Development of a digital phenotyping platform for evaluation of maize genotypes

• Grant number: 24/17446-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: November 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Plant Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Juliana Erika de Carvalho Teixeira Yassitepe
• Grantee: Juliana Vieira Almeida Nonato
• Host Institution: Centro de Biologia Molecular e Engenharia Genética (CBMEG). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Centro de Biologia Molecular e Engenharia Genética (CBMEG)
• Associated research grant: 16/23218-0 - The Genomics for Climate Change Research Center, AP.PCPE

Abstract

Plant phenotyping has evolved significantly in recent years, with the incorporation of non-destructive tools such as imaging, sensors and spectroscopy, to name the most widely used techniques. The response of corn plants to water stress is complex and dynamic, involving different mechanisms expressed throughout the growth cycle and dependent on the amount of water restriction the plant is experiencing. To advance our understanding of the genetic architecture of drought response mechanisms, as well as to correctly assess the effect of overexpressed or edited genes generated by the GCCRC maize transformation pipeline, a high-precision phenotyping platform incorporating non-destructive tools is essential. The GCCRC has developed a real-time phenotyping platform using sensors to monitor leaf temperature, sap flow and evapotranspiration. However, digital imaging has not been incorporated, which limits the application and understanding of the response to water stress. In this project, we aim to expand this plant phenotyping tool in a greenhouse, integrating the use of sensors and images, to dynamically and accurately evaluate plant growth and their physiological and morphological responses to imposed water restrictions.