Early detection of potato storage diseases by gas analysis

Collaboration

University of Warwick, FERA, Owlstone Nanotech and Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research (SBCSR) 

A range of commercial technologies were tested: FAIMS (Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry), PID (Photoionization detection), Electronic Noses based on metal oxide, electrochemical and NDIR (Non Dispersive Infrared) gas sensors. The first part of the research has been carried out in order to evaluate the potential of these types of instruments in a laboratory environment. Potato tubers were inoculated with P. carotovorum (the main pathogen causing soft rot) and subsequently sampled and analysed with gas sensing instruments. Two time points (namely 5 and 2 days post-inoculation) were selected for pre-symptomatic and symptomatic detection of the aforementioned disease, with the resultant data analysed to detect potential differences.

Results

Early diagnostics via dynamic headspace sampling with FAIMS could be achieved both at symptomatic and pre-symptomatic stages. The results from the PID sensor substantiated and strengthened the original hypothesis that it was possible to employ gas analysis sensors for potato tubers disease monitoring at selected time points. Furthermore, both the Lonestar FAIMS and Tiger PID, as applied in this research, offered a considerable more practical and reliable engineering approach when compared to the more established techniques of GC/GC-MS, tools of previous experimental research.