Spanish researchers from the University of Barcelona (UB) are using drones, aerial and ground cameras and sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI) to develop an innovative way to identify wheat that is resilient to climate change without reducing crop yields.
The study was published in the journal Plant Phenomics in April. UB academics conducted the research in collaboration with the international research center Agrotecnio.
The study responds to the growing interest of the agricultural industry in ensuring consistent yields in changing environments, the research team, based at UB's Faculty of Biology, told.
"A technician can go out with a drone, map everything, and analysts in the office can analyze the differences in different crops and get an accurate estimate of whether this variety will produce more or be more resilient to situations with climate variability," said Jara Jauregui, one of the researchers and co-authors of the study.
Using the collected crop data, the research team trained an AI model to predict yields and production stability of different varieties with a high degree of accuracy.
The team analyzed 64 durum wheat varieties grown under two different Mediterranean conditions: irrigated and rainfed.
They concluded that strong early growth with earlier maturity is a key factor in achieving more consistent yields in changing environments, helping wheat better cope with drought and high temperatures.
Researchers say that using this technology not only speeds up plant selection, but also reduces the need for humans to evaluate plants directly.
