Experts at two Midlands universities in the UK are starting a new project to develop a photonic ‘nose’ to monitor crops for pest infestations and plant disease, according to a Wales Farmer report. Aston University is collaborating with Harper Adams University to research and develop technology using light to monitor crop health.
The will be using strawberries to test the new technology. The fruit is worth £350 million to the UK economy but it is vulnerable to potato aphid which has the potential to wipe out an annual harvest.
The new project uses recent developments in photonics technology that can analyse low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by plants, which indicate their health. This is coupled with machine learning hardware which makes it practical to use artificial intelligence in commercial settings.
Source: Wales Farmer. Full story here
Photo: Credit Aston University via Wales Farmer
