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A U.S. invention might soon allow thirsty corn and potato crops to signal farmers of their thirst and indicate how much water they need.

The high-tech leaf sensors invented at the University of Colorado-Boulder measure such factors as leaf thickness and water deficiency, communicating wirelessly with computers.

The technology, which has been optioned to AgriHouse Inc., a Berthoud, Colo., high-tech company, includes a sensor less than a tenth the size of a postage stamp that can be clipped to plant leaves, said Research Associate Hans-Dieter Seelig, who invented the device.

Richard Stoner, AgriHouse president, said existing soil moisture sensors don`t always provide an accurate picture of existing plant and field conditions. The newly developed chip collects and stores information. When the leaves lose enough water to contract to a critical width, the sensor can wirelessly signal computers.

‘This device is very precise, and will allow a plant to receive just the right amount of water,’ Seelig said. ‘If a plant can tell a water valve when to open and when to close, farmers are going to save a lot of money.’

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