Fungal spores in greenhouses or open fields are a major threat to growers as the production yield in dramatically reduced due to infection. Detection and enumeration of fungal spores is obtained by sampling air and collecting the spores of a solid growth medium. Results are obtained only after 7-10 days. In case of presence of spores the damage to the crop has already occurred. As a result growers use preventative spraying of fungicides. This is often an excess of doses bringing much environmental pressure. In a former project Innosieve Diagnostics developed an assay for the direct detection and quantification of fungal spores from air in greenhouses. Within 45 minutes results are obtained that are equal to, or better than the conventional method. In a current Interreg project Innosieve Diagnostics is developing a real-time, label-free spore detector to be used directly with a drone to collect and detect spores from air. The results are transferred to read-out software giving the grower a direct insight in the spore pressure at different locations on the field. This offers a major profit in gain of time for the growers, giving more control over crop quality and yield. Moreover, this method supports precision spraying and sustainability in agriculture.
