Location: Crop Genetics and Breeding Research
Project Number: 6048-21220-018-09-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2019
End Date: Jul 31, 2021
Objective:
1) Develop a method of using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with visual and multi-spectral cameras to quantify sugarcane aphid infestation and aphid damage;
2) Evaluation of sugarcane aphid damage on 52 hybrids in the State Variety Trial in a randomized complete block design with four replications;
3) Evaluation of sugarcane aphid damage on an insecticide trial with 10 (2x5) treatments (Aphid-resistant and -susceptible hybrids, and five insecticide treatments);
4) Validation of the UAV images with ground visual damage rating for aphid resistance and susceptibility separation, and its correlation to grain yield.
Approach:
Both the visual and multi-spectral images can be a valuable tool for quantifying aphid infestation and damage, and yield. Utilizing this technique is one of the most cost-effective approaches for evaluating a large number of accessions in sorghum germplasm development process.
