An in-field sensor to detect diseases before they appear on a crop is in trial in the UK.

At Cereals 2026, SporeSense received a lot of attention for its sensor that can inform a farmer if they need to apply a fungicide to protect their crop before symptoms appear.

The sensor sits on a pole and features a wind vane to ensure the inlet is always facing directly into the wind to catch the airborne spores. The

unit contains an artificial material that mimics a leaf and the way in which spores interact with the leaves of a crop.

The artificial material is contained on a disc cartridge and needs to be replaced every month throughout the growing season.

The sensor works by continuously drawing in air from just above the crop canopy and then counting pathogen spores through an optical system. The optical system can differentiate between species specific spores and detects whether the spores are active or not too.

Data platform

This data is transmitted wirelessly to an online platform which analyses the readings and determines whether the farmer should be alerted to apply a fungicide before symptoms appear on the leaves.

The farmer or agronomist can also view the spread of a disease across a farm and a prediction of when a disease will enter a crop.

At present, the sensor is primarily focused on yellow rust in wheat, but the company hopes to expand this to other diseases such as septoria and mildew, and other crops too.

SporeSense claims that the sensor can detect pathogen spores seven to 14 days quicker than conventional visual scouting.

This can help to improve disease control by preventing a disease from establishing in a crop through early intervention.

It also allows for targeted fungicide applications and a possible reduction in fungicide use if spores are not active in the crop.

The sensor is being trialled on commercial farms this year, with the hope of having units on sale for the 2027 season.