A research trial between QUT, Agriculture Victoria and the Plant Biosecurity CRC successfully used drones equipped with hyperspectral cameras to pick up signs of the devastating pest in vines.

Until now, ground surveys and ground traps have been used to determine the presence and level of any infestation.

These were accurate but expensive and time consuming.

“UAVs could potentially be used for faster, more accurate and low-cost surveillance of grape phylloxera in vineyards,” Agriculture Victoria researchers at DEDJTR's Rutherglen Research Institute said. 

“Phylloxera detection relies upon finding “weak spots” in blocks within a vineyard and identifying symptoms on vines – such as yellowing of leaves, shorter vines when compared to adjacent ones, reduced grape bunches and weed undergrowth.

“Our research has shown that UAV-mounted imaging technologies can spot phylloxera infested vines, and reduce a surveillance process that normally takes trained experts several hours down to a quarter of an hour or so.”

There are more than 135,000 hectares of vineyards in Australia, with the industry contributing an estimated $40 billion to the nation’s economy each year.

Only select areas are affected by the aphid-like insect described as the world’s worst grapevine pest.

Agriculture Victoria researcher John Weiss said the project was part of a broader campaign to combat the pest.

“While most vineyards are free of phylloxera, there are Phylloxera Infested Zones in Victoria in Nagambie, Mooroopna, Whitebridge, Upton, North East Victoria and Maroondah – and around Albury and Corowa and Greater Sydney in New South Wales. There are also risk zones in Queensland and Victoria,” Dr Weiss said.

“Agriculture Victoria Research already has an extensive research program in place with Wine Australia to tackle phylloxera and this project complements those activities. 

“The data we have obtained will be very valuable to growers and we are proud to be doing what we can to assist the industry.”

Hyperspectral technology enabled researchers to look not only at the vineyard as a whole, but also each grape vine, and detect subtle differences in the plants.

The hyperspectral camera films in 270 colour bands, providing an incredible level of detail, far greater than human eye.

“The next steps will be to validate this work through field-testing in the North East Phylloxera Infested Zones and elsewhere, and to improve the technology so the UAVs might be able spot infestations at an earlier stage than the human eye can manage,” researchers at Rutherglen said.

“Early detection of infestations is critical to minimise the spread of different phylloxera strains between blocks, vineyards and regions.”