Future scenarios for plant phenotyping

Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2013:64:267-91. doi: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-050312-120137. Epub 2013 Feb 28.

Abstract

With increasing demand to support and accelerate progress in breeding for novel traits, the plant research community faces the need to accurately measure increasingly large numbers of plants and plant parameters. The goal is to provide quantitative analyses of plant structure and function relevant for traits that help plants better adapt to low-input agriculture and resource-limited environments. We provide an overview of the inherently multidisciplinary research in plant phenotyping, focusing on traits that will assist in selecting genotypes with increased resource use efficiency. We highlight opportunities and challenges for integrating noninvasive or minimally invasive technologies into screening protocols to characterize plant responses to environmental challenges for both controlled and field experimentation. Although technology evolves rapidly, parallel efforts are still required because large-scale phenotyping demands accurate reporting of at least a minimum set of information concerning experimental protocols, data management schemas, and integration with modeling. The journey toward systematic plant phenotyping has only just begun.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Agriculture
  • Botany / methods
  • Botany / trends
  • Breeding
  • Environment
  • Genotype
  • Phenotype*
  • Plant Development
  • Plants / anatomy & histology*
  • Plants / genetics*