A 60 GHz pulsed coherent radar for online monitoring of the withering condition of leaves

This paper introduces a novel sensor application for online monitoring of the withering condition of leaves. The proposed system is based on the millimeter-wave radar sensitivity and its signal variations that correlate with the water content in a leaf. To validate the experimental prototype, a 60 GHz pulsed coherent radar (PCR) coupled with a dielectric lens was configured. The data obtained by means of the radar sensor is correlated with the data of the conventional gravimetric using a modelling approach based on Beer-Lambert’s law. To the best of our knowledge this is the first proof-of-concept demonstrating the relation between the received signal amplitude from the millimeter-wave radar sensor and plant leaf mass loss.