Apple Orchard Health: Evaluating Hyperspectral Imagery for Disease Detection and Biostimulant Efficacy.

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UK fruit growers are facing a major challenge, exacerbated by the diminishing availability of plant protection products (PPP's): controlling crop disease. The phasing out of traditional PPP's, driven by environmental concerns, has added complexity to this issue. Despite utilisation of PPP's, UK apple growers experience an annual crop loss of approximately 10-12% due to apple scab, a fungal disease. Without PPP's, this figure would skyrocket to 70-80%. However, there is a promising solution on the horizon: biostimulants. These are natural substances or micro-organisms that can enhance the natural defences and overall health of the plants when applied to them.However, one significant challenge of biostimulants is assessing their effectiveness as they operate distinctively from conventional PPP's. Biostimulants serve as preventative measures rather than curative, necessitating timely application before visible disease symptoms emerge. Accurately timing their use is difficult, as the critical phase of scab infection remains invisible to the naked eye.Our project aims to address the challenge of evaluating the effectiveness of biostimulants by utilising advanced technologies such as hyperspectral cameras and drones. Hyperspectral sensors can capture and analyse a wide range of spectral bands, providing detailed and precise characterisation of objects or materials based on their unique spectral signatures. By identifying specific spectral signatures for crop diseases, like apple scab, and determining which spectral bands indicate the efficacy of biostimulants, we can develop an affordable camera tailored to the needs of growers. This camera will serve as an early warning system, helping prevent disease spread, enhancing crop yield and operational efficiency, and reducing reliance on traditional PPP's.Upon project success, our system has the potential for broader applications. It can be adapted to test various biostimulants, crops, and diseases, extending its usefulness beyond the initial scope. This adaptability will enable us to gather valuable insights and drive advancements in biostimulant research, crop management, and disease control practices in other UK crops. We can also extend our technology to growers globally, addressing shared challenges related to universal disease, crops, and biostimulants.Our system will contribute to the UK's goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 by facilitating the widespread adoption of environmentally conscious crop management practices and biostimulant use. Moreover, international implementation will promote environmental awareness, reduce carbon emissions, and mitigating the effects of climate change globally.