Potato Blight Warning App to Help Farmers Beat a Billion Dollar Pest

Potato Blight Warning App to Help Farmers Beat a Billion Dollar Pest

Potato Blight Warning App to Help Farmers Beat a Billion Dollar Pest Late blight symptoms on a potato leaf – credit, Howard F. Schwartz, Insect Images – CC 3.0. BY-SA A team of Welsh scientists are developing an early-warning system for late potato blight, a water mold that causes nearly $4 billion in agricultural losses every year. Powered by AI, the smartphone-based application can detect signs of late plight on potato leaves before any manifestation detectable by the human eye appears. It’s hoped that early warnings like this can help to better secure farmers’ fortunes, as well as the global food supply, as late blight was responsible for three major potato collapses in Europe during the 19th century. 20% of global losses in potatoes are blamed on late blight, which as the name suggests can strike late in the season. Prevention is key, but expensive, and chemical fungicide spraying costs millions, and may be responsible for human health complications and ecosystem biodiversity loss. The …