DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL PLASMA MEMBRANE INTRINSIC TO IMPROVED WATER SENSOR

THERE IS A RECOGNIZED NEED, IN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND IRRIGATION FARMING, TO DEVISE IMPROVED INSTRUMENTS FOR MEASURING PLANT AND SOIL WATER POTENTIAL. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH HAS THE OVERALL AND LONG-TERM GOAL OF CONTRIBUTING TO THE REDUCTION OF WATER USED IN IRRIGATION AND INCREASING CROP YIELDS. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE: 1) DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF DEPOSITING CUSTOMIZED PLASMA POLYMER MEMBRANES ON RIGID MICROPOROUS SUBSTRATES OF SUITABLE GEOMETRY AND DURABILITY, 2) CHARACTERIZE THE MORPHOLOGY AND DIFFUSIVE TRANSPORT PROPERTIES OF THESE MEMBRANES, 3) DEVELOP AND TEST PROTOTYPE SENSORS FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF SOIL WATER POTENTIAL, 4) ANALYZE SENSOR PERFORMANCE DATA AND DEDUCE DESIGN CRITERIA FOR PRATICAL SENSORS, 5) SHOW HOW PHASE I RESULTS COULD BE EXTENDED IN PHASES II AND III, LEADING TO COMMERCIAL WATER POTENTIAL INSTRUMENTS.