Previsual and Early Detection of Myrtle Rust on Rose Apple Using Indices Derived from Thermal Imagery and Visible-to-Short-Infrared Spectroscopy.

Myrtle rust, caused by the fungus , is a serious disease, which affects many Myrtaceae species. Commercial nurseries that propagate Myrtaceae species are prone to myrtle rust and require a reliable method that allows previsual and early detection of the disease. This study uses time-series thermal imagery and visible-to-short-infrared spectroscopy measurements acquired over 10 days from 81 rose apple plants () that were either inoculated with myrtle rust or maintained disease-free.