Drones accelerate selection of drought-resistant corn in Brazilian study

Brazilian researchers have developed a methodology using drones equipped with RGB cameras to speed up and reduce the cost of selecting genetically modified corn plants. The method involves drones flying over plantations weekly, capturing images that are converted into indexes to assess plant health. This allows for the identification of promising varieties and their performance to be simulated in different environmental conditions. The method was tested in 2023 with 21 corn varieties and showed reliable results, reducing operating costs and allowing studies to be conducted in smaller areas. The data collected was used to develop predictive models to facilitate the selection of varieties adapted to different environmental conditions.

Brazilian researchers have developed an innovative methodology that uses drones equipped with RGB cameras to speed up the selection of genetically modified corn plants, making the process more efficient and less costly. The technique was tested in experiments conducted in Campinas (SP) and the results were published in The Plant Phenome Journal on January 5. The study was conducted by researchers from the Center for Applied Genomics to Climate Change (GCCRC), a partnership between Embrapa and the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), with support from the São Paulo Research Foundation (Fapesp). According to Juliana Yassitepe, a researcher at Embrapa Digital Agriculture and author of the study, traditional field evaluation methods are time-consuming and expensive, hindering progress in the development of more resilient cultivars. “With conventional methods, it is necessary to wait for the plant to complete its cycle and perform manual measurements, often with expensive equipment ...