Subproject (SP) 12 Remote sensing of plant diseases

Investigator: University of Hohenheim - Institute of Crop Production and Grassland Research (340)

SP-Title: Use of sensor technologies to estimate and assets the effects of various plant diseases on crop growth and development

SP short title: Remote sensing of plant diseases

SP-Goals: Development of a sensor technology to identify and quantify plant diseases and their effect on crop growth and development

Stellung des TP im Verbund: PB4

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In the context of this subproject a sensor technology for the identification and quantification of plant diseases ought to be developed. Considering the complexity of various pathogens, the influence of Erysiphe graminis (powdery mildew Mehltau), Septoria tritici (blotch diseases ) and Pseudocerosporella herpotrichoides (wheat eyespot) on the reflectance of wheat plants will be investigated. The following questions will be taken up:

- Development and testing of a sensor technology to identify possible reflectance signatures for the identification of various plant diseases.

- Development of a calibration for the identification and quantification of plant diseases based on a sensor technology and in interaction with TP 13 although by remote sensing methods.

- Enforcement of systematic, experimental operations for sensor technology for plant diseases on the surfaces of the pilot farms in consideration of subarea specific variable location parameters (water, nutrients, stand density).

- To develop and incorporate methods in crop growth models (DSSAT, APOLLO) to simulate the effect of several wheat diseases on yield

- To expand the capabilities of APOLLO to include several important wheat diseases (powdery mildew, blotch diseases and wheat eyespot)

- develop a disease outbreak forecast module to alert producers of possible outbreaks, and allow producers to evaluate the economic consequences of treatment decisions

Up to now (08.04.05) the field trials were established at the pilot farms and the inoculums of the pathogens were cultivated in the lab of the institute for artificial inoculation of the trials.