Sick plants, your drone doctor will see you now

<p>S<strong>potting crops or woodland that are suffering from damage or disease from ground level is notoriously difficult because there&rsquo;s just so much stuff in the way &mdash; after all, there&rsquo;s whole idiom dedicated to extolling the difficulties of seeing the wood for the trees. It makes sense then, if you want to survey a forest for signs of disease, that you take to the skies and adopt that &lsquo;bird&rsquo;s eye view&rsquo;.</strong></p> <p>To achieve this, a UK research team are using drones and a technique originally developed for earth observation, called hyperspectral imaging, to diagnose damaged plant life faster than has been possible up to now.</p> <p>Over 3 million hectares of the UK are covered in woodland, approximately 13% of the nation. However, with climate change and non-native pests and diseases on the increase, the UK&rsquo;s iconic woodlands are now facing unprecedented challenges. But, with the team&rsquo;s groundbreaking use of imaging technology, hope is hovering on the horizon.</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/big-science-at-stfc/sick-plants-your-drone-doctor-will-see-you-now-9aaabdcae438"><strong>Click Here</strong></a></p>
Tags: Sick Plants