Plants tell sensor when they need a drink

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clipped from www.abc.net.au Tracy Staedter A clip-on sensor the size of a fly's wing could save farmers' time and money, scientists say. How do you know when your plants have had enough to drink? Monitor their chemical profile with a sensor, scientists say The sensor works with a wireless network to alert the farmer when crops need water or can even start irrigation systems automatically. "We're talking about saving 30-40% of water used," says the technology's inventor, Dr Hans Seelig, a research associate at the University of Colorado at Boulder's BioServe Space Technologies Center. "If you have an irrigation system that applies water in certain sectors, you could be even more efficient," he says. Seelig and his team are working towards a wireless version that uses radio frequency identification, or RFID. This technology allows not only the data, but also the power to be transmitted wirelessly, eliminating the need for batteries. The sensor would be clipped permanently to a leaf during the growing season