Researchers from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), have designed a portable optical sensor (光谱传感器), also called leaf-clip Raman sensor, which can monitor whether a plant is under stress. Precision agriculture is important for dealing with growing food insecurity, but it requires new technologies for rapid detection of plant stresses in advance. SMART's new portable leaf-clip Raman sensor is useful in precision agriculture allowing early detection of nitrogen shortage in plants — a vital nutrient and the most important component of chemical fertilizers (化肥).
“Our findings showed that measurements using the portable leaf-clip Raman sensor under full-light growth conditions were consistent with measurements obtained with a desktop Raman optical instrument on leaf-sections under laboratory conditions,” says MIT Professor Rajeev Ram. “We found that early detection of nitrogen shortage in living plants is possible with the portable sensor.”
While the study mainly looked at nitrogen shortage in plants, the device can also be used to measure levels of other metabolites (代谢物), allowing it to detect other plant stress types such as heat and cold stress, salt stress, and light stress. The simplicity and speed of these leaf-clip Raman sensors make them practical for field use by farmers to ensure crop health.
“The sensor was tested on multiple vegetable varieties and supports the effort to produce nutritious, low-cost vegetables,” says Professor Nam-Hai Chua. “Extension of this work to a wider variety of crops may contribute globally to improved crop output and reduction of environmental pollution through reduced fertilizer use.”
The portable Raman system was designed in combination with local company Technospex Pte Ltd. The leaf-clip Raman sensor consists of a 3D printed clip that is built around a fiber-based Raman detection unit.
【小题1】How is the new device used to detect a plant's nutrition stress?| A．By measuring its nitrogen levels. |
| B．By checking its exposure to light. |
| C．By examining its field conditions. |
| D．By testing its resistance to extreme weather. |
| A．It is simpler in theory. |
| B．It is more fit to use in the lab. |
| C．It is more accurate in detection results. |
| D．It is more suitable for real-time detection. |
| A．Short-sighted. | B．Cautious. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Wait-and-see. |
| A．Is it possible to develop green agriculture? |
| B．A portable optical sensor or a desktop one? |
| C．Precision agriculture: a must for good harvests |
| D．Plant-assessing optical sensor: a big help to farmers |
