Data phenotyping traits on soybean seeds such as shape and color has been obscure because it is difficult to define them clearly. Further, it takes too much time and effort to have sufficient number of samplings especially length and width. These difficulties prevented seed morphology to be incorporated into efficient breeding program. Here, we propose methods for an image acquisition, a data processing, and analysis for the morphology and color of soybean seeds by high-throughput method using images analysis. As results, quantitative values for colors and various types of morphological traits could be screened to create a standard for subsequent evaluation of the genotype. Phenotyping method in the current study could define the morphology and color of soybean seeds in highly accurate and reliable manner. Further, this method enables the measurement and analysis of large amounts of plant seed phenotype data in a short time, which was not possible before. Fast and precise phenotype data obtained here may facilitate Genome Wide Association Study for the gene function analysis as well as for development of the elite varieties having desirable seed traits.

Bakanae disease (BD), caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium fujikuroi, has become a serious threat in rice-cultivating regions worldwide. In the present study, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping was performed using F2 and F3 plants derived after crossing a BD-resistant and a BD-susceptible Korean japonica rice variety, ‘Samgwang’ and ‘Junam’, respectively. Resequencing of ‘Junam’ and ‘Samgwang’ genomes revealed 151,916 DNA polymorphisms between the two varieties. After genotyping 188 F2 plants, we constructed a genetic map comprising 184 markers, including 175 kompetitive allele-specific PCR markers, eight cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers, and a derived CAPS (dCAPS) marker. The degree of BD susceptibility of each F2 plant was evaluated on the basis of the mortality rate measured with corresponding F3 progeny seedlings by in vitro screening. Consequently, qFfR9, a major QTL, was discovered at 30.1 centimorgan (cM) on chromosome 9 with a logarithm of the odds score of 60.3. For the QTL interval, 95% probability lay within a 7.24–7.56 Mbp interval. In this interval, we found that eight genes exhibited non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by comparing the ‘Junam’ and ‘Samgwang’ genome sequence data, and are possibly candidate genes for qFfR9; therefore, qFfR9 could be utilized as a valuable resource for breeding BD-resistant rice varieties.

Temperate japonica rice varieties exhibit wide variation in the phenotypes of several important agronomic traits, including disease resistance, pre-harvest sprouting resistance, plant architecture, and grain quality, indicating the presence of genes contributing to favorable agronomic traits. However, gene mapping and molecular breeding has been hampered as a result of the low genetic diversity among cultivars and scarcity of polymorphic DNA markers. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers allow high-throughput genotyping for marker-assisted selection and quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping within closely related populations. Previously, we identified 740,566 SNPs and developed 771 KASP markers for Korean temperate japonica rice varieties. However, additional markers were needed to provide sufficient genome coverage to support breeding programs. In this study, the 740,566 SNPs were categorized according to their predicted impacts on gene function. The high-impact, moderate-impact, modifier, and low-impact groups contained 703 (0.1%), 20,179 (2.7%), 699,866 (94.5%), and 19,818 (2.7%) SNPs, respectively. A subset of 357 SNPs from the high-impact group was selected for initial KASP marker development, resulting in 283 polymorphic KASP markers. After incorporation of the 283 markers with the 771 existing markers in a physical map, additional markers were developed to fill genomic regions with large gaps between markers, and 171 polymorphic KASP markers were successfully developed from 284 SNPs. Overall, a set of 1225 KASP markers was produced. The markers were evenly distributed across the rice genome, with average marker density of 3.3 KASP markers per Mbp. The 1225 KASP markers will facilitate QTL/gene mapping and marker-assisted selection in temperate japonica rice breeding programs.

Drought is being annually exacerbated by recent global warming, leading to crucial damage of crop growth and final yields. Soybean, one of the most consumed crops worldwide, has also been affected in the process. The development of a resistant cultivar is required to solve this problem, which is considered the most efficient method for crop producers. To accelerate breeding cycles, genetic engineering and high-throughput phenotyping technologies have replaced conventional breeding methods. However, the current novel phenotyping method still needs to be optimized by species and varieties. Therefore, we aimed to assess the most appropriate and effective phenotypes for evaluating drought stress by applying a high-throughput image-based method on the nested association mapping (NAM) population of soybeans. The acquired image-based traits from the phenotyping platform were divided into three large categories—area, boundary, and color—and demonstrated an aspect for each characteristic. Analysis on categorized traits interpreted stress responses in morphological and physiological changes. The evaluation of drought stress regardless of varieties was possible by combining various image-based traits. We might suggest that a combination of image-based traits obtained using computer vision can be more efficient than using only one trait for the precision agriculture.

Rice tiller angle is a key agronomic trait that regulates plant architecture and plays a critical role in determining rice yield. Given that tiller angle is regulated by multiple genes, it is important to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with tiller angle. Recently, with the advancement of imaging technology for plant phenotyping, it has become possible to quickly and accurately measure agronomic traits of breeding populations. In this study, we extracted tiller angle and various image-based parameters from Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images of a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between Milyang23 (Indica) and Giho (Japonica). Correlations among the obtained data were analyzed, and through dynamic QTL mapping, five major QTLs (qTA1, qTA1-1, qTA2, qTA2-1, and qTA9) related to tiller angle were detected on chromosomes 1, 2, and 9. Among them, 26 candidate genes related to auxin signaling and plant growth, including the TAC1 (Tiller Angle Control 1) gene, were identified in qTA9 (RM257-STS09048). These results demonstrate the potential of image-based phenotyping to overcome the limitations of traditional manual measurements in crop structure research. Furthermore, the identification of key QTLs and candidate genes related to tiller angle provides valuable genetic insights for the development of high-yielding varieties through crop morphology control.

Colletotrichum acutatum spp. infects various economical crops worldwide and causes massive loss on their yields. Among those, Capsicum spp., which known as chili pepper, is on a critical issue by those pathogens. Due to the lack of their genetic markers in Korea, the unidentifiable various species of C. acutatum obstructs the mechanism studies of these pathogens and the selection of disease resistant breed lines. Therefore, we screened RGB images of the colonization progresses of pathogens to identify the species of Ca40042, K1, NN, AS2, and SW1 by time and temperature. Cultivated pathogens such as Ca40042, K1, and SW1 were detectable on quantified shape and color data of images from specific temperature conditions, while other pathogens were difficult to recognize. Although several limitations exist in identification results of current experiment, but also, we can expect this method can suggest the possibility to replace the genetic marker methods which is now unavailable in Korea.