Researchers have developed groundbreaking tools that allow grasses – including major grain crops like maize – to act as living biosensors capable of detecting extremely small amounts of selected chemicals within the field.

The goal was to engineer grasses that produce a visible purple pigmen called, anthocyanin, in response to specific chemical cues. When paired with advanced imaging and analytical systems, these plants can act as sentinels and report an alert of adverse soil conditions or extremely low levels of chemical exposure that may impact crop and human health.

Research into such detection tools requires cutting edge technology being led by facilities in the USA, enabling farmer’s crops to be “in field vigilantes” to support agricultural management and crop resilience.