Remote Sensing techniques for managing Phytophthora root rot in avocado

Abstract

The Australian avocado industry suffers millions of dollars of lost productivity each year as a result of Phytophthora root rot (PRR) (Australian Avocado Industry, 2016). Effective management of the disease has proved to be difficult due to the current inefficient and subjective methods of diagnosis that struggle to detect the disease at early stages. The University of New England’s (UNE) Precision Agriculture Research Group (PARG) has been investigating a range of ground and satellite based remote sensing technologies for their ability to more accurately and efficiently identify the presence of PRR, particularly in its early stages of infection