Nondestructive Sensing of Plant-Borne Chemicals: Biomarkers, Agrochemicals, and Pollutants

With the increasing risk of global agricultural instability and the pressing need to enhance crop productivity, monitoring of plant health has become increasingly important. Chemical sensing of agricultural environmental factors and plant signaling molecules has been shown to provide valuable insights into plant growth and development. Recent advances in plant monitoring technologies have seen a shift toward nondestructive, portable, or wearable sensors, which offer advantages over traditional analytical instruments, such as faster detection with real-time monitoring capabilities. However, these emerging forms of chemical sensors have not been widely adopted. This review summarizes recent advancements in plant chemical sensing, highlighting key environmental chemicals and plant biomarkers for detection, sensing materials, and detection mechanisms. Finally, the challenges and outlook of chemical sensors for plant monitoring are discussed. Through the identification of the key challenges, it is hoped to advance the development of nondestructive chemical sensors and facilitate their deployment for in-field plant monitoring.