Utility of unmanned aerial systems for measuring plant height and plant vigor among several Georgia runner peanut cultivars

Abstract Stand establishment, early‐season seedling vigor, and mid‐season canopy closure ensure peanut growers’ timely achievement of a vigorous crop that can resist weeds, take advantage of available moisture and nutrients, and produce optimal yield. Direct measurement of these traits is prohibitiv...

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Main Authors: Nino Brown, Jing Zhang, Jerome Maleski, Brian Schwartz, William D. Branch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-01-01
Series:Plant Phenome Journal
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ppj2.20053
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author Nino Brown
Jing Zhang
Jerome Maleski
Brian Schwartz
William D. Branch
author_facet Nino Brown
Jing Zhang
Jerome Maleski
Brian Schwartz
William D. Branch
author_sort Nino Brown
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Stand establishment, early‐season seedling vigor, and mid‐season canopy closure ensure peanut growers’ timely achievement of a vigorous crop that can resist weeds, take advantage of available moisture and nutrients, and produce optimal yield. Direct measurement of these traits is prohibitively time consuming in large breeding trials and nurseries. Estimations based on visual ratings are rapid but require extensive training and experience for reliable data. Technological improvements in camera and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) has made them a practical and beneficial tool for plant breeders. This study evaluated the use of UAS for measuring plant growth‐related traits in a replicated yield trial of 16 Georgia runner‐type peanut cultivars. Flights were conducted at similar times with ground measurements and visual ratings of seedling and mid‐season plant vigor at the University of Georgia's Gibbs Research Farm in Tifton, GA, from 2019 to 2021. High correlations and similar ranks were seen between UAS‐derived and manual measurements for plant height among cultivars evaluated at mid‐season and late‐season (r2 = 0.95 and 0.75, respectively). For early‐season vigor evaluations, moderate correlations were achieved (r2 = 0.11–0.41), however, high correlations and similar results were evident comparing UAS‐derived mid‐season growth characteristics and visual vigor ratings (r2 = 0.75–0.86). Given the affordability and efficiency of data collection, UAS‐based phenotyping provides a promising and powerful tool for high throughput peanut breeding programs.
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spelling doaj.art-aa9ee77d83284042a7a1440a107718f02022-12-27T06:00:36ZengWileyPlant Phenome Journal2578-27032022-01-0151n/an/a10.1002/ppj2.20053Utility of unmanned aerial systems for measuring plant height and plant vigor among several Georgia runner peanut cultivarsNino Brown0Jing Zhang1Jerome Maleski2Brian Schwartz3William D. Branch4Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, Dep. of Crop and Soil Sciences Univ. of Georgia Coastal Plains Experiment Station, Tifton Campus Tifton GA USAInstitute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, Dep. of Crop and Soil Sciences Univ. of Georgia Coastal Plains Experiment Station, Tifton Campus Tifton GA USAInstitute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, Dep. of Crop and Soil Sciences Univ. of Georgia Coastal Plains Experiment Station, Tifton Campus Tifton GA USAInstitute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, Dep. of Crop and Soil Sciences Univ. of Georgia Coastal Plains Experiment Station, Tifton Campus Tifton GA USAInstitute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, Dep. of Crop and Soil Sciences Univ. of Georgia Coastal Plains Experiment Station, Tifton Campus Tifton GA USAAbstract Stand establishment, early‐season seedling vigor, and mid‐season canopy closure ensure peanut growers’ timely achievement of a vigorous crop that can resist weeds, take advantage of available moisture and nutrients, and produce optimal yield. Direct measurement of these traits is prohibitively time consuming in large breeding trials and nurseries. Estimations based on visual ratings are rapid but require extensive training and experience for reliable data. Technological improvements in camera and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) has made them a practical and beneficial tool for plant breeders. This study evaluated the use of UAS for measuring plant growth‐related traits in a replicated yield trial of 16 Georgia runner‐type peanut cultivars. Flights were conducted at similar times with ground measurements and visual ratings of seedling and mid‐season plant vigor at the University of Georgia's Gibbs Research Farm in Tifton, GA, from 2019 to 2021. High correlations and similar ranks were seen between UAS‐derived and manual measurements for plant height among cultivars evaluated at mid‐season and late‐season (r2 = 0.95 and 0.75, respectively). For early‐season vigor evaluations, moderate correlations were achieved (r2 = 0.11–0.41), however, high correlations and similar results were evident comparing UAS‐derived mid‐season growth characteristics and visual vigor ratings (r2 = 0.75–0.86). Given the affordability and efficiency of data collection, UAS‐based phenotyping provides a promising and powerful tool for high throughput peanut breeding programs.https://doi.org/10.1002/ppj2.20053
spellingShingle Nino Brown
Jing Zhang
Jerome Maleski
Brian Schwartz
William D. Branch
Utility of unmanned aerial systems for measuring plant height and plant vigor among several Georgia runner peanut cultivars
Plant Phenome Journal
title Utility of unmanned aerial systems for measuring plant height and plant vigor among several Georgia runner peanut cultivars
title_full Utility of unmanned aerial systems for measuring plant height and plant vigor among several Georgia runner peanut cultivars
title_fullStr Utility of unmanned aerial systems for measuring plant height and plant vigor among several Georgia runner peanut cultivars
title_full_unstemmed Utility of unmanned aerial systems for measuring plant height and plant vigor among several Georgia runner peanut cultivars
title_short Utility of unmanned aerial systems for measuring plant height and plant vigor among several Georgia runner peanut cultivars
title_sort utility of unmanned aerial systems for measuring plant height and plant vigor among several georgia runner peanut cultivars
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ppj2.20053
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