Drone-mounted lab monitors fertilizer runoff in real time

Drone-mounted lab monitors fertilizer runoff in real time

What if, instead of taking a water or soil sample to the lab, you could take the lab to the sample? That's what a team of researchers reporting in ACS Sensors did with a new nitrate-monitoring "lab-on-a-drone" system. The drone allows for easy, real-time water sampling and analysis in hard-to-reach areas like steep ditches or swampy lowlands.

Drone lab system tracks nitrate runoff in farm waterways

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 18, 2025 What if instead of bringing water or soil samples back to a laboratory, researchers could transport the lab directly to the field? That is the approach a team reporting in ACS Sensors has taken with a drone-based nitrate monitoring system that functions as a lab-on-a-drone for agricultural watersheds. The system is designed to collect and analyze water samples in real time from locations that ar

Researchers Demonstrate “Lab-on-a-Drone” System for Real-Time Nitrate Monitoring

New drone-mounted sensor platform enables mid-air water analysis to support agriculture and water quality management Researchers have developed a new “lab-on-a-drone” system that can collect and analyze water samples in real time, according to a study reported in ACS Sensors. The system is designed to measure nitrate levels in hard-to-reach areas, including drainage ditches and […] The post Researchers Demonstrate “Lab-on-a-Drone” System for Rea…

Drone-Mounted Lab Monitors Fertilizer Runoff in Real Time

What if instead of taking a water or soil sample to the lab, you could take the lab to the sample? That’s what a team of researchers reporting in ACS Sensors did with a new nitrate-monitoring “lab-on-a-drone” system. The drone allows for easy, real-time water sampling and analysis in hard-to-reach areas like steep ditches or swampy lowlands.