Performing Department
Electrical Engineering
Non Technical Summary
Cucurbit Downy Mildew (DM) and Powdery Mildew (PM) are some of the most important diseases of cucurbits worldwide, causing severe reductions in yield and loss of fruit quality. In addition to employing host plant resistance, fungicide applications are used for crop protection, and initiated when those diseases have been detected in a field or neighboring county or state. Due to the virulence of these pathogens, scouting and treatment is essential to reduce marketable losses. Traditional scouting requires walking fields and manually inspecting plants for symptoms and signs of infection. However, this approach is very labor intensive, particularly on large-scale farms, and relies on the experience of the scout to be able to recognize signs of those diseases.The goal of this project is to design a UAV platform that uses a sensor array to detect and pinpoint signs of DM/PM diseases on cucumber and pumpkin crops. The use of this technology will have several advantages. First, different sensors (RGB, IR, Multi-Spectral, Spore Trapping, etc.) will allow for early disease detection, possibly even before they are noticeable to human eyes. Secondly, the UAV will require minimal human supervision, and be able to scout crops more frequently and thoroughly than before. Lastly, after initial disease detection, the UAV will remain useful by monitoring crop health and helping to evaluate fungicide efficacy and optimize sprayer operation and coverage. The proposed technology could also be adapted in the future to identify and quantify damage caused by diseases, insects, and weeds on different crops.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
70%
Developmental
30%
Goals / Objectives
The long term goal of the project is to develop a UAV platform equipped with sensors that will be able to detect and pinpoint symptoms and signs of DM/PM diseases on cucumber and pumpkin crops. This technology would focus on early detection and rely on less manpower than is currently expended using a traditional manual scouting approach that requires walking fields and manually inspecting plants for symptoms and signs of infection. The UAV will potentially be equipped with multiple sensors that could range from optical, infrared, multispectral/hyperspectral cameras, and even spore trapping, to efficiently collect and process crop health data by flying over the entire field and identifying areas of interest to further ground truth. The major goal of the project will be to identify signatures of each disease for each specific sensor. This will be done by comparing healthy and unhealthy conditions (e.g., IR images of healthy and unhealthy leaves) and identifying key indicators of the diseases. Because sensors can capture information in the spectral range not visible to human eyes (e.g., nitrogen content in a leaf), this technology may allow for early disease detection possibly before it is seen during routine crop scouting. Data fusion techniques will also be implemented to correlate info provided by each different sensor so that it will be possible to improve the sensitivity and specificity of the detection and hence the accuracy of the scouting. The optimal sensor array will be identified by comparing how well each sensor can detect a disease with their characteristics, cost, weight, power consumption and required memory storage. The optimal UAV platform design and sensor array will be an output for this project. By requiring minimal human supervision, the technology will allow more frequent and thorough crop scouting. Instead of scouting at discreet locations throughout the field, we envision field-wide surveys to detect diseases or other plant stressors that can be passed on to the growers for further management consideration and action. Crop health can be mapped over time and used to understand overall plant development, sprayer misapplications, or pesticide efficacy; all leading to potential management actions which may have yield or fruit quality implications. Another goal of the project will involve research on assessing risks and benefits of different spraying strategies. Because the UAV system will allow frequent field monitoring, decisions to spray may be based on individual fields instead of triggered by nearby county detections. Spraying when truly needed may minimize the number of fungicides, translating to savings per acre and also reduce the risk of fungicide resistance and reduce the impact on the environment. Consumers stand to benefit from produce grown under the best pest and production management practices, some of which may limit pesticide application. Several strategies will be tested during the project and results of those risk management strategies will be communicated to stakeholders and consumers alike through our multi-faceted outreach component.Becuase our group (13 researchers from MI, NC, and OH) is separated by 800 miles, we had several teleconferences, but we haven't had a chance to physically meet to discuss this project. The main goal of the Planning Grant is to physically meet with the stakeholders, collect their requirements for the product and technology transfer, and use that information to submit a sull SCRI proposal.
Project Methods
For the Planning phase, The Kellogg Center in East Lansing has been contacted with regard to our stakeholders' meeting and is currently reserving meeting space and lodging for all 33 participant of the planning session. All 13 University specialists have reserved Nov. 14-16, 2016 on their calendar as the tentative dates to meet with the 20 processors, industry representatives, and growers about this proposal. Each state is currently identifying and contacting key industry, processors, and growers via phone or email to reserve Nov. 14-16 for our strategic planning session in East Lansing, MI. Several of these individuals who have submitted letters of support for this project and are eager to attend the meeting and provide their perspective on the development, feasibility, and practical outcomes of the proposal. The tentative agenda for the meeting has been identified as follows:Day 1 (University): -Introductions-Review roles and goals of meeting-Assign discussion leadsDay 2 (Processors, Growers, & University):-Introductions-Overview of proposal-Update on current state of remote sensing as it applies to pest detection (UAV platforms, sensors, use of crop health maps as scouting aids, etc.)-Critical and constructive input from growers and processors-Adjust our proposal to assist in disease management accordinglyDay 3 (University):-Consolidate feedback and guidance from processors and growers-Clearly define scope of project in terms of researcher roles-Parse writing of proposal among investigators-Set timelines for completion of each section