Researchers from the University of Glasgow have developed compostable, screen-printed soil sensors made from biodegradable materials that break down into plant nutrients. These sensors could potentially help farmers boost crop yields while reducing electronic waste. The study was published in ACS Applied Electronic Materials.
The prototype biodegradable sensor the team have developed is on the left of the image, partially submerged in the soil. The reusable electronics which will help enable digital agriculture readings are connected by wires. Image Credit: University of Glasgow
In collaboration with the Łukasiewicz Institute of Microelectronics and Photonic (IMiF), engineers from the University of Glasgow created the sensors using electronic materials designed to decompose into fertilizer, aiding plant growth. This research is a significant part of the larger international Transient Electronics for Sustainable ICT in DigitaL Agriculture (TESLA) project, a £1.8 million initiative funded by UK Research and Innovation and CHIST-ERA, a European and international research funding consortium.
Led by the University of Glasgow, TESLA involves partners from McGill University (Canada), Tampere University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd (Finland), Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics (Poland), and CSEM Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique SA (Switzerland).
The project aims to create a complete, eco-friendly system for precision agriculture monitoring, where these biodegradable sensors are powered by sustainable solar cells and supercapacitors, also made from environmentally friendly materials.
This new technology seeks to support global efforts to improve the efficiency and sustainability of food production as populations grow and climate change presents new challenges for large-scale farming.
These biodegradable front-end sensors work in conjunction with conventional, reusable electronics to monitor crop health. The team emphasizes that this modular design enhances the reusability of existing electronic systems and significantly reduces electronic waste, leading to a much lower overall environmental impact. Their detailed environmental impact assessments confirm the improved sustainability of this approach.
Their modular, hybrid electronics architecture is applied to “digital agriculture,” a modern farming approach that uses networked sensors directly on crops to monitor their environment and growth. Digital agriculture has the potential to help meet the anticipated 70% increase in global food demand by 2050.
However, current digital agriculture sensors are made from non-recyclable materials. Increased adoption of this technology could, therefore, lead to a surge in environmentally damaging electronic waste when these devices reach the end of their lifespan.
The team details the creation of a digital agriculture sensor from sustainable materials, combining a biodegradable patch with a reusable, matchbook-sized electronic module. The sensor patches are manufactured using a low-cost, low-energy screen-printing process, similar to t-shirt printing. This efficient manufacturing method could facilitate the widespread deployment needed for the broader adoption of digital agriculture globally.
This study uses graphene-carbon ink to print conductive pathways onto a biodegradable polymer base. A sensing layer made of molybdenum disulfide is then printed on top – ensuring all materials naturally decompose into plant nutrients.
The reusable electronic module collects data from these sensors, which are sensitive to changes in pH and temperature indicative of crop infections. This data can be wirelessly transmitted to computers, potentially allowing farmers to develop a detailed understanding of their crops' health in the future.
Lab tests demonstrated that the sensors can reliably monitor soil pH levels, showing consistent performance in solutions ranging from pH 3 to pH 8 over a two-week period. The team also showed that the sensors can detect traces of ethephon, a widely used plant growth regulator that can be toxic to humans and wildlife if it contaminates groundwater. At the end of their operational life, the sensors break down into essential primary and secondary nutrients that can support future plant growth.
Reliable food production is one of the world’s most pressing problems, with more than 800 million people around the world suffering from malnutrition today. Digital agriculture could be the key to maximizing our ability to produce enough food for a growing population.
Dr. Joseph Cameron, Study Co-Author, James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow
“The system we’ve developed could go a long way towards cutting down the carbon footprint of digital agriculture. The sensors themselves can be plowed back into the fields to help nurture crops, and the electronic modules with less environmentally friendly printed circuit materials can be reused for several years,” said Andrew Rollo, Study Co-author, James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow.
“Our analysis suggested that replacing the sensors once every three months could reduce the environmental impact of the system by 66%, and 79% over five years compared to disposing of the entire device each time,” said Rollo.
The James Watt School of Engineering’s Professor Jeff Kettle led the research. He said: “We urgently need to find a way to make digital agriculture more sustainable in the years to come. Currently, around 80% of the world’s electronics head straight to landfill once they’ve reached the end of their useful life, which creates massive environmental and public health challenges from the toxic materials which many of them contain.”
We’re keen to continue expanding our biodegradable sensor’s ability to detect other key indicators of plant growth and soil health. That could include adding sensitivity to ‘forever chemicals’ like PFAs, which have significant environmental impact.
Jeff Kettle, Professor and Study Lead, James Watt School of Engineering
Co-authors of the study include researchers from the Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics and Central South University of Forestry and Technology.
The study was supported by funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), along with the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP).
Journal Reference:
Rollo, A., et al. (2025) Hybrid Agricultural Monitoring System with Detachable, Biodegradable, and Printed pH Sensors with a Recyclable Wireless Sensor Network for Sustainable Sensor Systems. ACS Applied Electronic Materials. doi.org/10.5525/gla.researchdata.1699