Crop Phenotyping

Crop phenotyping aims at a quantification of quality, photosynthesis, development, architecture, growth or biomass productivity of single plants or plant stands using a broad variety of sensors and analysis procedures. Some of these sensors and procedures have originally been established in remote sensing, some in precision agriculture, while others are laboratory-based imaging procedures. They quantify plant colour, spectral reflection, chlorophyll-fluorescence, temperature and other properties, from which traits such as biomass, architecture, ear number, photosynthetic efficiency, stomatal aperture or stress resistance can be derived. Crop phenotyping presents an indispensible means to investigate physiological principles involved in the control of basic plant functions as well as for selecting superior genotypes in plant breeding programs.