NOVA-412 High Throughput Field Phenotyping

Credits (ECTS):5

Course responsible:Morten Lillemo

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

Teaching language:Engelsk

Limits of class size:25

Course frequency:Annual. Rotating among the Nordic countries

Nominal workload:

25 hours seminars, workshops and excercises

15 hours lectures

85 hours independent work

Total: 125 hours

Teaching and exam period:The course will be run in July 2022 as a NOVA course. The on-site training will be provided at NMBU, Ås, July 4-8, 2022

About this course

The changing climate demands developing faster breeding methods to provide effective solutions for the future agriculture. This course aims to introduce the emerging research fields of high throughput plant phenotyping used for plant-environment interactions, with a focus on field phenotyping methodologies and data related analysis.

The course aims to introduce the emerging technologies related to i) controlled environments that allow simulations and testing future climatic conditions, ii) automated and image based plant phenotyping technologies that are to remove bottlenecks in between genotype to phenotype screens, iii) high throughput field phenotyping technologies and iv) transcriptomics with bioinformatics and R-computing that are required for the deeper understanding of the molecular networks. A special focus will be put on giving the students hands-on training in use of field phenotyping methodologies, including gathering data from hand-held devices and UAVs and robots, and analysis of the data to answer biological questions. The objective of the course is to provide the participating students with the basic knowledge and understanding of the emerging fields of plant phenomics and data processing that can serve breeding efforts in modern agriculture.

Learning outcome

Participation in lectures and daily learning diaries (2 ECTS)

  • knowledge about the whole range of analysis sensors available for plant phenotyping
  • knowledge about standard data analysis pipelines for field phenotyping data
  • gaining understanding of the opportunities and challenges in experimental design in plant phenotyping

Participation in the workshops (1 ECTS)

  • gaining hands on experience in field phenotyping methodologies, image-based data acquisition, and data processing

Literature study, presentation and lab report as pre and post assignments (2 ECTS)

  • gaining deeper understanding of the chosen biological process and chosen technology through own study
  • application of gained knowledge in the writing of the lab report (post course assignment)
  • Lectures. The following topics will be covered:

    • Field phenotyping methodologies
    • Data processing and analysis of UAV images from field trials
    • Low-cost phenotyping methods
    • Chlorophyll fluorescence technologies in plant phenotyping
    • Transcriptomics technologies and R-computing of time course data

    Workshops with hands-on training in field phenotyping methods

    Journal club: student presentations of pre-assigned literature in groups.

  • Teachers will be available during the on-site course for active guidance of learning activities.
  • MSc degree in a relevant field is required. Relevant fields: agriculture, biological and environmental sciences.
  • Pass/Fail based on active participation in assignments and workshops, presentation, submission of learning diaries and post-assignment (lab report).
  • Pre-course assignment, active participatioin in journal club, lectures and training activities, writing of learning diary and lab report.
  • This course is a joint NOVA PhD course organised by Morten Lillemo, NMBU. Teachers and reasearchers from NMBU, University of Helsinki and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) will participate. Check NOVA's website for updated course details and information about registration:

    www.slu.se/nova

  • 25 hours seminars, workshops and excercises

    15 hours lectures

  • The course is intended for PhD students with basic knowledge in relevant fields of plant breeding, biology and environmental sciences. Students with plant phenotyping related research in tehir PhD project will get priority.

    Students on PhD level have first priority. Master students can be admitted if space is available.

  • None
  • Passed / Not Passed
  • The course is intended for PhD students with basic knowledge in relevant fields of plant breeding, biology and environmental sciences. Students with plant phenotyping related research in their PhD project will get priority.

    Students on PhD level have first priority. Master students can be admitted if space is available.