Graphene-based plant patches enable continuous monitoring for crop diseases

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed graphene-based patches that plants can “wear” to monitor continuously for plant diseases or other stresses, such as crop damage or extreme heat.

“We’ve created a wearable sensor that monitors plant stress and disease in a noninvasive way by measuring the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by plants,” says Qingshan Wei, co-corresponding author of a paper on the work and an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at NC State.