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Strawberry Plant Leaf Water Content Monitoring in Growing Stages Using Sensor Clip

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  2026 ASABE Annual International Meeting  2600796.(doi:10.13031/aim.202600796)
Authors:   Elham Jamshidi, Arash Toudeshki, Reza Ehsani
Keywords:   Drought detection, Hydrology, Irrigation management, Leaf water content, Plant physiology, Precision agriculture, Sensor clip, Strawberry plants.

Abstract. As the leading producer of strawberries in the United States, California‘s strawberry industry relies heavily on optimal growing conditions and precise farming practices to maintain its dominance, with the state accounting for roughly 90% of the nation‘s supply. Monitoring strawberry leaf moisture levels can indicate plant water stress and help optimize irrigation strategies, which can significantly improve water use efficiency. Recently, a novel sensor technology has been developed, featuring a sensor clip that measures changes in leaf electric charge by converting the electric charge on the leaf's contact surface into a corresponding DC voltage, enabling accurate monitoring of leaf moisture levels. This study investigated the performance of a newly developed sensor in monitoring leaf water content. The objective was to monitor leaf water content in strawberry plants at three distinct stages: growing leaves, blooming, and fruit development. The sensor clip was attached to the leaves of strawberry plants to measure moisture levels at regular intervals, with each measurement process taking only 2 seconds. Our results for greenhouse-grown strawberries demonstrate that the sensor can measure moisture levels in strawberry leaves. This measurement is highly dependent on factors such as leaf age and size. Moreover, small changes in hydration levels were observed as the plant transitioned from one growth stage to another. Notably, the sensor detected water stress in the leaves earlier than it could be visually identified by the naked eye, highlighting its potential for early drought detection and irrigation management. The findings of this study have several practical implications, including the development of optimized irrigation strategies and enhanced crop yields.

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