Latest news with #fungaldisease
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Potato blight warning app to use AI to help farmers
Researchers are developing a new app which will use artificial intelligence to warn farmers of a fungal disease which can devastate potato scientists say the app will allow farmers to detect late blight using their phone before it becomes visible to the human disease is responsible for 20% of potato crop losses and £3.5bn in economic losses worldwide, the research team at Aberystwyth University diagnosis would boost productivity and reduce costs for farmers, as well as decrease their reliance on environmentally harmful pesticides, they added. The DeepDetect project will use machine learning to deliver accurate, location-specific disease diagnoses to farmers on their smartphones."By integrating farmer feedback from the outset, we will ensure that this technology is grounded in real-world needs and challenges," said Edore Akpokodje, computer science lecturer at Aberystwyth technology also has the potential for wider application across other crops, he project aims to reduce the environmental and financial burden of preventive spraying, which the researchers said currently cost Welsh farmers up to £5.27m are a vital crop globally and in Wales over 17,000 hectares are dedicated to potato team plans to create an AI-powered prototype using image datasets of healthy and diseased potato will then refine the model and eventually the team hopes to create a national early warning system for potato blight, with potential to expand the technology to other crops and regions in the future."Potatoes are the fourth most important staple crop globally, and optimal production is essential for a growing global population," Aiswarya Girija from the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University said."Potato blight is therefore not just a farming issue - it's a food security issue."
CTV News
26-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
New fungal disease threatening strawberry crops across Canada
Fresh strawberries are seen at Montreal's Jean Talon Market, on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson) A new fungal disease is threatening strawberry crops across Canada. Known as Neopestalotiopsis, or 'Neo-P' for short, there is no known cure for the disease, which can spread quickly and affect all parts of the plant. 'It's basically taking out what should be a healthy strawberry plant and making it very weak,' P.E.I. strawberry farmer Matthew Compton told CTV's Your Morning. 'Where I should see a really wide, matted row of strawberries, I see a really narrow row of strawberries – and I would see a lot of skips in between where some of the infected plants may have died out.' Compton is the owner and operator of Compton's Farm Market in Summerside, P.E.I. He says the fungal disease has already decimated early varieties of strawberries that he would normally be harvesting now. 'There's one variety that we will not harvest,' Compton said. 'The other variety, that three acres, we're going to get about half a crop off it, so better than nothing.' Compton estimates that these losses will cause between a 20 to 25 per cent hit to his overall business this year. While nothing can fully save an infected plant, fungicides can keep the disease from spreading. 'There's no fungicide that's going to eradicate Neo-P,' Compton said. 'It'll keep it at bay if it's there, but it won't get rid of it.' Such a fungicide was recently approved for emergency use in strawberry fields in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Neo-P was first recorded in Florida in 2017, where it led to severe outbreaks in strawberry fields. It has since been found in Mexico and parts of the eastern U.S. and Canada. The first Canadian case was reported in Ontario in 2020. A 2021 alert from Ontario's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs urged growers to be on the lookout for the disease, which 'has shown to be economically damaging in other jurisdictions.' 'On leaves, look for small leaf spots with a light centre and slightly darker border that expands and becomes irregular in shape,' the ministry alert explained. 'Eventually, the whole fruit may be rotted and mummified.'
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Growing roses? Here's how to deal with the most common problem gardeners face
Just as your roses reach their peak, a common fungal foe may be lurking, ready to sabotage their vibrant display. Black spot, easily identified by the dark brown or black blotches that appear on leaves before turning them yellow and causing premature leaf drop, can quickly spread, especially in damp conditions. This infection can significantly weaken the plant, sometimes leading to complete defoliation. The fungus responsible, Diplocarpon rosae, survives the winter on fallen leaves and within the stems and buds of the rose plant itself. Come spring, it releases spores that infect the new growth, perpetuating the cycle. If you notice the telltale signs of black spot, swift action is crucial to protect your roses and ensure a beautiful bloom throughout the season. But there are many things you can do to prevent and treat it, says Neil Miller, head gardener of Hever Castle & Gardens in Kent, which has more than 5,000 roses in bloom in June and July. The Gardens and is staging Hever In Bloom over two weeks in the summer, featuring garden tours, flower arranging workshops and other events. Here are Mr Miller's top tips: Good garden hygiene 'Roses tend to get black spot once the rain comes in the summer – it encourages the spread of this fungal disease. It can spread from year to year. The yellowed leaves fall to the ground and the spores stay in the earth and can transfer to new rose growth the following year. 'Practising good garden hygiene is the best way forward – collecting and incinerating fallen leaves in the summer to prevent the spread, and cutting out any diseased stems. 