Smart Soil Sensors Help Scale Down Environmental Damage From Fertilizers

A Brief Summary

The agricultural industry has become a platform for technological innovation, with the agricultural operation now working differently from what it used to be before. New technologies are always given a grand welcome by the professionals, owing to the enhancement of operational efficiency and allowing farmers to get more work done in a short time.

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Bioengineers in the UK recently developed a low-cost smart soil sensor known as chemPEGS, which is referred to as a chemically functionalized paper-based electrical gas sensor. The sensor detects levels of ammonium in soil, which is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) called machine learning (ML). The sensor also uses weather data, pH levels, fertilization and soil conductivity measurements to function efficiently.

ChemPEGs make use of the data to predict the amount of nitrogen in the soil and show how much there will be in the next 12 days. The sensor helps professionals in the agricultural sector to predict the optimum time to fertilize the soil.

The goal is to limit the use of fertilizers by the farmers in the fields. The sensor also helps the farmers save money and reduce the environmental damage these fertilizers cause.