RootDetect: Remote Detection and Precision Management of Root Health

Oilseed rape and canola are two closely related _Brassica_ crops which are widely grown in Europe and Canada, with a market size measured in the tens of billions of US dollars. The oil-rich seeds produced by both crops are consumed in multiple ways, as a source of food (oil with omega 3 fatty acids), animal feed (seed cake as a protein source) and industrial use (such as renewable energy and detergents). Clubroot disease caused by the soil borne root pathogen _Plasmodiophora brassicae_ is threatening production. Disease management depends on early detection of the disease followed by rapid treatment of affected areas of the field with soil products such as lime. However, clubroot disease occurs in patches across the field. Traditional scouting relies on crop walking and clubroot patches can easily be missed in large fields. Furthermore, when clubroot is emerging it rarely causes above-ground symptoms which are visible to the naked eye.

The RootDetect project will develop a semi-autonomous remote sensing tool that will efficiently scout large areas and 'see' clubroot symptoms earlier than the grower or agronomist. Affected areas in the field will then be mapped and linked to precision farming technology which will allow targeted treatment of infested patches. This will be cost effective for the grower and will minimise wastage and thus lower carbon emissions.

AIRBORNE ROBOTICS will build a specialized UAV prototype for the agricultural environment. ADAS will validate data from the UAV with in-field assessments of clubroot disease and SII Canada will develop the algorithms necessary for machine learning for identification/diagnostics purposes. The product/service enabled by this project will be an integrated, data driven clubroot management tool. This will combine UAV capability with on-farm software which optimises the long- and short-term economics of clubroot management, based on remotely-sensed spatial data. The RootDetect smart tool will be competitively priced to ensure it is accessible to end users and maximise uptake of its use.