By Blake Jackson
Every meal begins with agriculture, from fresh produce to processed foods made with corn and other farm-grown ingredients.
According to Nathi Magubane at the University of Pennsylvania, the food people eat depends on crops grown and harvested by farmers who must manage unpredictable weather, pests, water supplies and soil conditions.
Researchers at the university-led Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture (IoT4Ag) Engineering Research Center are developing affordable sensor technologies to help farmers monitor crops more effectively and identify potential problems before they threaten yields.
“There’s a lot of competition for land that you could farm. You’re not going to get more of it,” said Cherie Kagan, IoT4Ag Director and a Professor of Electrical and Systems Engineering at Penn. “You have to make the most of what you have—not ruin the fields, not waste resources.”
The initiative addresses agricultural challenges such as aflatoxin contamination in peanuts and citrus greening disease in Florida. Both can cause significant crop losses and economic difficulties for producers. The researchers aim to provide early warnings by making otherwise difficult-to-detect changes in plants and soil visible.
“We want to make the invisible visible,” said Kagan. “It’s like preventative medicine.”
The research team includes scientists from Purdue University, the University of Florida, and the University of California, Merced, allowing the technology to be evaluated across different crops and growing environments.
Affordable Sensors and Automated Monitoring
Traditional soil-moisture sensors can cost thousands of dollars, limiting how widely farmers can deploy them. IoT4Ag researchers are developing inexpensive, biodegradable sensors that can be planted alongside seeds. These devices measure moisture and chemical conditions around plant roots and transmit readings using radio-frequency signals.
Researchers are also developing flexible leaf sensors that attach to foliage like stickers or can be sprayed onto plants. The sensors provide visual indications of leaf-surface humidity, pH, and chemical compounds associated with plant stress.
Autonomous ground robots equipped with cameras and lighting can read these indicators during the day or night. Existing farm equipment, including tractors, sprayers, and irrigation systems, may also be adapted to scan the sensors during routine operations.
To address limited cellular connectivity in rural areas, Purdue researchers developed solar-powered gateways that transmit field measurements to cloud servers.
Farmers retain ownership of their operational data, while analytical software converts sensor readings into practical recommendations through conversational AI interfaces.
Moving Research into Farm Operations
The center works with growers to ensure its technology fits existing routines. Its research focuses on improving nitrogen and water management while reducing disease and pest damage.
“If it’s too complicated, they just won’t use it,” Kagan said.
With four additional years of National Science Foundation funding, IoT4Ag plans to expand sensor development and field testing. Former Kagan Lab postdoctoral researcher Akhila Mallavarapu is also commercializing leaf sensors through her startup, Vividence Labs.
The initiative ultimately seeks to combine sensing, robotics, and AI to improve agricultural productivity, conserve resources, and strengthen food, energy and water security.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-nes
Categories: Pennsylvania, Crops, Education