Delivery of luminescent particles to plants for information encoding and storage

In the era of smart agriculture, the precise labeling and recording of growth information in plants pose challenges for modern agricultural production. This study introduces strontium aluminate particles coated with H₃PO₄ as luminescent labels capable of spatial embedding within plants for information encoding and storage during growth. The encapsulation with H₃PO₄ imparts stability and enhanced luminescence to SrAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ (SAO). Using SAO@H₃PO₄ as a low-damage luminescent label, we implement its delivery into plants through microneedles (MNs) patches. The embedded SAO@H₃PO₄ within plants exhibits sustained and unaltered high signal-to-noise afterglow emission, with luminous intensity remaining at approximately 78% of the original for 27 days. To cater to diverse information recording needs, MNs of various geometric shapes are designed for loading SAO@H₃PO₄, and the luminescent signals in different shapes can be accurately identified through a designed program, the corresponding information can be conveniently viewed on a computer. Additionally, inspired by binary information concepts, MNs patches with specific arrangements of luminescent and non-luminescent points are created, resulting in varied luminescent MNs arrays on leaves. An advanced camera system with a tailored program accurately identifies and maps the labels to the corresponding recorded information. These findings showcase the potential of low-damage luminescent labels within plants, paving the way for convenient and widespread storage of plant growth information.