Sensing crop plants for enhanced climate resilience
Improving water-use efficiency is a key challenge in agriculture, essential for sustaining crop yields, meeting food production demands of a growing population, and supporting human livelihoods under worsening climate conditions. By leveraging advanced technologies, the EU-funded SenseFuture project has deepened our understanding on how crop management influences soil water dynamics and optimises water delivery plants, especially in deep soil layers. Undertaken with the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, SenseFuture used a wide array of sensing techniques at multiple scales, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), proximal canopy sensors, and plant root imaging to monitor water-use efficiency across large field areas, alongside AI-driven data processing and analysis. “Integrating advanced technologies allowed for a deeper understanding of plant-soil interactions, revealing how novel agronomy enhances water-use efficiency under variable climate conditions,” states Eusun Han, SenseFuture project coordinator.
Leveraging high technology
A diverse range of sensors captured high-resolution images and real-time data to reveal plant water status. This enabled researchers to assess how varying crop management strategies influence water-use efficiency at the farm level. The research was conducted in both Australia and Denmark. Given the highly variable weather conditions, SenseFuture also used ground-based thermal sensors, which are more reliable in conditions such as overcast skies and extreme heat. Additionally, AI-driven tools, such as the software RootPainter, significantly accelerated plant root phenotyping — the process of analysing and measuring root traits, such as growth patterns, structure, and response to environmental conditions. This allowed the project to gather more accurate and detailed data on complex plant-soil interactions in less time than traditional methods.
Innovative strategies for drought resilience
Through its innovative approaches, SenseFuture discovered that removing part of a plant’s canopy helps crops survive drought by reducing transpiration. This strategy conserves soil moisture when water demand is lower, preserving it for critical stages like grain filling, when water is most needed. “Essentially, this approach optimises the timing of water use by crops, leveraging their resilience to develop deeper roots despite canopy loss,” affirms Han. Another effective strategy identified by SenseFuture is dual-purpose cropping, where crops are used for both grazing and grain production. The project proved that the success of this approach is highly dependent on season, particularly rainfall levels. In dry seasons, it serves as a safety net by generating two sources of farm income while also reducing the risk of crop failure through deferred water use. “Dual-purpose cropping can be a powerful strategy for improving resource-use efficiency and crop resilience, particularly in drought-prone areas,” Han adds. These methods can have broader applications across different cropping systems. While wheat and canola responded well to these management practices in Australia, similar approaches could also be applied to perennial cropping systems in the northern hemisphere.
Better predictions using data, better decisions for farmers
The results of SenseFuture mark an important step toward improving agricultural practices and are poised to influence future farming decisions. For instance, valuable insights into plant behaviour — particularly belowground responses to defoliation — will be crucial for refining dual-purpose cropping strategies, optimising grazing timing and developing cultivars with faster root and shoot recovery. Additionally, the innovative data-driven pipelines for plant phenotyping validated during the project will help researchers develop resilient crops for future climates. The next steps for applying these findings in practical agricultural settings include advancing predictive models for water-use efficiency and resource optimisation. “By refining these predictions, we can provide more accurate and actionable insights for farmers in real-time, helping them make better decisions on resource investments aimed at higher yield with reduced risk in the face of worsening climate change,” explains Han. Integrating data from diverse sensors and exploiting AI-driven tools into decision-support systems could further elevate digital agriculture. This would allow for more precise monitoring, visualisation, and management of farming systems, ultimately driving sustainable and resilient practices and improving the daily operations of farms.
Keywords
SenseFuture, water-use efficiency, UAVs, AI, dual-purpose cropping, sustainable farming, unmanned aerial vehicles
