High Throughput Field Phenotyping

Abstract

The chapter aims to provide guidance on how phenotyping may contrib­ute to the genetic advance of wheat in terms of yield potential and resilience to adverse conditions. Emphasis will be given to field high throughput phenotyping, including affordable solutions, together with the need for environmental and spatial characterization. Different remote sensing techniques and platforms are presented, while concerning lab techniques only a well proven trait, such as carbon isotope composition, is included. Finally, data integration and its implementation in prac­tice is discussed. In that sense and considering the physiological determinants of wheat yield that are amenable for indirect selection, we highlight stomatal conduc­tance and stay green as key observations. This choice of traits and phenotyping techniques is based on results from a large set of retrospective and other physiologi­cal studies that have proven the value of these traits together with the highlighted phenotypical approaches.