The power of plant sensors in generating knowledge for growth

Contact: Prof. dr. ir. Kathy Steppe Ghent University, Laboratory of Plant Ecology, kathy.steppe@ugent.be In agriculture, and in plant sciences in general, much work has been devoted to unravelling the growth of crops and plants in relation to environmental conditions. Plants respond to their environment by adjusting physiological functions and structure. Recent developments in plant sensor technology enable us to visualise in real-time how plants function, grow and respond to stress conditions. Live monitoring of plant health has become a reality through the continuous measurement of sap flow, turgor-driven growth, leaf thickness, and the phylloclimate. This state-of-the-art sensor technology, with huge potential in sustainable, high-tech plant production systems and groundbreaking applications on earth and in space, will be demonstrated. The plant sensor measurements will be used as stepping-stone to highlight the importance of coupled plant monitoring-modelling approaches to aptly assess plant vitality and function, and steer plant production and quality.