BARCELONA, Spain, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Spanish researchers from the University of Barcelona (UB) has used drones, airborne and ground cameras and sensors, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) to develop an innovative way to identify wheat resilient to climate change without compromising yields.
The new study was published in the journal Plant Phenomics in April. UB scholars carried out the studies with the Agrotecnio international research center.
The study responds to growing interest of the agricultural industry in ensuring consistent harvests in variable environment, the research team based in the UB's faculty of Biology told Xinhua.
"A single technician can go out with a drone, map everything, and the analysts back in the office can analyze the differences of the various crops and get a close estimate of whether this variety will produce more or withstand more situation with climate variability," said Jara Jauregui, one of the researchers and an author of the study.
Using captured plant data, the research team trained AI models to predict both the yields and the stability of production of the different varieties with high degree of accuracy.
The team analyzed 64 varieties of durum wheat grown under two different Mediterranean conditions: irrigated and rain-fed.
They concluded that vigorous early growth with early maturation is a key factor in achieving more consistent yields in variable environment, helping wheat better cope with drought and high temperature.
The researchers said using this technology not only speeds up crop selection but also frees people from evaluating plants in person.
