Location: Hard Winter Wheat Genetics Research
Project Number: 3020-21000-012-006-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2020
End Date: Aug 31, 2024
Objective:
Develop proximal and remote sensing technology for phenotyping host resistance and susceptibility for Hessian fly on wheat.
Approach:
Parasitism of young wheat plants by Hessian fly larvae results in symptoms of stunting and slightly darker green coloration. Because symptoms are often very subtle, scoring of plants for resistance or susceptibility is subject to significant misclassification errors. Novel, more accurate, and more objective phenotyping methods are needed. Previously it was shown that field infestations of Hessian fly negatively correlate with visible and near-infrared vegetation indices obtained by remote sensing platforms. We will evaluate time-series hyperspectral leaf reflectance data for wheat plants infested or not infested with Hessian fly in the greenhouse and in field plots over two years. For greenhouse studies, we will use a handheld leaf spectrometer to record hyperspectral reflectance of each plant in visible and near-infrared regions of the spectrum (400-1000 nm). For field studies, an unmanned aerial vehicle will be used to obtain hyperspectral scans. A set of ten isolines of cultivar 'Newton', each with a single Hf resistance gene, will be used to characterize the hyperspectral signatures of resistance and susceptibility compared to the Newton susceptible controls. Predictive algorithms for resistance level using hyperspectral data will be compared to classical visual scoring data in the greenhouse and in field plots.
