UAV-based field phenotyping to assess yield-related traits in potato genotypes

Abstract

Abstract Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based phenotyping has been applied to assess potato traits, however, its use to identify canopy traits associated with tuber yield across diverse genotypes remains limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of UAV-based field phenotyping, integrating RGB and thermal imaging, to identify key canopy traits associated with tuber yield and it´s agronomic components in a set of eight potato genotypes grown across two environments and two growing seasons. Despite higher seasonal rainfall in Chiloé, tuber yields were consistently greater in Osorno, underscoring that total precipitation alone is less important than its temporal distribution and effective crop water availability; this makes it necessary to supplement with irrigation during the period of highest demand. RGB-derived vegetation indices and canopy temperature successfully differentiated genotypes, although their discriminatory power varied according to developmental stage and environmental conditions, with intermediate to late growth stages generally providing the strongest genotype separation. Canopy temperature supplied complementary physiological information related to canopy water status, whereas RGB traits captured broader variation in canopy structure and greenness. These findings highlight the importance of integrating phenological stage and environmental context when interpreting remote sensing data, and demonstrate the strong potential of UAV-based HTP to support breeding and agronomic strategies aimed at improving drought resilience, yield stability, and selection efficiency in potato.

Plant phenotyping relevance

UAVによるRGB・熱画像を用いた圃場フェノタイピングが中心で、ジャガイモのキャノピー形質を抽出・評価し、遺伝子型間比較や収量関連性を検討している。

Code and data availability

The preprint describes UAV RGB/thermal phenotyping of potato but provides no public deposit of its phenotype datasets, images, or analysis code. The two URLs mentioned (IRMapper on GitHub and the bio-protocol.org/e1488 thermal macro) are third-party/generic tools used for processing, not paper-specific assets with an作者

No evidence-backed public reproduction asset is currently recorded.