DiaMOS Plant: A Dataset for Diagnosis and Monitoring Plant Disease

The classification and recognition of foliar diseases is an increasingly developing field of research, where the concepts of machine and deep learning are used to support agricultural stakeholders. Datasets are the fuel for the development of these technologies. In this paper, we release and make publicly available the field dataset collected to diagnose and monitor plant symptoms, called DiaMOS Plant, consisting of 3505 images of pear fruit and leaves affected by four diseases. In addition, we perform a comparative analysis of existing literature datasets designed for the classification and recognition of leaf diseases, highlighting the main features that maximize the value and information content of the collected data. This study provides guidelines that will be useful to the research community in the context of the selection and construction of datasets.

Response of Intermediate Ripening Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) Cultivars to Frog Eye (Cercospora nicotianae) and Alternaria Leaf Spot (Alternaria alternata) in the Medium Growing Areas of Zimbabwe

Background: Alternaria leaf spot (Alternaria alternata) and Frog eye leaf spot (Cercospora nicotianae) are foliar diseases of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) which occur mainly in mature tobacco. Hence, the diseases are often associated with maturity of cured tobacco leaf at the tobacco sales floor in Zimbabwe. Where they occur, they can result in significant reductions in yield and quality of cured tobacco leaf. Methods: A study was carried out in Trewaney, Mashonaland West province in Zimbabwe to investigate the response of newly developed ten flue cured tobacco varieties to the two foliar diseases Alternaria leaf spot (Alternaria alternata) and frog eye leaf spot (Cercospora nicotianae). The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. Standard agronomic practices in tobacco farming were followed and disease assessments were done 18 weeks after planting. Result: Significant differences (p less than 0.05) for resistance to alternaria leaf spot were observed with the experimental hybrid T60 showing the highest resistance to the disease with a disease score of 1.6 under a 0-6 disease scale that ranges from 0 (no disease) to 6 (severely affected). However, there were no significant (p greater than 0.05) differences among the varieties for frog eye leaf spot resistance, yield (kg/ha) and quality as measured by the grade index, however, K 326 showed the highest resistance to frog eye leaf spot. All the varieties, however, showed resistance to the two diseases. It was concluded that K 326 was the source of the resistance to frog eye leaf spot in all the experimental hybrids evaluated and that T60 had the highest Alternaria leaf spot resistance obtained from its parents which are both classified as resistant to the disease.

Diplodia Leaf Streak of Corn: A Diagnostic Guide

The official common name of the foliar disease on corn is Diplodia leaf streak, often given the shorthand nomenclature DLS. The only known host of DLS is corn (Zea mays). The fungus that causes DLS is Stenocarpella macrospora (syn. Diplodia macrospora). DLS symptoms can be confused with several common foliar diseases of corn. This guide details symptoms and signs, as well as pathogen identification.