Sensors for Precision Agriculture and Crop Management Decisions

NASA is developing spacecraft and technologies for extended duration missions. The ability to grow plants in space is beneficial for food, oxygen, and human health. New engineered plant growing systems and microgravity stressors need to be studied and understood before they can be relied on. TDA’s wearable plant sensors will enable NASA researchers and astronauts to identify drought responses which could indicate potential growth hardware issues or harmful recycled water conditions, disease conditions which could spread and affect entire harvests, and nutrient deficiency identification to optimize engineered growing systems. As astronauts reach the moon or Mars and work to expand agricultural production, sensors will be critical to ensuring soil and nutrient compatibility, identification of diseases conditions, and drought. Early identification of such issues will help prevent crop failure, which would have dire effects on the astronauts. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization predicts that world food production will need to increase by 70% by 2050. To make this dramatically increased production possible, technical innovations in agriculture are needed. The potential economic impact of wearable plant monitors and the subsequent analytical grower management tools is enormous. Sensors that measure useful and actionable plant health metrics will drive agricultural research to improve crop management. Researchers will be able to use these analytical tools to better understand plants’ response to stressors and enabling precision agriculture. Ultimately, our sensors will be able to assist the grower by providing fine-tuned agricultural management decisions. TDA’s non-invasive sensor technology continuously tracks several physiological parameters providing crucial insights into plant health. Early detection of stress, triggered by factors like drought, nutrient deficiency, or pest infestation, would empower researchers, astronauts, and farmers to intervene.