Deep Learning for Strawberry Canopy Delineation and Biomass Prediction from High-Resolution Images.

Modeling plant canopy biophysical parameters at the individual plant level remains a major challenge. This study presents a workflow for automatic strawberry canopy delineation and biomass prediction from high-resolution images using deep neural networks. High-resolution (5 mm) RGB orthoimages, near-infrared (NIR) orthoimages, and Digital Surface Models (DSM), which were generated by Structure from Motion (SfM), were utilized in this study.

A novel allele of the P-starvation tolerance gene OsPSTOL1 from African rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud) and its distribution in the genus Oryza.

We have developed allele-specific markers for molecular breeding to transfer the PSTOL1 gene from Kasalath to African mega-varieties, including NERICAs, to improve their tolerance to P-deficient soil. The deficiency of phosphorus (P) in soil is a major problem in Sub-Saharan Africa due to general nutrient depletion and the presence of P-fixing soils. Developing rice cultivars with enhanced P efficiency would, therefore, represent a sustainable strategy to improve the livelihood of resource-poor farmers.

The protein kinase Pstol1 from traditional rice confers tolerance of phosphorus deficiency.

As an essential macroelement for all living cells, phosphorus is indispensable in agricultural production systems. Natural phosphorus reserves are limited, and it is therefore important to develop phosphorus-efficient crops. A major quantitative trait locus for phosphorus-deficiency tolerance, Pup1, was identified in the traditional aus-type rice variety Kasalath about a decade ago.

Developing rice with high yield under phosphorus deficiency: Pup1 sequence to application.

The major quantitative trait locus (QTL) Phosphorus uptake1 (Pup1) confers tolerance of phosphorus deficiency in soil and is currently one of the most promising QTLs for the development of tolerant rice (Oryza sativa) varieties. To facilitate targeted introgression of Pup1 into intolerant varieties, the gene models predicted in the Pup1 region in the donor variety Kasalath were used to develop gene-based molecular markers that are evenly distributed over the fine-mapped 278-kb QTL region. To validate the gene models and optimize the markers, gene expression analyses and partial allelic sequencing were conducted.