Magnetometry for Agriculture and Animal Systems: From Classical Sensors to Quantum-Enabled Biosensing.

Abstract

Magnetic sensors offer a physically grounded and non-invasive approach to probing biological processes that remain inaccessible to optical, electrochemical, and radio-frequency techniques in complex agricultural environments. In recent years, advances in both classical and quantum magnetic sensors have enabled the detection of bioelectromagnetic signals across plants, soils, animals, and aquatic systems, spanning spatial scales from ionic currents to organ-level electrophysiology and population-level dynamics, positioning magnetometry as an emerging modality within the broader biosensor landscape. This review surveys the evolution of magnetic sensing technologies for agricultural and animal systems, from robust classical sensors used in navigation and soil mapping to quantum-enabled platforms, including Optically Pumped Magnetometers (OPMs) and Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers, capable of resolving pT to fT biomagnetic signals. We synthesize the characteristic amplitudes, frequency ranges, and physiological origins of agriculturally relevant magnetic signals, and critically assess how techniques originally developed for medical magnetoencephalography, magnetocardiography, and low-field magnetic resonance imaging (LF-MRI) are being translated into field-deployable agricultural applications. Beyond sensing hardware, we highlight the essential role of artificial intelligence in extracting weak biological signals from dominant environmental noise, enabling synthetic gradiometry, low-field image reconstruction, and scalable interpretation in unshielded settings. Finally, we discuss how the integration of magnetic biosensing with digital twins supports predictive, multiscale monitoring of plant, animal, and ecosystem health. Together, these developments position magnetometry as an enabling technology for next-generation biosensors in precision and sustainable agriculture.

Plant phenotyping relevance

植物の生理状態を対象とする磁気センシング技術を農業向けにレビューしており、植物フェノタイピングに関連するセンサー技術が中心です。

Code and data availability

The supplied blocks are from a review article on agricultural magnetometry. No public phenotype/trait datasets, plant images or sensor data, author analysis code, trained models, or supplements containing such assets are mentioned; only figures, tables, and cited prior work appear.

No evidence-backed public reproduction asset is currently recorded.