Integrative automated high-throughput phenotyping of plant shoots and its application in development of plant growth regulators and stress-response studies

Recently emerging approaches of automated integrative high-throughput plant phenotyping have found their importance as tools in unravelling complex questions of plant growth, development and response to environment, both in basic and applied science. Since 2013, the Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research in Palacký University (Olomouc, Czech Republic) has been equipped with two PlantScreen phenotyping platforms by Photons Systems Instruments (Brno, Czech Republic). The both platforms are equipped with a chlorophyll fluorescence imaging, visual imaging, and hyperspectral imaging systems, and are located in climate chambers with controlled environment. As an important part of the chemical biology pipe-line the platform with capacity of up to 480 culture multi-well plates is used for high throughput screenings of compound libraries in plate-based bioassays to select the compounds increasing tolerance against various types of abiotic stress, for growth promoting activity, and identification of potential fungicides and herbicides, respectively. Second platform equipped with roller belt with capacity of 640 standardized Arabidopsis pots is used for subsequent detailed integrative phenotyping of model and crop plants treated with selected compounds. A number of examples will be presented to demonstrate how and to which extent the automated integrative high-throughput plant phenotyping platforms can improve the chemical biology programs of search for new plant growth regulators and stress-response studies.