Low-cost airborne fungal spore detection system for crop disease early warning and precision pesticide management
Sporometrics offers expertise in early detection of airborne fungal spores that cause crop diseases using inexpensive, wind-powered air samplers combined with molecular diagnostics (qPCR, LAMP, RPA). This approach enables growers to time fungicide applications more precisely, detect emerging diseases, and build predictive models through machine learning. Validated in Canadian potato farms across five provinces, the system is designed for global transfer to help farmers optimize pesticide use and manage resistance.
Overview
This solution addresses the early detection of airborne fungal spores responsible for crop diseases, enabling growers to make more informed and timely decisions about fungicide application. By combining inexpensive, wind-powered passive air samplers with highly sensitive molecular diagnostic techniques, the system can detect fungal pathogens before visible symptoms appear in the field. This allows for precision pesticide management, reducing unnecessary chemical applications and helping to address pesticide resistance. The approach was validated in Canadian potato farms across five provinces for late blight detection and is designed to be transferred to other regions, including African countries, to support smallholder and commercial farmers in optimizing crop protection strategies.
Technical specifications
Key features and capabilities:
- Low-cost passive air samplers (Spornados): Inexpensive, wind-powered, and require no power source, making them suitable for deployment in remote agricultural settings
- Molecular diagnostic methods validated for pathogen detection:
- Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as the gold standard
- Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for on-site detection
- Recombinase polymerase amplification with lateral flow strips (RPA-LFS) for rapid field results
- Pathogen coverage: Validated for Phytophthora infestans (late blight) in potato and tomato fields; applicable to other airborne fungal plant pathogens
- Pesticide resistance testing: Molecular testing capability to identify fungicide-resistant pathogen strains
- Data modeling potential: Accumulated air sampling data across regions can be used to develop predictive risk models using machine learning
Technology readiness level
The technology has been validated through multi-year field trials (2018-2020) across five Canadian provinces, demonstrating that both LAMP and RPA-LFS methods are suitable for detecting P. infestans spores before the onset of late blight symptoms. The approach is ready for geographic transfer and adaptation to new regions. Future validation includes collaboration with agricultural researchers in Kenya to extend the system to African farming contexts, with field sampling protocols similar to those proven in Canada. Outreach with farmers to incorporate their feedback on pesticide use practices is a planned component of future work.
About Sporometrics
Sporometrics is a Toronto-based, privately owned Canadian laboratory specializing in environmental and medical microbiology. Founded in 1993, the company operates a state-of-the-art, Biosafety Level 2 facility that provides comprehensive testing, analysis, and consulting services for a diverse range of sectors, including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and building ecology. The lab utilizes advanced analytical techniques, such as light and fluorescence microscopy, DNA sequencing, and real-time PCR, to identify and quantify bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other environmental contaminants. With a team of highly credentialed scientists, many of whom hold postgraduate degrees and faculty appointments, the company emphasizes objective, research-grade results and maintains rigorous quality standards, including AIHA LAP accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and a Drug Establishment License from Health Canada.
By providing expert microbiological assessments and diagnostics, Sporometrics assists consulting firms, industry partners, and government agencies in solving complex contamination problems and guiding critical restoration or process decisions. The company functions as an independent laboratory, ensuring they do not compete with their clients. Beyond its core testing and forensic analysis capabilities, Sporometrics offers specialized training courses on field sampling, building ecology, and laboratory interpretation. Their work supports critical use cases ranging from assessing microbial growth in the built environment to ensuring quality control for pharmaceutical products and medical devices, underpinned by a long-standing history of leadership in both basic and applied scientific research.
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