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

近年来，由于农民和农业食品行业对获得低成本、实时、现场数据的兴趣，光学/光子技术在农业中的应用取得了进展，以告知从种植到收获、到储存和运输以及到加工的生产决策/调整。目前的NSERC应用将推动两项农业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爱德华王子岛和加拿大两种高价值作物的化学和生物物理特性：啤酒花和大麻。将开发的技术将提供对啤酒花（α-和β-酸）和大麻（四氢大麻酚- THC和大麻二酚- CBD）中重要生物分子的快速和准确检测。第二种技术是基于DNA检测技术，即环介导等温扩增技术，将开发用于在爱德华王子岛高价值作物中“实地”鉴定植物病原体，第一种是马铃薯。这两项即将开发的生物光学技术将是坚固的，“现场准备”，低成本，不需要高级培训即可操作。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。该研究项目建立在申请人先前发表的开发光学传感器和方法的工作基础上，以检测和监测人类癌症的进展。

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.