A new, pioneering development in vineyard management has arrived. Meet PhytoPatholoBot, an autonomous robot that’s learned to proficiently scout for grape diseases. Fortunately, a small but passionate research team at Cornell University spearheaded the development of this groundbreaking technology. Grape pathologist Katie Gold and applied roboticist Yu Jiang head the collaborative effort to improve disease detection and minimize labor requirements.
PhytoPatholoBot has already demonstrated success at identifying these red flags in near-real time, with an accuracy level comparable to that of a well-trained human scout. This latest advancement of this technology is extremely important. It is a critical step in addressing the increasing—and crop-killing—threats from pathogens that could wipe out the nation’s grape production.
The robot has been rigorously tested in ten Cornell pathology vineyards. It’s been trialed at several commercial vineyards in southwest states such as California and in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, New York and West Virginia. Its operational design enables it to operate autonomously, needing just a single operator to oversee its work.
Advanced Technology in Action
The creation of PhytoPatholoBot is meeting an urgent and critical demand within the viticulture industry. As Gold explains, “In the past, I have regularly hired teams of scouts—four or five people—to sweep the vineyards and do the work of one robot.” But today, with the capabilities afforded by this new technology, a significant amount of that effort can be saved.
Gold added, “Now the robot can do it on its own, maybe with one person babysitting it.” This innovation provides greater worker safety by reducing costs associated with labor and increasing the efficiency of vineyard management. The augmented autonomous scouting capacity of PhytoPatholoBot to detect diseases autonomously will allow vineyard owners to invest in other resources.
Jiang emphasized the importance of this technology by stating, “That’s been a motivation for us: How can we use robots to do this very skilled job?” Through this innovation the agriculture industry will see a smarter more efficient way of disease scouting.
Implications for Viticulture
The launch of PhytoPatholoBot is an exciting leap forward in advancing sustainable farming practices. Gold stressed that this concern is becoming the number one existential threat to New York’s long-term sustainability of their viticulture. He explained that makes it a very real threat to the industry along the whole East Coast. By using artificial intelligence to detect diseases at earlier stages of development, vineyard operators are able to reduce the risks of crop loss.
Gold underlined the need to properly monitor the spread of infectious disease. This informed approach would let us knock out the tough stuff using the big guns as necessary only for the most challenging scenarios while relying on milder chemicals most of the time. This new approach produces a dramatic reduction in chemical applications in vineyards. This carries over to help support the lowest environmental impact grape growing practices.
The results concerning PhytoPatholoBot are written up in a recent study that appeared in the Journal of Field Robotics. The discussion emphasizes the many successful tests passed and displays the data proving its effectiveness. The key researcher behind this work is Ertai Liu, a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell Tech. He’s the co-founder of a startup working on bringing PhytoPatholoBots to commercial applications.
Future of Automated Vineyard Management
Future looks bright for the use of robotics in vineyard management. If PhytoPatholoBots could be mass produced, they would revolutionize the detection and management of grape diseases, benefiting the entire industry. With both consumer and taxpayer pressures building on agricultural practices to improve efficiency and sustainability, this technology is one solution that makes all kinds of sense.
As PhytoPatholoBot becomes widely adopted in commercial environments, its impact and transformational potential on vineyard work will only increase. The teamwork between experts like Gold and Jiang exemplifies the value of interdisciplinary approaches to solving our agricultural challenges.