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Plant function and evolutionary biology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Image based phenotyping during winter: a powerful tool to assess wheat genetic variation in growth response to temperature

Christoph Grieder A , Andreas Hund A and Achim Walter A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.

B Corresponding author. Email: achim.walter@usys.ethz.ch

Functional Plant Biology 42(4) 387-396 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP14226
Submitted: 14 August 2014  Accepted: 16 December 2014   Published: 27 January 2015

Abstract

Having a strong effect on plant growth, temperature adaption has become a major breeding aim. Due to a lack of efficient methods, we developed an image-based approach to characterise genotypes for their temperature behaviour in the field. Twenty-nine winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes were continuously monitored at 3-day intervals on a plot basis during early growth from November to March using a modified digital camera. Canopy cover (CC) was determined by segmentation of leaves in calibrated images. Relative growth rates (RGR) of CC were then calculated for each measurement interval and related to the respective temperature. Also, classical traits used in plant breeding were assessed. Measurements of CC at single dates were highly repeatable with respect to genotype. For the tested range of temperatures (0−7°C), a linear relation between RGR and temperature was observed. Genotypes differed for base temperature and increase in RGR with rising temperature, these two traits showing a strong positive correlation with each other but being independent of CC at a single date. Our simple approach is suitable to screen large populations for differences in growth response to environmental stimuli. Furthermore, the derived parameters reveal additional information that cannot be assessed by usual measurements of static size.

Additional keywords: canopy development, dry matter accumulation, growth regulation, plant phenomics, temperature effects.


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