CyberSEES: Type2: In-Situ, Wireless, Energy-Harvesting Soil Moisture/Nutrient Sensors for Managing Agricultural Resources & Environmental Impact

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The project will address Cyber-Enabled Nutrient Management for Sustainable Agriculture through precise spatial/temporal control of agricultural inputs for optimized resource utilization and minimized environmental impact. There is a critical need for the development of cyber technologies in production agriculture that allow automated collection of real-time spatial soil and crop data while advancing a deeper understanding of the fertilizer inputs and nitrogen (N) cycling. This project aims to develop: (1) In-situ, accurate, self-calibrating, self-localizing soil sensors for monitoring soil properties such as soil moisture and nitrates, (2) Small antenna technologies for underground communication so the sensors do not interfere with agricultural operations, (3) Effective techniques for broadband energy-harvesting from vibrational sources (eg., thunder and farming operations); (4) Modeling and analysis methods for understanding the underlying nitrogen cycling at high spatial/temporal resolutions, and information management and decision-making tools for precise agricultural control.Managing the nitrogen Cycle is one of the grand challenges identified by the National Academies. Nitrogen fertilizers from farm fields are major source of water quality impairment and the leading contributor to hypoxia. The project is a step towards developing deeper understanding of agricultural N cycling process while developing precise controls over N fertilizer inputs that are key to sustainable agriculture. To enhance educational and workforce development efforts, the PIs will contribute to a graduate minor in Sustainable Agriculture by introducing new curriculum material on Bio-Chemical Sensors. PhD students of the funded research will enroll in the Sustainable Agriculture minor, thus developing a new generation of workforce trained in the aspects of cybersystems, agroecosystems, environmental monitoring, and sustainable cultivation. To achieve wider awareness and reception, PIs will work closely with industry and government organizations in the agricultural sector, several of whom have expressed interest through supporting letters.