Coordinated Autonomous Unmanned Aircraft Track Plant Pathogen

Researchers are tracking the movement of the potato late blight pathogen (Phytophthora infestans) in the atmosphere using autonomous (self-controlling) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This is a collaborative project sponsored by USDA-CSREES. Here, autonomous UAVs are flown by the Woolsey Laboratory over potato fields at Virginia Tech's Kentland Farm. The UAVs have special devices under their wings to collect sporangia of the late blight pathogen from the atmosphere. The UAVs are able to take off, coordinate flight paths, sample, and land without human intervention.