Real-time greenhouse sensors can reduce crop loss

Traditionally, growers walk through the greenhouse and scout for pests and diseases. Drones have taken on that task in recent years. In some cases, once a pest or disease is detected, it’s too late.

Scanit Technologies, which offers crop disease detection sensor technology, detects disease before there are visible signs. It uses a miniature optical microscope that attracts airborne pathogens. The sensor is multimodal, meaning it works under different wavelengths. The functionality can be programmed based on the application and the type of particles growers want to collect. It can detect fungal spores for diseases such as powdery mildew, botrytis cinerea, and botrytis elliptica. The sensor sends data to growers every 7 to 15 minutes.

“Since we’re collecting the spores that are flying through the air, we collect them two to three weeks before a human scout can see them when they inspect the crop,” says Pete Manautou, Founder and CEO of Scanit Technologies. “The advantage of this technology is it helps quantify the efficacy of the mitigation strategy for pathogens. Whether you’re using a biological or a fungicide spray, it helps the grower see how the spores are decreasing in quantity after an application, rather than waiting another two to three weeks for another application, saying this is not working, and trying something different.”

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