NASA’s Revolutionary Technique Can Detect Grape Disease A Year Ahead - Vbtcafe

NASA’s Revolutionary Technique Can Detect Grape Disease A Year Ahead

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory uses an airborne imaging instrument to find infection in grapevines.

The instrument can sense the diseases remotely and make management easier for growers.

The researchers focused on a viral disease called GLRaV-3, which reduces yields and ruins fruit quality.

The instrument records the interaction of sunlight with chemical bonds and feeds it to computer models that learn to distinguish infection.

The researchers were able to differentiate infected and non-infected vines before and after they became symptomatic, with 87% accuracy.

Early detection of GLRaV-3 could help grape growers intervene up to a year in advance and save their crops.

The researchers also explored how air and space capabilities could help with ground-based pathogen surveillance.

This technique could revolutionize the agriculture industry and prevent losses due to plant diseases.