Abstract: Lesions caused by insects feeding on plants are associated with the generation of regions of blue-green fluorescence in such as the cotton boll carpel wall and in the lint region. The present disclosure now provides methods and devices to rapidly and non-invasively detect and measure the insect-related fluorescence and relate the fluorescence generated to the likelihood of insect damage in a crop. In particular, the methods are related to stink bug damage in the cotton plant, but are also suitable for the detection of insect-related damage of any plant. The methods of detecting insect-induced damage in a target plant tissue may comprise exposing a target plant or a fragment thereof, to an ultraviolet or violet light; and detecting an ultraviolet light-induced fluorescence from the target plant or the fragment thereof, thereby indicating the presence of insect-related plant damage.

Abstract: Lesions caused by insects feeding on plants are associated with the generation of regions of blue-green fluorescence in such as the cotton boll carpel wall and in the lint region. The present disclosure now provides methods and devices to rapidly and non-invasively detect and measure the insect-related fluorescence and relate the fluorescence generated to the likelihood of insect damage in a crop. In particular, the methods are related to stink bug damage in the cotton plant, but are also suitable for the detection of insect-related damage of any plant. The methods of detecting insect-induced damage in a target plant tissue may comprise exposing a target plant or a fragment thereof, to an ultraviolet or violet light; and detecting an ultraviolet light-induced fluorescence from the target plant or the fragment thereof, thereby indicating the presence of insect-related plant damage.