Breaking the snapshot barrier: electrochemical biosensors for real-time in-vivo abscisic acid (ABA) tracking in dynamic environments.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a key phytohormone that regulates plant responses to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and cold, serving as an important biomarker for plant health. Traditional ABA detection methods, primarily chromatographic and immunoassay-based, are invasive, labor-intensive, and unsuitable for continuous monitoring in natural growth conditions. Wearable sensors offer a promising solution for in situ, non-destructive, and real-time monitoring of plant stress responses. This manuscript highlights the advantages of electrochemical sensing platforms over physical and electrophysiological modalities for direct hormone detection. Moreover, this manuscript discusses material considerations, including biocompatibility, molecular specificity, mechanical flexibility, and environmental resilience, which are critical for reliable field deployment. Recent advances in molecularly imprinted polymers, hydrogel-based interfaces, and nanomaterial composites such as graphene and carbon nanotubes are evaluated for their potential to enhance sensitivity and selectivity. Challenges, including sensor stability, interference from complex plant matrices, and integration with low-power electronics, are also addressed. Continuous, real-time data from wearable sensors provides a dynamic view of plant stress, surpassing conventional snapshot measurements. Furthermore, advances in flexible electronics and miniaturization enable seamless integration with plant tissues without causing damage. Finally, this manuscript focuses on future research directions on hybrid sensor design, wireless communication, and AI-driven analytics to enable high-resolution monitoring of plant stress (ABA). Wearable electrochemical sensors thus hold transformative potential for precision agriculture, supporting proactive crop management and sustainable farming practices.