General Objective: The objective of this project is to evaluate portable sensors applied to crop stems and leaves, thus contributing to food security and climate change.
Specific objectives:
- Develop portable sensors designed and manufactured for crop monitoring (6 months). In this study, at least five types of polymers will be investigated as possible materials for the manufacture of nanofiber membranes (MNFs), which will constitute the substrate of a flexible sensor capable of adhering to the stem or leaves of a crop. The sensors will be characterized including morphological, mechanical and electrical properties. In parallel, an architecture will be developed for the integration of electronic circuits and the implementation of algorithms for data acquisition and processing. Subsequently, at least three designs of electrode patterns will be printed on the MNFs, selecting the two that show the greatest sensitivity and response to changes in conductivity. In addition, the response of the sensor will be evaluated under different environmental variables, such as the level of temperature and humidity. It is expected to obtain at least two functional prototypes of the sensor for laboratory testing. Preliminary results demonstrate that flexible sensors can be manufactured and circuits can also be printed on the surface of a flexible sensor to increase the conductivity of polymeric membranes.
- Test portable sensors at laboratory level in short-cycle crops in the Sierra and Costa del Ecuador (4 months). The sensors will be tested in two short-cycle crops (corn and strawberry) in the Sierra region (Quito-Pichincha). In addition, the electrical potential in response to insect attack, CO2 level, and presence of water will be monitored in the laboratory using sunflower as a model plant to calibrate and teach the sensor. After calibrating and teaching the sensor circuit, tests will be carried out with corn and strawberries in controlled environments (greenhouse of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito) on the farm in Puembo. Additionally, other monitoring methods, such as drone spectroscopy, will be used to validate the results and corroborate the findings from the in situ sensors. The operation of the sensors will be evaluated, focusing on the ability to detect and monitor variations in the surface electrical potential of the leaves and stems, as well as the stress generated by dehydration and insect attack. It is expected to establish correlations between variations in electrical potential and aspects such as growth, hydration and health of the plant. It is expected to obtain at least a functional prototype of the sensor for field tests. The results show that the first prototype of the flexible sensor is sensitive to the physiological changes of the radish used as a model for preliminary studies.
- Evaluate the potential of sensors in the field (6 months). The field tests will focus on a comprehensive evaluation of the performance of the sensors, analyzing the variations in the surface electrical potential of leaves and stems in corn and cocoa crops within the facilities of the Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí (ESPAM) in Calceta, Manabí. The results obtained with the sensors will be validated and corroborated through the implementation of complementary monitoring methods, such as optical sensors spectroscopy with drones.
Participating Institutions:
USFQ, EPN, ESPAM
Project Director Frank Alexis
Participants:
- Luis Miguel Procel Moya
- Victor Hugo Guerrero Barragan
- Patricia Isabel Pontón Bravo
- Alberto Sanchez
- Zambrano Semblantes Cesar H Alfonso
- Reyna Bowen Jose Lizardo
- Mario Caviedes
- María Gabriela Albán
Awarded budget: $38,300.80
Project Status: Awarded
