Assessment of the severity of bacterial leaf blight in rice using canopy hyperspectral reflectance

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) is an important vascular disease of irrigated rice and serious infestations may cause a significant loss of yield. This study analyzed hyperspectral canopy reflectance spectra of two rice cultivars with different susceptibilities to BLB to establish spectral models for assessing disease severity for future site-specific management. The results indicated that wavebands from 757 to 1039 nm were the most sensitive region of the spectrum for the moderately susceptible cultivar TNG 67, whereas most narrow bands showed a significant relationship for the highly susceptible cultivar TCS 10. All the spectral indices (SIs) calculated had significant relationships with proportions of infested area in cultivar TCS 10, but only two SIs correlated significantly with cultivar TNG 67. The relation between the severity of the disease and spectral reflectance for the less susceptible cultivar TNG 67 can be improved by using a multiple linear regression approach.