Successful
precision agriculture decision making requires characterizing
soil heterogeneity at high spatiotemporal resolution in real-time
in order to optimize input (such as water and nutrient) amounts and
location. In order to achieve this goal, a printed soil moisture sensor
fabricated from biodegradable materials is demonstrated. These devices
are intended to function during the growing season and then harmlessly
degrade afterward, enabling high-density deployment, eliminating the
need for sensor retrieval, and enabling the use of simple device structures
and low-cost materials and fabrication techniques. A capacitive structure
is used with a water-soluble zinc electrode printed onto a biodegradable
substrate. Rapidly degrading substrate and electrode are encapsulated
in a slowly degrading wax blend that protects the device, reduces
drift, and controls degradation time. A linear capacitance response
is observed for soil samples with a volumetric water content from
0 to 72%. Accelerated degradation testing demonstrates that the sensor
responds predictably and stably until the encapsulation is breached,
at which point the sensor fails rapidly, providing a clear distinction
between the functional and nonfunctional lifetimes of the sensor.
These results demonstrate the potential of biodegradable sensors to
allow maintenance-free, affordable, and real-time soil moisture measurement
at high spatial density for precision irrigation control.