The potential of thermal imaging to assist winemakers in the detection of downy mildew in Vitis vinifera cv Loureiro

Abstract

Vineyards represent one of the main crop systems of greatest importance in the world economy, both in terms of the value chain of wine production and in its current expression of generating tradable goods. One of the challenges of grape production is grapevine health, which annually forces the winegrowers to incur fixed costs associated with the prevention and/or treatment of pests and diseases, causing an impact on the environment due to the application of phytosanitary products. Among the various diseases affecting grapevines, downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) stands out, which causes negative impacts throughout the phenological cycle, particularly on leaves by affecting the absorption of photosynthetic pigments and consequent chlorophyll production, ultimately influencing grape yield and quality. Traditional methods for detecting vineyard diseases are often insufficient in crop protection, favoring new forms of a more agile decision support with timely responses. Proximal sensing trough optical sensors can assist in early disease detection. In this context, thermal infrared sensors stand out for their ability to capture changes in thermal response of leaves due to changes in grapevine metabolism and photosynthetic production. This study aims to explore