BioScout and iMapPESTS: Shaping the Future of Disease Prevention
Sentinel Surveillance for Agriculture - monitoring airborne pests and diseases to improve on-farm biosecurity management.
BioScout is delighted to share that we have collaborated with iMapPESTS to deliver a state-of-the-art disease and pest monitoring device; the Sentinel, that will improve on-farm disease and pest management.
This work is also supported by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), Horticulture Innovation, Grains Research and Development Corporation(GRDC), AUSVEG, the Australian Government Department of Agriculture as well as 17 partner organisations across a broad range of industries from grains to viticulture and horticulture to forestry.
The Sentinel Surveillance unit was showcased at the Hart Field Day on September 17th, 2019 to a 650-strong crowd of growers, researchers and technology providers as well as the South Australian Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Tim Whetstone.
“Combining specialised air sampling equipment and automation technology in a single high-tech mobile surveillance unit, the iMapPESTS Sentinel is a key element in a national project to provide greater data to producers to combat pests and diseases,” said Minister Whetstone.
As part of this collaboration, BioScout have deployed devices in the Clare Valley, including one atop The Sentinel, to track disease activity in the region. The focus of BioScout’s work will be detection of key diseases affecting canola and chickpea crops and will combine a quantitative early-warning disease radar, disease identification and accurate weather data. Our targets of interest are Net Form Net Blotch (Pyrenophora teres f. teres), Botrytis Rot (Botrytis cinerea), Blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) and Powdery Mildew (Erysiphe necator).
By combining BioScout’s near real-time disease data, the Sentinel’s field data as well as lab and weather data, we can pull together a rich data resource where growers, agronomists and researchers will have access to outputs that will drive progressable outcomes.
The BioScout Platform combines novel in-field sensors and an analytics dashboard to provide near real-time, high fidelity data on species specific diseases, weather conditions, and disease location and mapping. BioScout is actively tracking diseases affecting banana, avocado and blueberry crops across QLD, NSW and SA.
To get your hands on a BioScout sensor for your farm, sign up for a pre-order now or email saron@bioscout.com.au. Be sure to follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date with the latest news!
To find out more about this collaboration, check out the links below:
