In situ Raman investigation of plant pathogens for sustainable agriculture

Nowadays, sustainable crop management is mandatory to limit economical losses, tailor pesticide usage and reduce crop damages caused by plant pathogens, especially when the visual detection of symptoms occurs too late to allow a therapeutic intervention. Raman spectroscopy is a non-invasive method that can be easily accessed for in-field monitoring, via handheld portable instruments, whose benefits rely on the capability of directly monitoring molecules associated with the plant health. The aim of this work is to develop a non-destructive methodology by combining the sensing capabilities of Raman spectroscopy with chemometric analysis, to classify the plants as healthy or infected.