Application of a Multi-Spectral UAV Imagery in Germplasm Characterization: Prediction of Forage Biomass and Growth Patterns of Cicer Milkvetch (<i>Astragalus cicer</i> L.) Populations

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)-based multi-spectral imaging could reduce the intensive labour required in phenotyping germplasm in crop breeding. The objectives of this study were to examine if UAV-based imaging could differentiate cicer milkvetch (<i>Astragalus cicer</i> L.) germplasm a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: David MacTaggart, Steve Shirtliffe, Aaron Beattie, Herbert A. Lardner, Bill Biligetu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Agriculture
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/11/1969
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850149552205594624
author David MacTaggart
Steve Shirtliffe
Aaron Beattie
Herbert A. Lardner
Bill Biligetu
author_facet David MacTaggart
Steve Shirtliffe
Aaron Beattie
Herbert A. Lardner
Bill Biligetu
author_sort David MacTaggart
collection DOAJ
description Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)-based multi-spectral imaging could reduce the intensive labour required in phenotyping germplasm in crop breeding. The objectives of this study were to examine if UAV-based imaging could differentiate cicer milkvetch (<i>Astragalus cicer</i> L.) germplasm and identify UAV-based vegetation indices with correlations to its dry matter yield (DMY). A spaced nursery from 27 cicer milkvetch populations was established near Saskatoon, SK, Canada, in 2019. From 1 June to 15 October in 2020 and 2021, phenotypic traits including maximum stem length, leaf number per stem, rhizome spread rate, and stem density, along with two UAV-measured traits, green area and canopy volume, were measured bi-weekly. Forage DMY was determined in late June and mid-October of each year. In this study, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) green area and NDVI canopy volume data differentiated the three selected populations. NDVI green area had the highest correlation with forage DMY among the traits (June harvest: r = 0.91, October harvest: r = 0.77). Among measured phenotypic traits, maximum stem length had the highest correlation with forage DMY (June harvest: r = 0.74, October harvest: r = 0.83), which was significantly correlated to NDVI green area. The results indicated potential use of UAV-phenotyping in single plant evaluation in plant breeding.
format Article
id doaj-art-b98baba9c3b94476b3d6cf75e508f1ad
institution OA Journals
issn 2077-0472
language English
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Agriculture
spelling doaj-art-b98baba9c3b94476b3d6cf75e508f1ad2025-08-20T02:26:51ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722024-11-011411196910.3390/agriculture14111969Application of a Multi-Spectral UAV Imagery in Germplasm Characterization: Prediction of Forage Biomass and Growth Patterns of Cicer Milkvetch (<i>Astragalus cicer</i> L.) PopulationsDavid MacTaggart0Steve Shirtliffe1Aaron Beattie2Herbert A. Lardner3Bill Biligetu4Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, CanadaDepartment of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, CanadaDepartment of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, CanadaDepartment of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, CanadaDepartment of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, CanadaUnmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)-based multi-spectral imaging could reduce the intensive labour required in phenotyping germplasm in crop breeding. The objectives of this study were to examine if UAV-based imaging could differentiate cicer milkvetch (<i>Astragalus cicer</i> L.) germplasm and identify UAV-based vegetation indices with correlations to its dry matter yield (DMY). A spaced nursery from 27 cicer milkvetch populations was established near Saskatoon, SK, Canada, in 2019. From 1 June to 15 October in 2020 and 2021, phenotypic traits including maximum stem length, leaf number per stem, rhizome spread rate, and stem density, along with two UAV-measured traits, green area and canopy volume, were measured bi-weekly. Forage DMY was determined in late June and mid-October of each year. In this study, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) green area and NDVI canopy volume data differentiated the three selected populations. NDVI green area had the highest correlation with forage DMY among the traits (June harvest: r = 0.91, October harvest: r = 0.77). Among measured phenotypic traits, maximum stem length had the highest correlation with forage DMY (June harvest: r = 0.74, October harvest: r = 0.83), which was significantly correlated to NDVI green area. The results indicated potential use of UAV-phenotyping in single plant evaluation in plant breeding.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/11/1969multi-spectral imagingforage breedingphenotypingUAV/dronebiomassNDVI
spellingShingle David MacTaggart
Steve Shirtliffe
Aaron Beattie
Herbert A. Lardner
Bill Biligetu
Application of a Multi-Spectral UAV Imagery in Germplasm Characterization: Prediction of Forage Biomass and Growth Patterns of Cicer Milkvetch (<i>Astragalus cicer</i> L.) Populations
Agriculture
multi-spectral imaging
forage breeding
phenotyping
UAV/drone
biomass
NDVI
title Application of a Multi-Spectral UAV Imagery in Germplasm Characterization: Prediction of Forage Biomass and Growth Patterns of Cicer Milkvetch (<i>Astragalus cicer</i> L.) Populations
title_full Application of a Multi-Spectral UAV Imagery in Germplasm Characterization: Prediction of Forage Biomass and Growth Patterns of Cicer Milkvetch (<i>Astragalus cicer</i> L.) Populations
title_fullStr Application of a Multi-Spectral UAV Imagery in Germplasm Characterization: Prediction of Forage Biomass and Growth Patterns of Cicer Milkvetch (<i>Astragalus cicer</i> L.) Populations
title_full_unstemmed Application of a Multi-Spectral UAV Imagery in Germplasm Characterization: Prediction of Forage Biomass and Growth Patterns of Cicer Milkvetch (<i>Astragalus cicer</i> L.) Populations
title_short Application of a Multi-Spectral UAV Imagery in Germplasm Characterization: Prediction of Forage Biomass and Growth Patterns of Cicer Milkvetch (<i>Astragalus cicer</i> L.) Populations
title_sort application of a multi spectral uav imagery in germplasm characterization prediction of forage biomass and growth patterns of cicer milkvetch i astragalus cicer i l populations
topic multi-spectral imaging
forage breeding
phenotyping
UAV/drone
biomass
NDVI
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/11/1969
work_keys_str_mv AT davidmactaggart applicationofamultispectraluavimageryingermplasmcharacterizationpredictionofforagebiomassandgrowthpatternsofcicermilkvetchiastragaluscicerilpopulations
AT steveshirtliffe applicationofamultispectraluavimageryingermplasmcharacterizationpredictionofforagebiomassandgrowthpatternsofcicermilkvetchiastragaluscicerilpopulations
AT aaronbeattie applicationofamultispectraluavimageryingermplasmcharacterizationpredictionofforagebiomassandgrowthpatternsofcicermilkvetchiastragaluscicerilpopulations
AT herbertalardner applicationofamultispectraluavimageryingermplasmcharacterizationpredictionofforagebiomassandgrowthpatternsofcicermilkvetchiastragaluscicerilpopulations
AT billbiligetu applicationofamultispectraluavimageryingermplasmcharacterizationpredictionofforagebiomassandgrowthpatternsofcicermilkvetchiastragaluscicerilpopulations