Introducing Gas/Vapor Microsensors into Remote Monitoring of Water Deficit in Grapevines

This study presents a novel gas/vapor sensing system utilizing electronic gas microsensors to detect water stress in grapevines. The system incorporates state-of-the-art microfabricated sensor arrays comprising micromachined transducing platforms with integrated, surface-modified metal oxide nanowires. Experiments are conducted in a semi-controlled environment using climate chambers to assess the system’s performance. Results demonstrate the effects of water deficit in the grapevines and confirm the feasibility of detecting early plant stress responses with the gas/vapor sensing system. These results are attributed to the plant’s initial adaptive response to water stress, characterized by stomatal closure, which leads to reduced gaseous exchange and therefore noticeable changes in the response of the gas/vapor sensors. These findings highlight the viability of this gas sensing technology as a non-invasive tool for early water stress detection in grapevines.