Growing demand
for food is driving the need for higher crop yields globally. Correctly
anticipating the onset of damaging crop diseases is essential to achieve this
goal. Considerable efforts have been made recently to develop early warning
systems. However, these methods lack a direct and online measurement of the
spores that attack crops. A novel disease information network has been
implemented and deployed by Patrik et al.(2013) in UK. Spore sensors have been
developed and deployed. The measurements from these sensors are combined with
similar measurements of important local weather readings to generate estimates
of crop disease risk. It is combined with other crop disease information allowing
overall local disease risk assessments and forecasts to be made.
Screenshot of the
web application
There are a
number of information sources that can help identify an impending outbreak of
disease in a field. Firstly, it is the weather, both current and future. As the
diseases need warm and wet conditions to proceed with their attacks on the
crops (USDA-NPA, 2011) and being located downwind of recent crop attacks would
indicate that diseases are in the air blowing in the crop’s direction. Secondly,
the history of the field indicates whether that field is a “hotspot” or high
risk area; factors such as soil composition and previous disease outbreaks are
important in assessing the likelihood of future attacks (USDA-NPA,2011).
Source:
http://www.cigrjournal.org
Agric Eng Int: CIGR
Journal/15(3):243-251
