Recent Advances in Microfluidics for the Early Detection of Plant Diseases in Vegetables, Fruits, and Grains Caused by Bacteria, Fungi, and Viruses

In the context of global population growth expected in the future, enhancing the agri-food yield is crucial. Plant diseases significantly impact crop production and food security. Modern microfluidics offers a compact and convenient approach for detecting these defects. Although this field is still in its infancy and few comprehensive reviews have explored this topic, practical research has great potential. This paper reviews the principles, materials, and applications of microfluidic technology for detecting plant diseases caused by various pathogens. Its performance in realizing the separation, enrichment, and detection of different pathogens is discussed in depth to shed light on its prospects. With its versatile design, microfluidics has been developed for rapid, sensitive, and low-cost monitoring of plant diseases. Incorporating modules for separation, preconcentration, amplification, and detection enables the early detection of trace amounts of pathogens, enhancing crop security. Coupling with imaging systems, smart and digital devices are increasingly being reported as advanced solutions.