SBIR-STTR Award

Problem: Water potential is critical to guide irrigation timing and quantity dramatically affecting crop yield quality and water use efficiency. Growers lack tools to measure water potential accurately automatically and long-term leading to preventable crop losses and excess water use. FloraPulse has demonstrated the only sensor that meets these requirements amicrotensiometer that directly measures water potential in the plant stem but the current installation method is too large for a majority of commercial crops (i.e. corn cotton blueberry etc.). Objectives: We aim to: increase the sensor microchip sensitivity (30x) and measurement speed (25x). Develop an installation method that is 10x faster easier and dramatically smaller to allow widespread water potential measurement in stems as little as 5 mm. Survey crop wounding response to sensor installation in 10+ small-stem crops. Validate small-stem installation method in the laboratory and commercial small-stem crops. Plan: We will: improve sensor sensitivity and speed through changes in the microchip fabrication including modifications to the nanoporous membrane the piezoresistive sensing elements and the sensing diaphragm geometry. Improve the installation method through modifications to the installation hardware that will provide adequate transmission of water potential information between the xylem and sensor in a 10x smaller installation. Test these improvements in our laboratory artificial stem and afterwards in field grape almond blueberry cotton and corn through our collaborators. Impacts: The small-stem sensor developed will enable real-time water potential measurement in crops worth over $500 billion worldwide and could lead to 20% yield increases and 50% water savings.

Water potential is critical to guide irrigation timing and quantity dramatically affecting crop yield and quality and water use efficiency. Growerslack tools to measure water potential accurately automatically and long-term leading to preventable croplosses and excess water use. FloraPulse has demonstrated the only sensor that meets these requirements amicrotensiometer that directly measures water potential FloraPulse technology. A microchip in the plant stem but the current sensor probe and implant that directly measures plant installation method are too large for a majority of water status in small crops. commercial crops (i.e. cotton blueberry soybean etc.).Objectives. We aim to: increase the sensor microchip sensitivity (30x) and measurement speed(25x); develop a probe and installation method combination that is user friendly reliable and dramatically smaller to allow widespread water potential measurement in stems as little as 6 mm;validate the sensor installation method in the laboratory and multiple commercial small-stem crops; and develop a minimum viable product (MVP) for sale by the end of this project. Plan. We will: improve sensor sensitivity and speed through changes in the microchip fabrication including modifications to the nanoporous membrane the piezoresistive sensing elements and the sensing diaphragm geometry; develop a laboratory 'osmotic system' to simulate a tree installation for quickly testing sensor performance; develop improved sensor and hardware for installation including a clamp guidance system that ensures consistent accurate alignment during installation; test a variety of mating compounds to speed up sensor response to tree water status; and develop an MVP comprising an inexpensive data logger smartphone app irrigation guidelines and improved user interface. These system improvements will be field tested by our collaborators in grape cotton blueberry soybean and apple root stock crosses across 4 states (CANY OR AZ).Impacts. The small-stem sensor developed will enable real-time water potential measurement in crops worth over $500 billion worldwide and could lead to 20% yield increases and 20%+ water savings.1