By Andi Anderson
Insignum AgTech has initiated a collaboration with researchers from Purdue University’s College of Agriculture and College of Engineering to develop tools for early detection of tar spot disease in corn.
Supported by grants from the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and an Innovation Voucher from the state of Indiana, this project brings together expertise in multiple fields.
Insignum CEO and Purdue alumnus Kyle Mohler explained that the collaboration leverages DNA already present in corn plants to create a new gene that reveals infections early. This gene causes the leaves to form purple spots at the site of infection about a week before traditional symptoms appear.
C.D. Cruz, an associate professor of botany and plant pathology at Purdue, is a leading expert in phenotyping tar spot in both greenhouse and field conditions.
Cruz and his team, including Alex Acosta, Mariela Fernandez, and Andrés Cruz, are inoculating Insignum corn with tar spot to test the early detection gene.
Jian Jin, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue, has developed LeafSpec, a hand-held hyperspectral plant leaf scanner.
This device can detect early disease symptoms, nutrient deficiencies, and responses to chemical treatments. Jin’s team will use LeafSpec to capture images of corn plants and develop algorithms to detect color changes from drone imagery in Insignum’s 2024 field trials.
Tar spot, caused by the Phyllachora maydis fungus, reduces a corn plant’s ability to absorb sunlight, weakening the plant and lowering yield. First detected in the U.S. in 2015, tar spot has become the most damaging pathogen to corn by 2023.
“By 2023 it was the most damaging pathogen to corn in the country,” said Mohler. “Tar spot’s rate of spread, the amount of damage it causes and the fact many U.S. corn varieties aren’t resistant makes it the most concerning corn disease to American farmers.”
The collaboration aims to help farmers identify tar spot early, allowing timely treatment to prevent significant crop damage. "Treating at the right time is critical to treat the disease. It is challenging to get correct," said Mohler.
C.D. Cruz emphasized the impact of tar spot on yield and the importance of precise control methods. “Tar spot has caused significant yield reductions, with losses of up to 50% in severe epidemics. Traditional control methods, such as fungicide applications, are expensive and require precise timing to be effective,” said Cruz. “This collaboration is promising as it aims to develop more effective and timely phenotyping strategies.”
Jian Jin highlighted the importance of early detection. “Having a sensor system for earlier detection of tar spot is critically important for farmers to make timely decisions on field applications,” said Jin. “The collaboration between Insignum and LeafSpec is like combining a great magnifier and the best camera for the clearest image of tar spot.”
Ben Forsythe, director of sustainability and value creation at the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, expressed enthusiasm for the project. “Research and technologies like Insignum could be foundational to Indiana corn production in the years to come,” Forsythe said.
The collaboration is expected to last through the end of 2024, with the goal of enhancing scouting efforts and improving crop protection for farmers.
Photo Credit: purdue-university
Categories: Indiana, Education