A team out of UF/IFAS’s Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) is developing an app that will detect citrus leaf symptoms.
Citrus growers may soon have new technology in the fight against citrus diseases and more: an app that can diagnose citrus leaf symptoms based on pictures taken of the affected leaves, according to a Citrus Industry article. The app is meant to allow citrus growers to take a picture of affected leaves in the app, and the app will diagnose the issue. Explore the details below.
App to Diagnose Citrus Leaf Symptoms
According to the article, the app is aimed at detecting a slew of issues a citrus grower may face in the grove, including nutrient deficiencies, pests, and diseases affecting citrus leaves. Diseases, pests, and other conditions the app will be able to detect and diagnose include “citrus canker, HLB and greasy spot diseases; two-spotted-spider mites; and deficiencies of magnesium, iron, manganese and zinc.”
During testing of the app’s accuracy in detecting pests, maladies, and other issues, it was found to have a 63 percent accuracy for zinc deficiency, under 82 percent accuracy for citrus greening, deficiencies of manganese, iron and magnesium—as well as spider mite damage—at 89 percent accuracy, and 100 percent accuracy for greasy spot. The app’s overall accuracy in correctly identify all leaf symptoms was 89 percent.
The app is headed for field training, and the article maintains that additional diseases and pests will be added, such as citrus leaf symptoms for phytophthora, citrus scab, and nitrogen and potassium deficiencies. The app will then be free for citrus growers and interested parties to download and use. Follow the app’s progress here: http://www.makecitrusgreatagain.com/SmartphoneApp.htm
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