Technology

Taylor Swift: A cultural icon, controversial TicketMaster name, and now a remote phenotype monitoring machine. 

And a phenotype, for most of us who wouldn't know, is the science-y word for the physical traits that any living thing would have, such as green leaves or a fabulous voice - the physical expressions of the thing's genes mixed with its environmental influences.

Severe flooding throughout the Midwest — which triggered a delayed growing season for crops in the region — led to a reduction of 100 million metric tons of net carbon uptake during June and July of 2019, according to a new study. Professor Troy Magney, Plant Sciences, UC Davis, co-authored the study.

Troy Magney, Dept. of Plant Sciences, is using methods such as hyperspectral imaging – a remote sensing technique – to measure plant water stress, nutrient status, biomass, and photosynthesis in order to make informed decisions about water and fertilizer management. This is important for global agriculture in the future.

Drone-mounted cameras are being used to determine fertilizer needs in agricultural crops, which also helps growers reduce crop fungal diseases. Bruce Linquist and Luis Espino address the use of drones (or unmanned aerial vehicles; UAVs) in rice production.

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