The use of an electronic nose to detect early signs of soft-rot infection in potatoes

In this paper we report on the detection of soft-rot in potatoes caused by the bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum through the use of an array of low cost gas sensors. This disease results in significant crop losses in store (circa 5%) with associated negative financial impacts. At present, there is no commercial technological solution for soft rot detection in such stores, with store managers having to regularly inspect large volumes of potatoes. As soft-rot is associated with a strong odour and there is forced air movement through potato stores, our aim was to investigate the potential of an array of low-cost gas sensors to detect the disease. In laboratory conditions, 80 potatoes with and without soft rot (evenly split) were analysed by an array of 11 different gas sensors. These were tested at both pre-symptomatic and symptomatic time points. Results indicated that 100% detection accuracy could be achieved at both time points with only 3 sensors. The identified sensors therefore offer promise for an automated in-store monitoring system.