Open Access

Vadim Riedel, Stefan Hinck, Edgar Peiter, Arno Ruckelshausen

• The use of ion-selective field-effect transistors (ISFETs) facilitates real-time nutrient analysis in agricultural applications, including soil analysis and hydroponics. The rapid digital availability of analysis results allows for the implementation of ion-specific fertilisation control. The success, accuracy, and robustness of measurements using ISFET technology strongly depend on the handling of the process. This article presents a detailed overview of the sub-process steps required for the implementation of a stable automated application-specific ISFET-based measurement. This article provides experience-based recommendations for handling the conditioning, full calibration, and single-point calibration of the ISFET sensors. The hypotheses were empirically tested under authentic conditions and subsequently integrated into an overall process optimisation strategy. A comprehensive investigation has been conducted with the objective of gaining a deeper understanding of the ISFET baseline drift and implementing corrective measures. The results show that the baseline drift can be quantified and taken into account in the evaluation of the ISFET measurements. The efficacy of these measures was validated using standard laboratory analyses.