One of the innovative projects within the Plantenna program is the project in which researchers listen to the signals from plants with a special microphone.
Plants have been found to "talk" to us. When the plant is very dry, it will emit ultrasound and this gives us information about the condition of the plant. By analyzing these ultrasounds, the researchers are able to extract properties from the plant that previously only could be obtained by destroying the plant.
This new methodology to measure offers a new pathway to study and control the internal development of living plants, that can improve growth and breeding of crops, flowers and fruit.
With promising proof-of-concept results, the next step for this innovative idea is to test the method of different plant species. Read more
Plantenna – Internet of Plants
In Plantenna, one of the research programmes under the 4TU umbrella 'High Tech for a Sustainable Future', plants are fitted with sensors and linked together in an ‘internet of plants’. The readings collected are used for climate and weather monitoring and to achieve higher crop yields. Read more about this consortium that consists of scientists from the four Dutch universities of technology and led by Professor Peter Steeneken.
There is also a short animated video about the programme.