Triboelectric Nanogenerator-Enabled Smart Agriculture: Self-Powered Sensing, Monitoring, and Environmental Control Systems

Abstract

The rapid development of precision agriculture demands sustainable, energy-autonomous solutions for sensing, monitoring, and environmental management. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), capable of harvesting mechanical energy from natural and agricultural processes, have emerged as a versatile platform for powering sensors and actuators without external energy input. This review highlights recent progress in TENG-enabled applications across smart agriculture, including wind monitoring, air purification, urea sensing, pesticide release, post-harvest preservation, biomass weighing, and crop growth stimulation. Particular emphasis is placed on design strategies, material innovations, and system integration approaches that enhance output performance, stability, and multifunctionality. Hybrid systems combining TENGs with electromagnetic or photovoltaic technologies are also discussed as a pathway to continuous, reliable operation. Finally, the review identifies key challenges in durability, scalability, and device-environment compatibility, and outlines future directions for advancing TENG-based technologies toward practical deployment in sustainable agricultural infrastructures.