Potential of the electronic-nose for the diagnosis of bacterial and fungal diseases in fruit trees.

The electronic-nose instrumentation has advanced rapidly during the past decade, as the need for highly sensitive, fast and accurate analytical measurements have considerably stimulated the interest in developing these sensors as diagnostic tools. Given that the pathogen-induced plant responses also include changes in emission of volatiles, the electronic-nose may represent a powerful and operator-friendly alternative for rapid and reliable screening of asymptomatic plant material. In the present study, the electronic nose EOS835 (Sacmi, Imola, Italy), based on metal oxide semiconductors, was used. EOS835 was able to detect asymptomatic apple and pear plants experimentally infected with Erwinia amylovora (fire blight). The electronic nose was also successfully tested for discriminating Botrytis and Sclerotinia rots on both green and yellow kiwifruits. Even if the electronic-nose can be successfully used in experimental conditions for early diagnosis of both pre- and post-harvest diseases, its practical application in open fields, nurseries and packing houses still requires further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]