Screen-printed, biodegradable soil sensors which can be composted at their end of their lifecycle could enable farmers to improve crop yields while reducing electronic waste, researchers say.
The sensors, developed by engineers from the University of Glasgow in collaboration with colleagues from the Łukasiewicz Institute of Microelectronics and Photonic (IMiF) are made from electronic materials which degrade into plantnutrients, acting as fertilizer tohelp crops grow.
The research is a key development in a wider international project called TESLA, which stands for Transient Electronics for Sustainable ICT in DigitaL Agriculture. The £1.8m project is funded by UK Research and Innovation and CHIST-ERA, a consortium of research funding organisations in Europe and beyond.
The project aims to develop a complete system where the biodegradable sensors are powered by solar cells and supercapacitors also made from sustainable materials, enabling a fully environmentally friendly solution for precision agriculture monitoring.
The biodegradable front-end sensors are paired with conventional electronics to monitor crop health. The research team say their modular approach enhances the reusability of the overall existing electronic systems and significantly reduces electronic waste, resulting in a much lower overall environmental impact. Detailed environmental impact assessments conducted by the researchers shows that operating the electronics in this way improves sustainability.
In a paper published in the journal ACS Applied Electronic Materials, the team describe how they made a digital agriculture sensor from sustainable materials, combining a biodegradable patch with a matchbook-sized reusable electronic module. The sensor patches are manufactured using a screen printing process, similar to that used in t-shirt printing. In this work, conductive tracks are printed onto a biodegradable polymer substrate using graphene-carbon ink. Then, a sensing layer made from molybdenum disulfide is printed on top – so all materials used naturally break down into plant nutrients.
Data from the sensors, which are sensitive to the changes in pH and temperature which can be caused by infections in crops, are collected by the electronic module. The data can be sent wirelessly to computers, which could in the future help farmers build up a detailed picture of the health of their crops.
Lab tests showed the sensors can reliably monitor soil pH levels, with consistent performance demonstrated in solutions ranging from pH 3 to pH 8 over the course of two weeks. The team also demonstrated that that the sensors can detect traces of ethephon, a widely used plant growth regulator that can be toxic to humans and wildlife if it contaminates groundwater. At the end of their useful lifecycle, the sensors degrade into key primary and secondary nutrients to support futureplant growth.
The James Watt School of Engineering’s Professor Jeff Kettle led the research. He said: “We’re keen to continue expanding our biodegradable sensor’s ability to detect other key indicators of plant growth and soil health. That could include adding sensitivity to ‘forever chemicals’ like PFAs, which have significant environmental impact.”
The international progject TESLA is led by the University of Glasgow and brings together partners from McGill University in Canada, Tampere University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd in Finland, Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics in Poland, and the CSEM Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique SA in Switzerland. Researchers from the Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics and Central South University of Forestry and Technology co-authored the paper. ●
The prototype biodegradable sensor the team have developed is on the left of the image, partially submerged in the soil. The reusable electronics which will help enable digital agriculture readings are connected by wires.
(Photo: University of Glasgow)
Harnessing robotics, XR/AR technologies and 5G, a new EU project has been launched to elevate European agriculture.
With a €4.97 million grant from the European Commission, the AgRibot project is designed to address some of the most pressing challenges in European agriculture, including labour shortages, unsafe working conditions, and the pressing demands for both enhanced productivity and greater sustainability.
Launched on November 1, 2024, and coordinated by AgroApps, in the next four years AgRibot will develop and field-test six state-of-the-art robotic systems throughout Europe, demonstrating their adaptability to a variety of agricultural operations, including weed management, precision spraying, harvesting and pruning. More than just automating tasks, AgRibot integrates AR/XR technologies to improve farmer training, support operations in real-time, and foster better interaction between humans and machines.
AgRibot will conduct pilot tests of six robotics technologies across Europe, including:
Weed identification and spot spraying in Greece;
Robotic spaying of weeds in potato and volunteer potatoes in Denmark and Switzerland;
Robotic fertilization management for leafy vegetables in open field conditions in Italy;
Robotic technologies for crop monitoring and management in soilless tomato cultivation in Italy;
Robotic harvesting in orchards in Belgium;
Robotic pruning and thinning with XR in orchards in Spain and Belgium.
Central to AgRibot’s systems is the Farming Intelligence and Robotics Management Platform (FIRMP), which integrates all robotics using edge computing and a Multicloud Orchestrator for real-time data processing. Combined with a private 5G Farmers Network Community, FIRMP ensures robust connectivity, enabling efficient remote operation and tailored decision-making support even in rural areas. Powered by machine vision using Explainable AI (XAI) techniques, the project maintains that the robots reduce chemical use, improve safety and optimize resources – cutting pesticide use by up to 85 percent in potato crops and enhancing crop yield with precision fertilization in leafy vegetables.
For on-ground training and assistance, AgRibot employs AR/XR technologies that overlay critical information about crop health onto their physical environment. These immersive applications also offer realistic training simulations to help farmers effectively collaborate with robots and integrate them into daily practices.
The project is also developing an Impact Assessment Tool (IAT) to help farmers measure the economic, environmental, social costs and benefits of these innovations, promote beneficial adoption of smart farming technologies and showcase potential positive impacts on resource efficiency, pesticide reduction and labour savings.
“AgRibot is a transformative project for European agriculture, combining robotics, artificial intelligence, and augmented/extended reality to revolutionize farming practices. By leveraging these cutting-edge technologies, we are tackling today’s challenges while shaping a future of smarter, safer and more sustainable agriculture,” says Gregory Mygdakos, AgRibot’s project coordinator. “Our mission is to deliver robotic solutions that will empower farmers, improve efficiency, adaptability and environmental responsibility.”
Led by AgroApps, the consortium brings together 18 organizations in robotics, AI, AR/XR, social science and agricultural sciences. These include Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Politecnico di Bari, Fundacio Eurecat, Geoponiko Panepistimion Athinon, AgriRobot APS, CYENS Centre of Excellence, University of Macedonia, Digyone GmbH, Erevnitiko Panepistimiako Institouto Systimaton Epikoinonion kai Ypologiston, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Nova Telecommunications, Teknologisk Institut, Københavns Universitet, bSpoke Solutions, InoSens and EcoRobotix SA. ●
