Feasibility studies for early, in-situ diagnostic tools for water and soil sensing for agri-tech

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FungiAlert is an in-field, early detection device for plant disease in soil and water. It can be described as the smoke detector for farmers, since it alerts the user about the risk of infection before the disease spreads and destroys the entire field. The user simply places the device into the soil or water irrigation system, and they will be alerted to the presence of destructive plant pathogens, allowing them to take timely remedial action, preventing the spread of the pathogen to the rest of the field. FungiAlert aims to increase crop yields, whilst also allowing for evidence based spraying, to ultimately reduce the amount of pesticides in our food chain. The FungiAlert device will help the user to tailor their disease management practices, helping to increase their yields, while reducing their production costs. The guided use of pesticides by precision farming (such as FungiAlert) could also contribute towards reducing the chance of diseases developing resistance to pesticides. The project aims to adapt our current technology (soil sensing) for the detection of spores in both soil and water. Furthermore, the project will also explore the feasibility of different strategies for including wireless remote sensing technology, which would allow for data collection and storage of information relating to the presence of disease. We envisage that our technology could be integrated into farming practices around the world, allowing farmers and growers to understand the health of the soil within their fields at all times, in an affordable and intuitive way.