SMART - A Prototype Design for Sustainable Method of Agriculture Using Root Transition

The rapid increase in global population along with urbanization will continue to increase the challenge of food security and environmental sustainability. Agriculture is essential for food security, however, is an expensive process both financially and environmentally. Estimation of crop performance before investing in field would substantially benefit agricultural output and environmental sustainability. A simple, easy to use, portable, and inexpensive prototype of a device is described that can be successfully used to estimate plant performance and help tailor fertilizer formulations and microbial consortium for optimal agronomic output. The device can also be used for agriculture by farmers and for plant research by students and scientists.