Applying Drone-based Spatial Mapping to Help Growers Manage Crop Diseases

Phytophthora blight (Phytophthora capsici) is one of the major soilborne diseases threatening many vegetable crops including squash. The disease results in severe epidemics and yield losses due to a rapid spread of the pathogen associated with wet weather and soil waterlogging. Implementing drone-based spatial mapping with software elevation tools can assist growers in evaluating land levelling for uniform distribution of water to mitigate potential disease incidence. The technology has great advantages: rapid, precise, and labor-cost effective. Our result can implicate Extension professionals with application of spatial mapping to assist growers in managing their land and crops for disease control efficiently.