UW–Madison engineers have developed low-cost sensors that allow for real-time, continuous monitoring of nitrate in soil types that are common in Wisconsin, according to a recent press release. These printed electrochemical sensors could enable farmers to make better-informed nutrient management decisions and reap economic benefits.
The researchers’ new sensors could also be used as an agricultural research tool to monitor nitrate leaching and help guide best practices for mitigating its harmful effects. Current methods for monitoring nitrate in the soil are laborious, expensive, and don’t provide real-time data.
The researchers detailed their advance on this project in a paper published in March in the journal Advanced Material Technologies.
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