Link: AI Diagnoses Devastating Olive Tree Infection (Scientific American, Aug 1, 2022)
Summary: Xylella fastidiosa is one of the most dangerous plant bacteria in the world. Known to cause Olive Quick Decline Syndrome, this bacteria lives in the sap of olive trees, blocking water and nutrient uptake until the tree can no longer produce crops of olives. Insects who feed on the sap rapidly spread the bacteria between plants. The presence of Xylella fastidiosa is estimated to cause a production loss of 5.5 billion euros annually. Can a machine-learning algorithm learn to analyze a trees’ metabolic data to determine which ones to treat instead of chopping them all down?