An experimental setup for the study of Plasmopara viticola on vine leaves by fluorescence

The early recognition of a specific disease on a plant permits of intervening quickly and efficiently, avoiding the spreading of the infection on all the plants, reducing the use of substances, and incrementing the quantity and quality of production. In Italy the precision agriculture applied to wine industry is particularly interesting: one of the major productive sectors is wine, with the production of quality grapes resulting in wine of great quality. The aim of this study is to detect and investigate the presence of Plasmopara viticola on the surface of vine leaves using an experimental setup based on a spectrophotometer, operating in the UV-NIR spectral band. The results were aimed at differentiating healthy leaves from those affected by Plasmopara viticola.