Integrated Photonics for Agrifood

In order to feed every human on the planet in the next 25 years and beyond, we need to take action now. Existing farming practices and methods of food production will not be enough to feed the global population of the future. That means the agrifood sector must deliberately transform, minimising losses, and optimising food production processes and yields. At the same time, agrifood needs to adopt cleaner and greener solutions – reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting biodiversity in order to conserve, more evenly distribute, and sustain the Earth’s natural resources.

Sensors are already capable of taking a wide rangenof measurements including humidity, air pressure, chemical composition, and temperature. However, commercially-viable smart technology needs to be easy to understand and operate without the need for extensive technical training. At the same time, it must be robust enough for farmers to use in the field. To address these practical and technical challenges, precision agriculture needs sensing technology that is small, cost-effective, and scalable so that it can be produced in high volumes and at a low cost.

That’s where integrated photonics, specifically Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), have an important role to play. PICs deliver highly precise sensing on miniturised microchips, transforming farming practices by putting laboratory testing capabilities directly into the hands of farmers. Applications in agrifood include sensor fusion for accurate detection and analysis, lidar for 3D mapping and precise problem detection, near-infrared (NIR) for nutrient analysis, and Raman spectroscopy for chemical analysis of plant growth conditions and livestock emissions monitoring.