Researchers at Purdue University have developed an instrument/software that allows remote sensing of surface soil moisture from an airborne instrument using reflective electromagnetic radiation. This can provide the most efficient method to collect measurements and survey an entire field with high spatial density in a short period of time. It makes use of lower-frequency signals which are required to penetrate the soil. Resolution is determined only by the frequency of the signal, under the assumption of a near-specular reflection, not the antenna size.

Soil water plays a critical role in the life of plants. They need adequate water to develop a strong root system and for cooling themselves.  Irrigation is about proper timing and maintaining the available water at the appropriate amounts.  When soil water drops below proper levels, crop stress develops that lead to loss of both crop quality and yield.  Over irrigation contributes to erosion, loss of nutrients and increase input costs. Growsmart provides a growing hardware suite of plug-n-play sensors that are the eyes and ears in your field.

This invention relates to the use of microbes isolated from a rhizosphere of rice to provide anti pathogenic effect on rice plants improve biomass and growth and restrict arsenic uptake by rice plants.

Rice is an essential food source for more than 50% of the world’s population. Heat and drought stress are important factors limiting rice production exacerbated by the impending threat of climate change. Stress tolerant cultivars are needed to expand rice production. Drought tolerant varieties have been developed but in narrow genetic backgrounds characterized only in simulated growing conditions.