Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) seem to have a technological solution to this problem. Led by Prof Maryam Shojaei Baghini, researchers from IIT Bombay and Gauhati University, have designed a robust, accurate and affordable soil moisture sensor using graphene oxide.
The study from IISc found a previously unidentified yeast-like symbiont inside the lac insect Kerria lacca, which gives the insect its distinctive red colour and, may also provide other nutrients in return for shelter.