A Miniature Sensor for Measuring Reflectance, Relative Humidity, and Temperature: A Greenhouse Example

Abstract

There is a growing interest in using miniature multi-sensor technology to monitor plant, soil, and environmental conditions in greenhouses and in field settings. The objectives of this study were to build a small multi-channel sensing system with ability to measure visible and near infrared light reflectance, relative humidity, and temperature, to test the light reflectance sensors for measuring spectral characteristics of plant leaves and soilless media, and to compare results of the relative humidity and temperature sensors to identical measurement obtained from a greenhouse sensor. The sensing system was built with off-the-shelf miniature multispectral spectrometers and relative humidity and temperature sensors. The spectrometers were sensitive to visible, red-edge, and near infrared light. The system was placed in a greenhouse setting and used to obtain relative reflectance measurements of plant leaves and soilless media and to record temperature and relative humidity conditions in the greenhouse. The spectrometer data obtained from plant leaf and soilless media were compatible with baseline spectral data collected with a hyperspectral spectroradiometer. The greenhouse was equipped with a relative humidity and temperature sensor. The relative humidity and temperature sensor measurements from our sensor system were strongly correlated with the relative humidity and temperature results obtained with the greenhouse sensors (i.e., correlation coefficients > 0.70 or