DROUGHT

root measurements

HYDRAS was developed to address two critical challenges in plant breeding:

  1. Access to below-ground plant traits
  2. Translation of results from basic plant science to realistic field conditions.

Hereby, HYDRAS represents a pivotal advancement in plant research, particularly in the pursuit of climate robust and drought-tolerant crops. By employing state-of-the-art, high-throughput field phenotyping techniques, including aboveground phenotyping using thermal UAV imaging and below ground phenotyping via Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), HYDRAS enables precise monitoring of both above and below ground plant responses to drought under realistic production conditions. This enables researchers and breeders to unravel dynamic traits and mechanisms that contribute to crop resilience in the face of climate-induced challenges. HYDRAS’ precision and scalability offer opportunities for the development of climate-robust breeding strategies and agricultural practices, fostering the progress towards a more sustainable and resilient agriculture.

roots under drought Bodem droogte Kleine plotjes gras. De gevolgen van die droogte op de verschillende grasrassen zijn duidelijk zichtbaar. Luchtfoto van de droogteproeven met soja. In de verte staan regenkappen die over de kleine experimentele veldjes met verschillende sojavariëteiten geschoven kunnen worden om droogte te simuleren.