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A dry May so far for Manjimup—will it impact yields?

Author

Dan Robinson
May 13, 2023

Welcome. In this edition of Truffle News:

  • ☀️ A dry May so far for the Australian truffle-producing region of Manjimup

  • 🤖 Using machine learning for early identification of plants with water moulds

Manjimup in May: 50% drier than last year

Daily rainfall in May this year is lower than the equivalent period last year

  • Manjimup, Western Australia, has received less than half the May rainfall that it received for the equivalent period in May 2023. The first 13 days of May 2022 saw 53.8mm of rain compared to 23.2mm for the same period this year

  • The highest rainfall in May this year so far (6.8mm) is significantly less than the highest in May 2022 (33.4mm)

  • If this trend of reduced rainfall continues throughout the truffle season, it may lead to lower yields for the region

  • While drier, average daily minimum and maximum temperatures are comparable for the two periods. The mean daily low for the first 13 days of May 2022 was 8.7°C and the max was 18.8°C. The equivalent figures for this year are 8.8°C and 19.0°C

Scientists have used machine learning to identify Late Blight in tomatoes, part of the same genus as the mould responsible for sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum)

  • As described in a Nature paper, Polish researchers used a hyperspectral camera to capture images of the plants at different stages of disease progression for several diseases, including Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans)

  • Machine learning was used to successfully identify early and subtle changes in the plants' appearance as the diseases progressed

  • The machine learning models developed in the study could be adapted for use in oak and hazel trees. This could facilitate early detection and management of diseases like sudden oak death caused by Phytophthora ramorum