Sun Ting, Lu Chenze, Shi Zheng, Zou Mei, Bi Peng, Xu Xiaodong, Xie Qiguang, Jiang Rujia, Liu Yunxiu, Cheng Rui, Xu Wenzhao, Wang Huasen, Zhang Yingying, Xu Pei
International Joint Laboratory for Agricultural Plant Metrology and Equipment Innovation, College of Life Sciences, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, P.R. China.
Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China.
Plant Commun. 2025 May 12;6(5):101322. doi: 10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101322. Epub 2025 Mar 25.
The integration of flexible electronics with plant science has generated various plant-wearable sensors, yet challenges persist in their application to real-world agriculture, particularly in high-throughput settings. Overcoming the trade-off between sensing sensitivity and range, adapting sensors to a wide range of crop types, and bridging the gap between sensor measurements and biological understandings remain primary obstacles. Here, we introduce PlantRing, an innovative, nano-flexible sensing system designed to address these challenges. PlantRing employs bio-sourced carbonized silk georgette as the strain-sensing material, offering an exceptional detection limit (0.03%-0.17% strain, depending on sensor model), high stretchability (tensile strain up to 100%), and remarkable durability (season-long use). PlantRing effectively monitors plant growth and water status by measuring organ circumference dynamics, performing reliably under harsh conditions, and adapting to a wide range of plant species. Applying PlantRing to study fruit cracking in tomato and watermelon has revealed a novel hydraulic mechanism characterized by genotype-specific excess sap flow within the plant to fruiting branches. Its high-throughput application has enabled large-scale quantification of stomatal sensitivity to soil drought-a long-standing aspiration in plant biology-facilitating the selection of drought-tolerant germplasm. Combining PlantRing with a soybean mutant has led to the discovery of a potential novel function of the circadian clock gene GmLNK2 in stomatal regulation. More practically, integrating PlantRing into feedback irrigation achieves simultaneous water conservation and quality improvement, signifying a paradigm shift from reliance on experience or environmental cues to plant-based feedback control. Collectively, PlantRing represents a groundbreaking tool poised to revolutionize botanical studies, agriculture, and forestry.
柔性电子学与植物科学的融合催生了各种可穿戴植物传感器，然而，将其应用于实际农业领域，尤其是高通量环境中，仍面临诸多挑战。克服传感灵敏度与范围之间的权衡、使传感器适应多种作物类型，以及弥合传感器测量与生物学理解之间的差距，仍是主要障碍。在此，我们介绍PlantRing，这是一种创新的纳米柔性传感系统，旨在应对这些挑战。PlantRing采用生物源碳化丝绸乔其纱作为应变传感材料，具有出色的检测极限（根据传感器型号，应变范围为0.03% - 0.17%）、高拉伸性（拉伸应变高达100%）和卓越的耐用性（可使用一整个生长季）。PlantRing通过测量器官周长动态变化，有效监测植物生长和水分状况，在恶劣条件下可靠运行，并能适应多种植物物种。将PlantRing应用于研究番茄和西瓜的果实开裂现象，揭示了一种新的水力机制，其特征是植物内特定基因型的过多汁液流向结果枝。其高通量应用能够大规模量化气孔对土壤干旱的敏感性——这是植物生物学中长期以来的目标——有助于筛选耐旱种质。将PlantRing与大豆突变体相结合，发现了生物钟基因GmLNK2在气孔调节中的潜在新功能。更实际的是，将PlantRing集成到反馈灌溉系统中可实现节水和品质提升，这标志着从依赖经验或环境线索向基于植物的反馈控制的范式转变。总体而言，PlantRing是一个具有开创性的工具，有望彻底改变植物学研究、农业和林业。
