Measuring 'wilting' and 'pod density' of canola genotypes with an optical sensor unit (GreenSeeker)

A GreenSeeker optical remote sensing unit was used to measure the degree of wilting during the course of a single day in plots of diverse canola genotypes. There were clear and significant differences between genotypes for wilting. There was significant interaction between genotypes and days, depending on the weather conditions experienced by the plants on each day. This wilting character merits further investigation as it may be related to a genotype's ability to respond successfully to drought stress.The GreenSeeker was also used in a novel, reversed mode to point skywards to measure pod density at crop maturity. Pod density was also assessed visually on a 0-5 scale by two assessors. Significant genotype differences for pod density via optical readings were observed, and these correlated well with pod density assessments made visually. Both measurements of pod density were correlated with seed yield.