Using Automated High-Throughput Phenotyping using the LemnaTec Imaging Platform to Visualize and Quantify Stress Influence in Barley

The LemnaTec-Scanalyzer 3D system in the IPK Gatersleben was established in 2008 and was one of the first such platforms in the public domain. Plants can be phenotyped with high-throughput fully automated over the growing cycle with three different camera systems using I) visible light, II) fluorescence, and III) near infrared. Within the CROP.SENSe.net project, 16 two-rowed German spring barley cultivars from a barley reference core set have been analyzed in the vegetative stage in three independent experiments for their drought tolerance and recovery ability. After stress treatment biomass was reduced in average by 55 % and plant height by 16 %. In general, the earliest parameter reacting to stress was the estimated digital biomass. The growth of stressed plants was reduced already after 4 to 5 days of stress compared to the control plants, before any other visible sign of stress could be detected. Cultivars showed phenotypic differences both under well watered and under drought conditions. With daily non-invasive imaging of plant growth it is now possible to quantify growth related parameters, detect stress symptoms and their timing as well as estimate the recovery of growth after drought stress. Thereby it is possible to characterize genotypes (G), experiments (environments, E) and GxE interaction at each time desired.

Currently the system is used to screen a diverse spring barley panel of world-wide origin adding two well-known drought tolerant cultivars Arta and Tadmor as checks. The goal is to combine detailed genotypic information with deep and robust phenotypic data employing a Genome-Wide Association (GWA) approach for detection of QTL. The collection is already genotyped using 7,864 SNP markers. The genotypes show a good phenotypic diversity in growth under control and drought stress conditions.