New degradable sensors could reveal insights into the secret, yet essential, microscopic life in soil.
The sensors, which are being developed by soil scientists at Lancaster University and researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Manchester, track biological activity in soil by having a degradable substrate that is nibbled on by microbes.
The sensors offer the potential to reveal soil secrets including how they respond to climate events as well as their important role in storing carbon.
Professor John Quinton of Lancaster University and principal investigator said: “Soil biology is the ‘engine room’ of soil and of soil health, but today we have struggled to understand how things change through time. We have still so much to learn about these microbes and how they work, especially when exposed to different environmental stresses.
“These novel partially degradable sensors offer the potential to give us a better understanding of how soil breaks down and decomposes organic matter, which is important for understanding how carbon is cycled, and how it changes with climate, environment and management.
“Previously we have only been able to get snapshots of biological activity in soil, so these sensors have the potential to unlock its secrets and help us better understand soil health.”
Up until now soil scientists have been having to use methods which rely on waiting a long time, sometimes periods of months, to see how fast something degrades in soil; taking snapshot samples, which disturbs and can artificially accelerate or destroy the microbial life they are measuring; or using respiration measurement which capture plant respiration from roots, but which is costly.
These new sensors, which use printed electronics, can provide measurements every 30 minutes continuously without damaging the soil.
Click here to see more...