Biospeckle-Based Sensor for Characterization of Charcoal Rot (Macrophomina Phaseolina (Tassi) Goid) Disease in Soybean (Glycine Max (L.) Merr.) Crop

Charcoal rot is one of the most destructive fungal diseases soybean, caused by pathogen called Macrophomina phaseolina. This disease thrives in warm and dry conditions, affecting yield soybean other important agronomic crops. Existing methods used to screen suffer from several drawbacks including, manual rating, low accuracy, high operating time, system complexity. To circumvent these drawbacks, we developed a laser biospeckle based sensor characterize charcoal crop. Applicability proposed was tested analyze three major aspects plant management, viz. characterization progression, early identification symptoms, analysis genetic resistance given cultivar towards disease. The experiments were conducted during Kharif season for two consecutive years (2019 2020) on cultivars namely, JS 90-41 AMS-MB-5-18. as well standard rating protocol (i.e. measuring length necrosis) extent progression different against M. phaseolina, new metrics, severity index susceptibility introduced. Biospeckle activity found be strongly correlated with lesion infected stems (r = +0.96, p <; .01, two-tailed (for 90-41) +0.95, AMS-MB-5-18) year 2019; r +0.97, +0.93, 2020). Experimental results clearly indicate that can an efficient tool detect its stages development. study provides insights into development implementation control measures increasing crop production.