Specialists from Aston University and Harper Adams University (Great Britain) have launched a project to create a new plant health monitoring system. The new technology will use the latest advances in photonics and artificial intelligence to effectively track the volatile organic compounds emitted by plants. phys.org. Their analysis allows the system to determine the state of the plant.
According to the UN, agricultural pests destroy up to 40% of the world's crops every year. The annual damage from diseases and pests costs the global economy $220 billion and $70 billion, respectively.
One alternative to pesticide treatment of crops is the use of integrated pest control measures, in which only monitoring of the condition of plants is carried out without the use of harmful chemicals. However, this method proved to be unreliable and expensive.
Another option is to use electrochemical sensors called "electronic noses", but the latter are often ineffective due to sensitivity problems, as well as sensor bias or obsolescence.
The new system is devoid of such shortcomings, since monitoring is based on optical signals that are analyzed by artificial intelligence. The project has already received a £200 grant.