What is cost-efficient phenotyping? Optimizing costs for different scenarios.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Robotics
• Remote Sensing

Background:

• Advancements in remote sensing and robotics are reducing hardware expenses for plant phenotyping.
• Understanding cost structures is crucial for implementing efficient phenotyping strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review cost-effective imaging devices and environmental sensors.
• To analyze the trade-offs between investment and manpower costs in phenotyping.
• To discuss cost structures in diverse real-world phenotyping scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Review of low-cost imaging devices and environmental sensors.
• Analysis of cost components in various phenotyping setups (e.g., handheld, drone, ground vehicles).
• Evaluation of the impact of labor costs, phenotyping demand, and climatic constraints on overall expenses.

Main Results:

• Handheld sensors are suitable for basic plant diagnostics.
• Total costs per plant/microplot are comparable across robotic platforms, drones, and ground vehicles.
• Vehicle costs constitute a minor fraction (5-26%) of total phenotyping expenses.
• Data analysis can represent 10-20% of total costs if pipelines are pre-developed.

Conclusions:

• Cost-effective phenotyping involves a trade-off between initial investment and ongoing labor costs.
• "Affordable phenotyping" can be achieved through low initial investment or high upfront investment in technology for lower operational costs.
• The optimal phenotyping strategy depends on specific project objectives, labor costs, and phenotyping requirements.