Using spore traps to effectively monitor northern corn leaf blight.

Northern corn leaf blight is a common disease in corn, caused by Exserohilum turcicum, which damages leaf sheaths and husks. It typically starts from the lower leaves and gradually spreads upward. In severe cases, it can affect the entire plant, though there are instances where it begins on the middle or upper leaves.

Therefore, in the process of corn cultivation, monitoring and early warning of northern corn leaf blight are urgently needed. With the strong support from the government for high-standard farmland, many IoT devices have been put into use, making monitoring and early warning more intelligent. Among them, the spore trap is primarily developed for plant disease monitoring.

So how does the spore trap monitor northern corn leaf blight? This starts with the working principle of the spore trap. During the corn growing season, overwintering pathogens produce spores, which are dispersed into the air by wind currents. These fungal spores are extremely tiny, lightweight, and difficult to observe with the naked eye.

The spore trap effectively captures these minuscule fungal spores. It operates on aerodynamic principles, using a fan to draw in spores that are hard to see with the naked eye. Once captured, the spores are adsorbed onto a slide belt. An internal camera and high-powered microscope then photograph the captured spores and upload the images to an IoT platform. The spore images are clear and visible, allowing the system to perform automatic statistical analysis. Staff can monitor the situation of northern corn leaf blight spores anytime and anywhere.

The deployment of spore traps greatly facilitates plant protection personnel in monitoring and early warning of northern corn leaf blight. It enables timely preventive measures, improves control effectiveness, and ensures increased yield and production for crops.