EVALUATION OF METRIBUZIN SENSITIVITY OF POTATO USING HIGH THROUGHPUT PHENOTYPING
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
11:15 AM - 11:30 AM
Metribuzin is the most widely used herbicide in potato production in the US to control broadleaves weeds and annual grasses. In some genotypes, metribuzin causes mild to severe foliar injury, thereby affecting yield and tuber quality in certified seed and commercial potato production. A linear log regression model established by Love et al. (1993) in Idaho for estimating yield loss due to metribuzin sensitivity using visual assessment and plant height reduction 21 days after application, was found inaccurate by Ibrahim (2018) for prediction in ND and western MN. Traditional plant phenotyping involving visual assessments is less effective in evaluating crop performance due to human error. The objective of this research is to establish a screening protocol for metribuzin sensitivity using high throughput phenotyping for application in the Northern Plains. Thirty-two cultivars and advanced NDSU breeding selections across all market classes were evaluated in 2020, using a RCBD with slit plot arrangement. Russet Norkotah and Shepody served as the resistant and susceptible check, respectively. Foliar injury, plant height, canopy cover, and aerial imagery using two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) equipped with an RGB camera and MicaSense RedEdge 10 band multispectral camera, were evaluated at 7, 14, and 21 days after application of 1.12 kg/ha active ingredient of metribuzin, when potato plants were 20 to 30 cm tall. Vegetative indices obtained from the UAV had lower coefficients of variation and higher correlation to total yield at 7 DAA, in comparison to plant height and visual rating of plant foliar injury. Results from this research confirms the applicability of HTP in evaluating metribuzin sensitivity in potato early in the season. This research will be repeated in 2021.