THE FEASIBILITY OF AN AUTOMATED CROP ASSESSMENT METHOD BASEDUPON A PHOTO-DIODE ARRAY SENSOR AND A MICRO-COMPUTER ANALYZER IS EXAMINED.

THE FEASIBILITY OF AN AUTOMATED CROP ASSESSMENT METHOD BASEDUPON A PHOTO-DIODE ARRAY SENSOR AND A MICRO-COMPUTER ANALYZER IS EXAMINED. THIS CROP ASSESSMENT METHOD EXPLOITS THE VISUAL DAMAGE PATTERNS, FROM BIOLOGICAL INFESTATIONS, FOUND ON THE LEAVES OF THE CROP (3,6,14,16). CURRENT CROP ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES TAKE A LEAF SAMPLE ALONG A FIELD DIAGONAL FOR LABORATORY ANALYSIS, AFTER A PROBLEM IS DETERMINED (10). THIS METHOD, BECAUSE OF ITS RELIANCE UPON THE FARMER VISUALLY DETECTING CROP DAMAGE, GIVES PATHOGENS ACHANCE TO BECOM ESTABLISHED (10). ONCE ESTABLISHED, THE EXTENSIVE USE OF EXPENSIVE WIDE AREA FUNGICIDES, HERBICIDES,AND PESTICIDES ARE REQUIRED TO ERADICATE THE PATHOGEN (1,2).WE WILL USE THE FUNGUS VERTICILLIUM ALBO-ATRUM BECAUSE OF ITS WELL-DOCUMENTED EFFECTS ON LEAVES AND ITS EASE-OF-HANDLING (4)9 THE PROGRAM OBJECTIVES ARE: 1). TO DETERMINE THE ABILITY OF AN AUTOMATED SENSOR TO DETECT VERTICILLIUM ALBO-ATRUM, 2). TO DETERMINE THE AUTOMATED SENSORS' RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS, AND 3). TO DETERMINE THE SENSORS PERFORMANCE IN RELATION TO HUMAN BEINGS. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS RESEARCH ARE FAR-REACHING IN TERMS OF LOWERING FARM PRODUCTION COSTS, INCREASING FARM PRODUCTION RATES, DECREASING THE LEVEL OF PESTICIDE, HERBICIDE, AND FUNGICIDE USE, AND DECREASING THE AMOUNT OF GROUND-WATER POLLUTION.