Researchers at Nanjing University have proved that low-cost spectrometers can measure when plants emit red light, which positively indicates plant health and food growth.
Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence, also known as SIF, is how plants release excess heat while performing photosynthesis.
The more SIF a plant emits, the more it is producing, and the more food it may yield.
The study focused on how low-configuration spectrometers measured levels of SIF in summer rice in Jurong, Jiangsu Province, China, and in winter wheat in Shangqiu City, Henan Province, China.
"We found that while there are differences in the magnitude of SIF values retrieved, both spectrometer types exhibited similar trends and sensitivities," said Lei Pei, a researcher at Nanjing University's International Institute for Earth System Sciences and the lead author of this study, to Phys.org.
Since low-configuration spectrometers can execute the same actions as their expensive, high-configuration counterparts with minimal errors, the study suggests that this technology will cut down on field observation system costs.
Phys.org also said that the researchers plan on continuing to examine other factors of the spectrometers' performance to ensure that their SIF measurements are as accurate as possible.
If this technology continues to shine through scientific research, this means the cost to access trustworthy measurements of crop productivity will go down hopefully in the near future.
This also means food security will be easier to attain. Gauging plants in other ways can allow agriculture workers to achieve food security for their communities, too.
This can include observing how they keep themselves alive in colder conditions and paying attention to how they protect themselves from disease and drought.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
While you may not be farming land and raising your own crops, there are other ways you may be able to fight food insecurity in your community. Starting a community fridge or calling out wasteful business practices can be great ways to make change happen locally.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
