AGSENSE: Agricultural Fungal Sensing
- Challenge:Future Food Systems Challenge
- Co-Funders:European Union
- Phase:Grow
- Team Lead:Dr David O’Connor, Dublin City University
- Team Co-Lead:Prof. Anne Parle-McDermott, Dublin City University
- Societal Impact Champion:Dr Steven Kildea, Teagasc
Funders
Funded by: European Union & Government of Ireland
The loss of crop yield due to biological pests such as fungal spores or bacteria is a major challenge for the agricultural sector. Farmers globally lose as much as 23% of their crops to fungal disease every year, and potentially another 20% post-harvesting
The European Commission has commenced legislation for a reduction in the use of chemical pesticides by 50%, and the use of more hazardous pesticides by 50%, by 2030, curtailing excessive use of this pest control strategy. Hence, the agricultural sector will need to find new ways to be more targeted in its pesticide spraying.
AGSENSE will use novel real-time devices, cutting-edge artificial neural networks and new molecular biology methodologies to understand these bioaerosols in the atmosphere and their associated challenges.
AGSENSE will utilize state of the art data analysis/modelling to address the challenges outlined. The project will work on delivering high-resolution/quality data for the development of a robust accurate national bioaerosol forecast model.