AI-powered app revolutionizes blight prevention
Developers emphasize designing the tool with direct farmer input to ensure practicality and usability.
Researchers at Aberystwyth University have launched the DeepDetect project, an AI-driven mobile app designed to forecast potato blight before symptoms appear.
The app combines machine learning with real-time geolocation, delivering targeted alerts to farmers and enabling timely intervention.
Blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is a significant agricultural threat, accounting for about 20% of global potato yield losses and costing £3.5 billion annually.
Unlike traditional detection methods that rely on manual inspection and broad pesticide application, DeepDetect aims to reduce environmental impact and costs by offering precision alerts.
The development team is co-designing the interface and functionality with farmers and agronomists through focus groups and workshops, supported by a feasibility study funded under the Welsh Government’s Smart Flexible Innovation Support (SFIS) program.
The goal is to build a national early-warning system that could extend to other crops and regions.
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