A group of researchers is turning to AI to try to combat potato blight, a disease that has led to around 20% of global potato crop losses amounting to financial losses of over $4.5 billion. The new AI app is currently called The DeepDetect project, and is still under development. But, it could be a key step towards finding ways to identify potato blight and stop it before it can spread further through crops.
We’ve been turning to AI more and more in recent years, especially when it comes to finding ways to detect different diseases and conditions quickly. We’ve already seen researchers using AI to detect autism just by looking at someone’s hands, and even AI that can detect tiny brain tumors humans often miss.
As such, relying on AI to help fight potato blight seems like a smart move. And so far, it looks like it could be the difference between losing more crops and actually being able to detect it early, so that it can be treated or snuffed out.
Why AI is needed to detect potato blight quicker
Potato blight is caused by Phytophthora infestans, a pathogen that is easily one of the most destructive diseases from which potatoes suffer. One reason it is so destructive is because finding it in the crops can be extremely labor-intensive and costly. Not to mention the fact that inspections are prone to human error, and if any potato suffering from the blight is missed, then the disease can easily spread and wipe out entire fields. While advancements like smart soil might be able to grow larger plants, that kind of advance does no real good if the crops die due to disease.
That’s where this new AI app comes into play. Developed by Welsh scientists, the AI will rely heavily on direct feedback from farmers, which the researchers are working to gather. It will then use the camera on phones to detect changes in the leaves of the potato plants, allowing farmers to pick up on signs of the disease before it might normally show. With more than 17,000 hectares reportedly devoted to farming potatoes across the Welsh countryside, finding a way to combat potato blight more efficiently is important to the country’s ongoing agriculture industry.
The hope is that the use of the AI to detect potatoes suffering from the disease will help provide early diagnosis, so that farmers can combat the disease much quicker. Additionally, the researchers note that the technology has the potential to be expanded beyond just potatoes, and could possibly help one day provide advanced discoveries in other parts of the agriculture industry.
For now, though, finding a way to use it to combat potato blight is the researchers’ first priority. Hopefully they can get the data they need to maximize the app’s efficiency.
