Characterizing the phenotypic basis of lodging tolerance in the
underutilized cereal teff
Abstract
Teff (Eragrostis tef) is an underutilized cereal grown primarily by
small-scale farmers in Ethiopia, where it thrives under arid conditions
unsuitable for other grain crops. Incomplete selection of classic
domestication traits such as lodging, panicle architecture, and seed
density contribute to the low yields observed in teff compared to
leading cereals. To investigate the phenotypic basis of lodging
tolerance in teff, we surveyed domestication related traits across a
diversity panel of 265 teff wild relatives, landraces, and cultivars in
Michigan. Panicle architecture and lodging score were collected in the
field. To strengthen ground truth data and identify spectral signatures
of plant height and subsequent lodging, LIDAR and hyperspectral images
were collected with an unmanned aerial vehicle. A tiller imaging box was
designed to maintain plant architecture from the field in a controlled
lab environment. Morphological features including panicle height,
panicle width, spikelet density, panicle angle, and tiller angle will be
calculated using PlantCV and ImageJ. Feature evaluation via Pearson’s
correlation and analysis of variance will be conducted for structural
and morphological traits. This data will be used in a genome wide
association study to identify phenotypes underlying lodging tolerance,
and superior breeding material will be isolated for future studies.