Using sensors to assess herbicide stress in sugar beet

摘要

Sensor technologies can be of assistance in agriculture, providing safer yields while reducing costs. Weed management in sugar beets is mainly based on herbicides, which can also injure the crop. Different sensor technologies were used to identify andpossibly quantify the stress reaction on sugar beets caused by a variety of herbicide mixtures. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the ability of these technologies to effectively determine herbicide stress prior to any visual recognition. Measuring leaf coverage area with a RGB camera revealed significant growth depression induced by herbicides. The Multiplex* sensor enabled the discrimination of plants treated with PSII-inhibitors from untreated plants. A portable chlorophyll fluorescence imaging sensor identified stress symptoms in sugar beet, classifying different treatments. Sensor methods show a good potential to identify herbicide stress symptoms in sugar beet, shortly after application.