In the summer of 2022, growers in North Carolina were alarmed to find a new variant of the Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV). Transmitted by insects called thrips and resistant to existing treatments, TSWV is difficult to eliminate and can ruin an entire crop. With one of the widest ranges among plant diseases, it also infects peppers, tobacco, potatoes, eggplants, squashes, lettuce, onions, spinach, and herbs like peppermint.
Diseases caused by pathogens like TSWV are only one of many challenges today's farmers face as they navigate an industry with little room for error. Crops require time and ideal conditions to reach their peak for harvest. Finding an infection of TSWV too late is expensive, risking growers not only their entire crops but also the cost of resources and labor they've invested. Recouping costs even by next year's harvest can be difficult.
These tough odds are one reason the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative (N.C. PSI), headquartered at NC State, is developing tools to help with a common conundrum: If growers had a way to detect a problem sooner, they could intervene before it becomes pervasive.
Read more at NC State College of Engineering News.