Table 1.
Traits and parameters that are to be targeted in physiological breeding programs. Both non-invasive and invasive types of measurements are listed *.
| Type of Measurement | Traits/Parameters | Equipment/Mode of Measurement |
|---|---|---|
| Non-invasive | Aboveground biomass, root architecture, seedling vigour, canopy structure and growth dynamics, normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) | 2D and 3D Imaging using stereo camera systems and laser scanning instruments, NDVI GreenSeeker |
| Photosynthetic parameters, quantum yield, non-photochemical quenching | Fluorescence cameras | |
| Surface temperature | Thermal imaging | |
| Water content, leaf and canopy water status and pigment composition | Near-infrared cameras, thermal and hyperspectral cameras | |
| Nutrient status, pigment degradation, photosynthetic efficiency, water content, senescence and pollen viability | RGB and multispectral cameras | |
| Water stress, fruit maturity | Long-wave infrared and thermal cameras | |
| Photosystem II activity/Chlorophyll fluorescence | Pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorescence, hyper-spectral spectroradiometers | |
| Stomatal conductance | Handheld porometer and Li-COR | |
| Chlorophyll content | Portable optical soil plant analysis development (SPAD) meters | |
| Leaf area index (LAI) | Conventional planimeter and leaf area meter | |
| Invasive | Enzyme activity, hormone and metabolites estimation, carbon isotope discrimination | Liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and calorimetry |
| Invasive and Non-invasive | Root system architecture (RSA), root biomass | Shovelomics, positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radio detection and ranging (RADAR) |