Stress tolerance and disease resistance traits are routinely measured by pulse breeding programs, but data collection is limited by time constraints. High-throughput phenotyping technologies will allow much more accurate measurement of traits on a much wider range of germplasm, improving selection accuracy, intensity and breeding outputs.

This investment will use digital imaging technologies including standard digital imaging, normalised differential vegetation index (NDVI) and hyperspectral sensing to characterise aspects of crop growth. Appropriate technologies will be transferred to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for applications in the pulse breeding programs. Technologies will be utilised in lab and field based screening for pulse germplasm with improved disease resistance as well as improved tolerance to frost and heat events.