Development of optical technologies for in-field monitoring, characterization and assessment of agricultural products

近年来，光学/光子学技术在农业中的应用取得了进展，这得益于农民和农业食品行业对获取低成本、实时、现场数据的兴趣，以便为从种植到收获、从储存和运输到加工的生产决策/调整提供信息。目前NSERC的应用将推动农业行业两项生物光学技术的发展。第一项技术以拉曼光谱为基础，将开发用于检测和表征PEI和加拿大两种高价值作物的化学和生物物理特性：啤酒花(普通啤酒花)和大麻。将开发的技术将提供快速和准确地检测啤酒花(α-和β-酸)和大麻(四氢大麻酚-THC和大麻二醇-CBD)中的重要生物分子。第二项技术是基于DNA检测技术-环介导的等温扩增(LAMP)，将开发用于在PEI的高价值作物(第一种是土豆)中鉴定田间植物病原体。将开发的两种生物光学技术将是坚固耐用的、“现场准备”的、低成本的，并且不需要高级培训来操作。该研究计划利用了UPEI和PEI独特的研究和农业环境以及合作伙伴关系。这项研究计划建立在申请人之前发表的开发光学传感器和方法来检测和监测人类癌症进展的工作基础上。

The application of optics/photonics technologies in agriculture has advanced in recent years fueled by the interest of farmers and the agri-food industry for access to low-cost, real-time, in-field' data to inform production decisions/adjustments from planting to harvesting, to storing and transporting, and to processing. The current NSERC application will advance the development of two bio-optical technologies for the agricultural industry. The first technology is based on Raman spectroscopy and will be developed for the detection and characterization of the chemical and biophysical properties of two high value crops in PEI and Canada: Humulus lupulus (common hops) and Cannabis sativa. The technolgies to be developed will provide for the rapid and accurate detection of important biomolecules in hops (alpha- and beta- acids) and in Cannabis (tetrahydrocannabinol - THC and cannabidiol - CBD). The second technology is based on the DNA detection technique, loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and will be developed for the identification of plant pathogens 'in-the-field' in high value crops in PEI, the first being potatoes. The two bio-optical technologies to be developed will be rugged, 'field-ready', low-cost, and not require advanced training to operate. This research program takes advantage of the unique research and agricultural environments and partnerships at UPEI and in PEI. This research program builds on the applicant's previous published work in developing optical sensors and approaches to detect and monitor the progress of human cancers.