Hyperspectral and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Imaging for Early Detection of Plant Diseases, with Special Reference to Fusarium spec. Infections on Wheat

In recent years, market pressures have reinforced the demand to solve the problem of an increased occurrence of Fusarium head blight (FHB) in cereal production, especially in wheat. The symptoms of this disease are clearly detectable by means of image analysis. This technique can therefore be used to map occurrence and extent of Fusarium infections. From this perspective, a separate harvest in the field can be taken into consideration. Based on the application of chlorophyll fluorescence and hyperspectral imaging, characteristics, requirements and limitations of Fusarium detection on wheat, both in the field and in the laboratory, are discussed. While the modification of spectral signatures due to fungal infection allows its detection by hyperspectral imaging, the decreased physiological activity of tissues resulting from Fusarium impacts provides the base for CFI analyses. In addition, the two methods are compared in view of their usability for the detection of Fusarium, and different approaches for data analysis are presented.