored field study AgriHouse's SG-1000 Leaf Sensor attached to dry beans demonstrated a 25% savings of irrigation water and pumping cost. In 2010 the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado granted AgriHouse Inc an exclusive license of its patented leaf sensor technology.
Precision irrigation monitoring using the SG-1000 leaf sensor and commercial data loggers for irrigation control has been achieved in recent years. Researchers have found a direct correlation between leaf thickness and Relative Water Content (RWC) of plant leaves using the SG-1000 Leaf Sensor under field conditions.
Water and Energy Conservation
The agriculture sustainability benefits of water and energy savings have been established using the SG-1000 leaf sensor under field conditions and in greenhouses. Plant science researchers and agronomists have utilized the SG-1000 Leaf Sensor for studying the relationship between water content and leaf cell turgidity potential and leaf thickness. Plant leaf characteristics including water potential and osmotic water potential relationships have been studied with the device.
See also
*
Aeroponics
Aeroponics is the process of cultivating plants in an air or mist environment, eliminating the need for soil or an aggregate medium. The term "aeroponic" originates from the ancient Greek: ''aer'' (air) and ''ponos'' (labor, hardship, or t ...
*
Agriculture
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
*
Agronomy
Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants by agriculture for food, fuel, fiber, chemicals, recreation, or land conservation. Agronomy has come to include research of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and ...
*
Drought
A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...
*
Conservation
*
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a structure that is designed to regulate the temperature and humidity of the environment inside. There are different types of greenhouses, but they all have large areas covered with transparent materials that let sunlight pass an ...
*
Hydroponics
Hydroponics is a type of horticulture and a subset of #Passive sub-irrigation, hydroculture which involves growing plants, usually crops or medicinal plants, without soil, by using water-based mineral Plant nutrition, nutrient Solution (chemi ...
*
Irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...
*
Plant physiology
Plant physiology is a subdiscipline of botany concerned with the functioning, or physiology, of plants.
Plant physiologists study fundamental processes of plants, such as photosynthesis, respiration, plant nutrition, plant hormone functions, tr ...
*
Plant Science
Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially their anatomy, taxonomy, and ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who specialises in this field. "Plant" and "botany ...
*
Soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...
*
Sustainability
Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...
*
Turgor Pressure
Turgor pressure is the force within the cell that pushes the plasma membrane against the cell wall.
It is also called ''hydrostatic pressure'', and is defined as the pressure in a fluid measured at a certain point within itself when at equilibri ...
*
Water
Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...
Footnotes
{{Hydroculture
Sensors
Plant physiology