'Keep clearing any fallen leaves, ensure you cut out any dead wood, keep dead-heading the blooms and mulch every year.' Remove diseased leaves 'You can pick off the spotted leaves (wearing gloves) to remove the source of reinfection. And remember, each fallen leaf must be removed from the ground – ensure you collect every one. It only takes a leaf or two, over winter, to keep the problem going into the following year.' Let air circulate Miller says: 'When you plant your new rose bushes make sure they're planted in an area where air is not restricted – you need a free-flow of air around your bush.' Think organic Miller advises rose growers to try to incorporate organic measures like apple cider vinegar spray, or even a milk spray and lemon juice. 'Fungus tends not to enjoy being sprayed with apple cider vinegar, so that's good option – it's also safe for the all-important bee population.' Feed them 'Another key to promoting healthy roses is to feed them with a granular slow-release food at the start of the season and after the first flush in July. Take your feed and draw a little circle with it around the base of the plant, make sure the feed doesn't scorch the leaves,' he says. Use a mulch If you mulch around your roses it will help stop the spores from splashing up from the ground. Choose disease-resistant varieties 'Rose selection is very important. So when you're leafing through your bare root catalogue this autumn, look out for rose species that are either specifically bred to be disease-resistant like the peach shrub rose 'Dame Judi Dench' (David Austin) or select the older gallica or rugosa varieties which tend not to suffer from black spot,' Miller advises. 'In the Rose Garden itself we have removed plants over the years which have been particularly susceptible to disease and have selected more modern varieties that repeat bloom throughout the summer, rewarding visitors with an incredible display. 'Among our current favourites are 'Absolutely Fabulous' – a wonderful yellow rose that looks healthy year on year, 'Lucky', and 'Audrey Wilcox'. 'We removed 'Rhapsody in Blue' two summers ago and planted the more resistant, and floriferous 'Timeless Purple' in its place. 'Timeless Cream' has also performed very well for us over the past couple of years.' However, the RHS warns that the fungus is genetically very diverse and new strains arise rapidly, which means that the resistance bred into new cultivars usually fails to last because new strains of the fungus arise to overcome it. Hever In Bloom runs from 23 June - 6July.
RNZ News
22-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Scientists discover 'amazing' new fungus species connected to livestock facial eczema
Pithomyces chartarum, whcih looks identical to its newly discovered toxic relative. Photo: Landcare Research / supplied New Zealand scientists studying a complex fungal disease that affects sheep have made a scientific breakthrough. Facial eczema is a disease caused by a toxin produced by a fungus. The fungus grows in humid conditions and hurts sheep livers, making them very sensitive to ultraviolet light and reducing productivity. The disease is estimated to cost farmers and the economy $332 million a year. But new research has revealed there are two species of this fungi in New Zealand pasture, not just one as previously thought. Scientists have named the new fungus species Pseudopithomyces toxicarius - identified as the primary producer of sporidesmin, the toxin produced by spores of the fungus. The new species is in addition to the better-understood non-toxic Pseudopithomyces chartarum. The study's lead author Dr Bevan Weir, senior scientist at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, said the teams extensively studied the organisms, genomes and toxins found in New Zealand pasture and abroad. "It was amazing when we got the first DNA sequencing data and there was just this incredibly clear split showing that there was definitely these two species on pasture," Weir said. "It was a fantastic experience figuring out that we've kind of cracked it, and that in the past there have been reports of non-toxic strains or less toxic ones, and now we know the reason why." He said the discovery followed years of hard work and dedication by research institutes, the agriculture industry and farmers. AgResearch, Manaaki Whenua, Beef and Lamb and the Livestock Improvement Corporation were involved in the study, led by Beef and Lamb. The seven-year project to eliminate the impacts of facial eczema in livestock was valued at $20.75m, and the government assigned $8.3m to it in March last year. Weir said identifying the primary cause of facial eczema was a "critical step forward" in reducing its impact. "The complicated thing is that although these species are really genetically distinct and have very different genes, under the microscope they are completely identical. So you can't tell them apart at all, even under our really good research microscopes. "And this is a problem for assessing facial eczema risk, because at the moment the main method of assessing risk is doing spore counts, and it's still a good method, but some of those spores that the vets and farmers are counting under the microscope will be from the non-toxic species." Weir said the ongoing sheep poo collection work will help them identify where the toxic and non-toxic species were found around New Zealand - but there were generally very little toxic examples found in the South Island, and more in the North Island. AgResearch lead author Christine Voisey said the teams were grateful to the farmers that supported the study by providing samples that were vital to this research. "Working on this project has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career," she said. "There is still much to learn about the biology of Pseudopithomyces, but this research brings us closer to developing tools that will help mitigate the impacts of facial eczema on New Zealand's farmers." Beef and Lamb general manager of farming excellence Dan Brier said the research gave the sector a clearer foundation for developing more accurate diagnostic tools and effective management practices. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
