Anna Underhill
Papers
3
Total Citations
39
H-Index
3
About
Anna Underhill is a leading researcher in precision plant pathology, whose work is transforming disease management in viticulture. Her primary research areas include the use of ultraviolet (UV) light for disease suppression, non-destructive sensing for fungicide efficacy, and computer vision for high-throughput phenotyping. Underhill’s most impactful contribution is her pioneering work on nighttime applications of germicidal ultraviolet light (UV-C) to control powdery mildew, downy mildew, and sour rot in grapevines. Her 2022 study, cited 26 times, demonstrated that UV-C applied during darkness effectively inhibits *Erysiphe necator* conidial germination, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional fungicides. She has also advanced field-level diagnostics through hyperspectral sensing, enabling non-destructive monitoring of foliar fungicide efficacy—a tool that could help growers combat widespread fungicide resistance. Most recently, Underhill developed a computer vision device that outperforms expert manual microscopy in detecting host resistance loci, a breakthrough for quantitative trait locus discovery. Her innovative, interdisciplinary approach—bridging photobiology, sensor technology, and machine learning—positions her at the forefront of sustainable, data-driven agriculture.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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