FLORAPULSE CO. — Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase II: 8.4

Description

FloraPulse - Water potential sensor for small-stem crops SummaryProject summaryTitle: Plug and play inexpensive water potential sensor for wide use in small-stem cropsProblem. Water potential is critical to guideirrigation timing and quantity dramatically affectingcrop yield and quality and water use efficiency. Growerslack tools to measure water potential accuratelyautomatically and long-term leading to preventable croplosses and excess water use. FloraPulse has demonstratedthe only sensor that meets these requirements amicrotensiometer that directly measures water potentialFloraPulse technology. A microchipin the plant stem but the current sensor probe andimplant that directly measures plantinstallation method are too large for a majority ofwater 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 anddramatically 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-stemcrops; 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 microchipfabrication including modifications to the nanoporous membrane the piezoresistive sensingelements and the sensing diaphragm geometry; develop a laboratory 'osmotic system' to simulatea tree installation for quickly testing sensor performance; develop improved sensor and hardwarefor installation including a clamp guidance system that ensures consistent accurate alignmentduring installation; test a variety of mating compounds to speed up sensor response to tree waterstatus; and develop an MVP comprising an inexpensive datalogger smartphone app irrigationguidelines and improved user interface. These system improvements will be field tested by ourcollaborators in grape cotton blueberry soybean and apple rootstock crosses across 4 states (CANY OR AZ).Impacts. The small-stem sensor developed will enable real-time water potential measurement incrops worth over $500 billion worldwide and could lead to 20% yield increases and 20%+ watersavings.1