Detecting Boll Rot of Cotton with An Electronic Nose

The potential of using an electronic nose (Cyranose 320) to detect volatile emissions of cotton bolls infected with Pantoea agglomerans was examined on greenhouse-grown plants.  The Cyranose 320 was able to accurately discriminate between infected and non-infected bolls.  Additional test are being conducted to determine whether the electronic nose can discriminate between bolls infected with different species of bacteria.