Corn and potato crops may soon provide information to farmers about when the plants need water and how much should be delivered, due to a CU-Boulder invention. A tiny sensor clipped to plant leaves charts their moisture content, a key measure of water deficiency and accompanying stress. Data from the leaves is sent wirelessly over the Internet to computers linked to irrigation equipment, ensuring timely watering, reducing excessive water and energy use, and potentially saving farmers millions of dollars a year.
