Institut national de la recherche scientifique

Purpose

Precision agriculture is the combination of sensing and applying water and nutrients at the "right" time to promote optimal plant growth in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. Currently, there is a need for new technologies that allow for rapid, on-site analysis of soil and crop quality. This project aims to develop the combined use of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy for rapid chemical analysis of soil and nutrients in soil, plant parts (roots, leaves, seeds, etc.), and in the environment. Emphasis will be placed on measuring the supply of specific nutrients to plants, including nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, potassium and metals. The possibility of applying the technology to organic molecules, such as proteins, will also be explored.