种田农民

Methods for classifying plants by remote sensing and image analysis
technology are presented. These methods are useful for evaluating
plants and for selecting plants for a plant breeding program which
has as its goal to selectively alter phenotype. The methods combine
the newer techniques of remote sensing technology to obtain
indirect correlates of the traits of interest, with classical
pedigree breeding strategies. Thermal and infrared reflectance
measures of plant canopies are examples of energy values measured
by remote sensing, used to indirectly predict the selected
traits.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of plant breeding, the method comprising the steps
of:

a) essentially simultaneously obtaining a separate energy value for
each of a plurality of genotypes of said plant using remote sensing
of said genotypes;

b) performing operations on said energy value to define a
descriptor of a phenotypic trait in said genotypes;

c) using said descriptor to compare the values of said phenotypic
trait among a plurality of said genotypes;

d) identifying from said genotypes a genotype that displays a
preferred value of said phenotypic trait relative to a second
genotype to which the identified genotype was compared; and

e) selecting said identified genotype and

(i) crossing plants of said identified genotype with the same
genotype or a second genotype for purposes of plant breeding; or

(ii) growing plants of said identified genotype for further
evaluation of phenotypic trait performance.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the energy values comprise those
produced by reflectance of active or passive electromagnetic
radiation by the plants.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the energy values are further
defined as recorded by multispectral color-infrared
photometry.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the recorded energy values
comprise a descriptor predictive of photosynthetic activity of the
plants.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the recorded energy values
comprise a descriptor predictive of plant morphological response to
an environment.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the plant morphological response
to an environment comprises leaf rolling.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the descriptor of a first
phenotype of the plants comprises a descriptor used to predict a
second phenotype of the plants.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the second phenotype is
yield.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the energy values comprise those
produced by emission of electromagnetic radiation by the
plants.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the energy values are further
defined as comprising thermal output of a canopy formed by the
plurality of plants.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the thermal output of the plant
canopy comprises a descriptor predictive of photosynthetic activity
of the plants.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the thermal output of the plant
canopy comprises a descriptor predictive of plant morphological
response to an environment.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the plant morphological response
to an environment comprises leaf rolling.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the thermal output of the plant
canopy comprises a descriptor predictive of plant water
status.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein an image of energy values is
obtained by video technology.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the video technology comprises
video systems for multispectral reflectance recording.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the image comprises an image
obtained by remote sensing using aerial surveillance of the
plants.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the plants comprise corn
plants.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the corn plants comprise hybrid
plants.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the corn plants comprise
segregating offspring populations produced by self-fertilization of
hybrid plants.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the plants comprise sorghum
plants.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the plants comprise soybean
plants.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the operations performed on an
image comprise digitization and image enhancement.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the operations are further
defined as comprising factor analysis of the digitized values of
the image.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the factors analyzed comprise
principal components of the digitized values.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the operations are further
defined as comprising determining the standard deviations of the
factors of the digitized values of the image.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the factors are principal
components.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the standard deviations are
predictive of yield.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein the plants are growing in a
field.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the field is divided into
subplots.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the subplots comprise plants of
different genotypes.

32. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting certain
classes of plants for subsequent breeding.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the gametes of the plants
selected are used for subsequent breeding.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising a comparison of the
phenotypes of the different genotypes.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein the defined phenotypic trait is
stress response.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the stress responded to
comprises different levels of water availability.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein the stress responded to
comprises different levels of temperature.

38. The method of claim 1 wherein the phenotypic trait is
resistance to insects.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the insects comprise European
corn borer or rootworm.

40. The method of claim 1 wherein the phenotypic trait is disease
resistance.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein disease resistance is further
defined as comprising resistance to fungal, viral, or bacteria
plant diseases.

42. The method of claim 1 wherein the defined phenotypic trait is
the response of said identified genotype to environmental
change.

43. The method of claim 1 wherein the defined phenotypic trait is
yield.

44. The method of claim 1 wherein the defined phenotypic trait is
wide area adaptability of genotypes.

45. The method of claim 1 wherein the defined phenotypic trait is
drought resistance.

46. The method of claim 1 where the defined phenotypic trait is
yield stability.

47. The method of claim 1 wherein said genotypes are selected based
on genetic improvement.

48. The method of claim 1 wherein said identified genotype is
crossed with the same genotype or a second genotype for purposes of
plant breeding.

49. The method of claim 1 wherein said identified genotype is grown
for further evaluation of phenotypic trait performance.

50. A method for selecting Zea mays plants for cultivar development
based on predicting genotype contribution to the value of a defined
phenotypic trait in a plant genotype at a given generation, said
method comprising the steps of:

a) essentially simultaneously obtaining an energy value by remote
sensing of said plant genotype at a generation different than said
given generation;

b) performing operations on said energy value to develop a
quantitative descriptor of a phenotypic trait in said plant
genotype;

c) using said descriptor to predict the contribution of said
genotype to said defined phenotypic trait at said given generation; and

d) selecting a genotype based on said prediction and

(i) crossing plants of said identified genotype with the same
genotype or a second genotype for purposes of plant breeding; or

(ii) growing plants of said desired genotype for further evaluation
of phenotypic trait performance.

51. The method of claim 1 wherein the defined phenotypic trait is
herbicide resistance.
~Abstract