New in-field powdery mildew assessment app
It is ranked the number one disease for economic impact in Australia and is a constant threat for both crop loss and fruit quality. Despite its prevalence it is a difficult disease to accurately assess in the field and assessments can differ significantly between assessors.
To overcome some of these issues a team of researchers at the University of Adelaide, with support from industry and funding from Wine Australia have developed PMapp. PMapp is a downloadable program for smartphones that allows users to efficiently assess both the incidence and severity of powdery mildew on bunches whilst out in the vineyard.
The application works by matching the assessor’s visual assessment of the surface area of a bunch, infected by powdery mildew and that of pre-installed images with a known level of incidence and severity. To minimise differences between assessors there is a calibration function to allow users to test and improve their accuracy prior to assessments taking place.
PMapp is currently available for download at Apple’s App Store or Google Play.