A new machine could help farmers to detect plant infections before they are visible by sampling the DNA of spores floating in the surrounding air.

Developed by researchers at the Natural History Museum and the Earlham Institute, the machine, dubbed AirSeq, could save farmers money while promoting sustainable farming practices.

Recent trials in England showed the potential for the device to combat devastating crop diseases. AirSeq filters thousands of litres of air to capture any biological material – including disease-causing fungi – before sequencing their DNA, identifying species present and measuring their abundance.

According to the researchers, the technology represents “a huge shift” in crop disease management that could empower farmers to combat diseases more efficiently and sustainably.

“At the moment, farmers spray their crops with fungicides to make their plants inhospitable to possible fungal infections, but as different crops are resistant to different pathogen strains, this...