Advances in Phenotyping of Functional Traits

Abstract

Phenotyping is analyzing a plant’s phenotype and providing a critical means to understand morphological, biochemical, and physiological principles in the control of basic plant functions as well as to select superior genotypes in plant breeding. Besides well-known classical plant phenotyping procedures based on visual observations, measurements, or biochemical analyses, many recent developments are target specific and highly automated analysis procedures. Automated phenotyping approaches are far more successful at the laboratory and greenhouse scale than in field conditions where many other variable factors complicate the retrieval of imaging data collected in the field. With respect to plant breeding, rapid measurement procedures, a high throughput, a high degree of automation, and an access to appropriate, well-conceived databases are required to depict the performance of certain genotypes in the field. This chapter will focus on destructive, nondestructive, and automated techniques available to quantify plant morphological and biomass traits, root system architecture, physiological functional traits, biochemical quality and nutritional compositions, and postharvest characteristics.