pnut pnut Peanut Science 0095-3679 0095-3679 American Peanut Research and Education Society 10.3146/i0095-3679-4-2-8 Articles Severity of Sclerotinia Blight of Peanuts as Detected By Infrared Aerial Photography1 D. M. Porter 2, N. L. Powell 3, and P. R. Cobb 3 Plant Pathologist, ARS, USDA, Tidewater Research and Continuing Education Center, Holland Station, Suffolk, Virginia 23437 Assistant Professor and Research Associate of Agronomy, respectively, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, 24061

1Cooperative investigations of the Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agronomy, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Contribution No. 352, Department of Plant Pathology and Physiology, VPI & SU. Research supported in part by NASA Wallops Flight Center, Virginia, under NASA Contract No. NAS6-2388, The Virginia Agricultural Foundation, and the Virginia Peanut Growers Association, Inc.

 7 1977 7 1977 4 2 75 77 American Peanut Research and Education Society 1977 American Peanut Research and Education Society Abstract

The severity of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum as detected on aerial infrared photography was correlated with actual yield losses in the field. Peanut pod losses in the soil increased as disease severity became more pronounced as determined by imagery interpretation. In areas of fields on the imagery interpreted to be slightly, moderately and severely infected with S. sclerotiorum, pod losses due to infection were 2, 5 and 7 times greater, respectively, than normally expected losses in nondiseased areas (ca. 300 kg/ha). Sclerotial populations were 10 times greater in soil from severely infested areas on the field than from slightly and noninfested areas.