NIAB - National Institute of Agricultural Botany
Plant Science Into Practice
Image analysis
Image analysis has been a functional activity at NIAB since the mid-1980’s and used for DUS since the early 1990’s. The advantages of using image analysis in high throughput phenotyping for DUS purposes are numerous:
- Reduce cost through automation.
- Improve accuracy / reproducibility through objective measurement.
- Reduces risk of human error and dependency on expertise.
- Can measure more to strengthen the discriminatory power of DUS e.g. “combined characteristics” relating to shape in OSR.
- Develop image databases that can be used for management of reference collections or for other purposes (e.g. verification of identity, research).
We routinely use IA for a number of species / plant parts for DUS. For example, over 30,000 cotyledons, 46,000 petals and pods of oilseed rape and 1600 field bean leaflets and pods are measured by image analysis per annum. In our ornamentals work standard images are taken of chrysanthemum flower heads (grown under standard conditions) to compare new varieties against the reference collection.
NIAB has a number of experimental image analysis systems utilised for research purposes including for cereal seedlings, OSR leaves, cereal seeds, and to measure beetle damage in bean seeds.
Below us the NIAB IA video system, using a light box to ‘up lit’ field bean leaves to produce a silhouette
A new innovation using a portable digital system to allow colour images and a more flexible system
Oilseed Rape Petals
Oilseed Rape Leaves
Oilseed Rape Pods
