Frost Damage Index: The Antipode of Growing Degree Days


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Date

2023

Publication Type

Journal Article

ETH Bibliography

yes

Citations

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Data

Abstract

Abiotic stresses such as heat and frost limit plant growth and productivity. Image-based field phenotyping methods allow quantifying not only plant growth but also plant senescence. Winter crops show senescence caused by cold spells, visible as declines in leaf area. We accurately quantified such declines by monitoring changes in canopy cover based on time-resolved high-resolution imagery in the field. Thirty-six winter wheat genotypes were measured in multiple years. A concept termed “frost damage index” (FDI) was developed that, in analogy to growing degree days, summarizes frost events in a cumulative way. The measured sensitivity of genotypes to the FDI correlated with visual scorings commonly used in breeding to assess winter hardiness. The FDI concept could be adapted to other factors such as drought or heat stress. While commonly not considered in plant growth modeling, integrating such degradation processes may be key to improving the prediction of plant performance for future climate scenarios.

Publication status

published

Editor

Book title

Volume

5

Pages / Article No.

104

Publisher

AAAS

Event

Edition / version

Methods

Software

Geographic location

Date collected

Date created

Subject

Organisational unit

03516 - McDonald, Bruce (emeritus) / McDonald, Bruce (emeritus) check_circle
03894 - Walter, Achim / Walter, Achim check_circle

Notes

Funding

200756 - PHENOFLOW: A multifaceted workflow of high-throughput field phenotyping for improved prediction of wheat performance in future climate scenarios based on assessment of dynamic changes of phenology (SNF)
169542 - PhenoCOOL: Wheat and soybean phenotyping under cold conditions using growth as a dynamic trait (SNF)

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