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Vurro F, Croci M, Impollonia G, Marchetti E, Gracia-Romero A, Bettelli M, Araus JL, Amaducci S, Janni M. Field Plant Monitoring from Macro to Micro Scale: Feasibility and Validation of Combined Field Monitoring Approaches from Remote to in Vivo to Cope with Drought Stress in Tomato. Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:3851. [PMID: 38005747 PMCID: PMC10674827 DOI: 10.3390/plants12223851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring plant growth and development during cultivation to optimize resource use efficiency is crucial to achieve an increased sustainability of agriculture systems and ensure food security. In this study, we compared field monitoring approaches from the macro to micro scale with the aim of developing novel in vivo tools for field phenotyping and advancing the efficiency of drought stress detection at the field level. To this end, we tested different methodologies in the monitoring of tomato growth under different water regimes: (i) micro-scale (inserted in the plant stem) real-time monitoring with an organic electrochemical transistor (OECT)-based sensor, namely a bioristor, that enables continuous monitoring of the plant; (ii) medium-scale (<1 m from the canopy) monitoring through red-green-blue (RGB) low-cost imaging; (iii) macro-scale multispectral and thermal monitoring using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). High correlations between aerial and proximal remote sensing were found with chlorophyll-related indices, although at specific time points (NDVI and NDRE with GGA and SPAD). The ion concentration and allocation monitored by the index R of the bioristor during the drought defense response were highly correlated with the water use indices (Crop Water Stress Index (CSWI), relative water content (RWC), vapor pressure deficit (VPD)). A high negative correlation was observed with the CWSI and, in turn, with the RWC. Although proximal remote sensing measurements correlated well with water stress indices, vegetation indices provide information about the crop's status at a specific moment. Meanwhile, the bioristor continuously monitors the ion movements and the correlated water use during plant growth and development, making this tool a promising device for field monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Vurro
- Istituto dei Materiali per l’Elettronica e il Magnetismo (IMEM-CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (F.V.); (M.B.)
| | - Michele Croci
- Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense, 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy; (M.C.); (S.A.)
| | - Giorgio Impollonia
- Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense, 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy; (M.C.); (S.A.)
| | - Edoardo Marchetti
- Istituto dei Materiali per l’Elettronica e il Magnetismo (IMEM-CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (F.V.); (M.B.)
| | - Adrian Gracia-Romero
- Integrative Crop Ecophysiology Group, Agrotecnio—Center for Research in Agrotechnology, Plant Physiology Section, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (A.G.-R.); (J.L.A.)
- Field Crops Program, Institute for Food and Agricultural Research and Technology (IRTA), 251981 Lleida, Spain
| | - Manuele Bettelli
- Istituto dei Materiali per l’Elettronica e il Magnetismo (IMEM-CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (F.V.); (M.B.)
| | - José Luis Araus
- Integrative Crop Ecophysiology Group, Agrotecnio—Center for Research in Agrotechnology, Plant Physiology Section, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (A.G.-R.); (J.L.A.)
| | - Stefano Amaducci
- Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense, 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy; (M.C.); (S.A.)
| | - Michela Janni
- Istituto dei Materiali per l’Elettronica e il Magnetismo (IMEM-CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (F.V.); (M.B.)
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