Enabling Smart Agriculture through Sensor-Integrated Microfluidic Chip to Monitor Nutrient Uptake in Plants

Abstract

Highlights We presented and demonstrated a low-cost, simple method for fabricating an integrated sensor into the microfluidic chip. The printed sensors measured in situ nitrate and phosphate concentrations inside the growth medium as legume plant roots grew continuously for 7 days. The developed chip demonstrates the efficacy of plant sensors in non-invasively and continuously monitoring plant health and growth. The Nitrate and phosphate sensor exhibited a sensitivity of 0.001 mM highlighting sensors range of detection. The microfluidic approach can be used by plant scientists for a wide range of real-time applications in the future, including root-pathogen interaction, drought-resistant plant selection screening, nutrient uptake efficiency, and monitoring the soil micro-environment.