Device for measuring the plant physiology and electrophysiology

Abstract

This paper briefly describes the device -the phytosensor -for measuring physiological and electrophysiological parameters of plants. This system is developed as a biophysiological sensor in precise agriculture, as a tool in plant research and environmental biology, and for plant enthusiasts in smart home or entertainment applications. The phytosentor measures main physiological parameters such as the leaf transpiration rate, sap flow, tissue conductivity and frequency response, biopotentials (action potentials and variation potentials), and can conduct electrochemical impedance spectroscopy with organic tissues. Soil moisture and temperature, air quality (CO2, NO2, O3 and other sensors on I 2 C bus), and general environmental parameters (light, temperature, humidity, air pressure, electromagnetic and magnetic fields) are also recorded in real time. In addition to phytosensing, the device can also perform phytoactuation, i.e. execute electrical or light stimulation of plants, control irrigation and lighting modes, conduct fully autonomous experiments with complex feedback-based and adaptive scenarios in robotic or biohybrid systems. This article represents the revised and extended version of original paper and includes some descriptions and images from the FloraRobotica and BioHybrids projects.

Monitoring of Indoor Farming of Lettuce Leaves for 16 Hours Using Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Double-Shell Model (DSM)

“…However, the interpretation is somewhat ambiguous and system-dependent, which may lead to limited functionality. It has been extensively used for the evaluation of plant physiology [12,13], root growth assessment [14], frost hardenability analysis [15], fruit and vegetable quality measurement [16][17][18], food quality measurement [19], and crop production [20]. Most EIS studies today are performed using different test frequencies and 2-, 3-, or 4-electrode configurations to obtain more detailed experimental information.…”