Precision Farming of the Hidden Half: Integrating Roots into Agriculture using Remote Sensing

碳(C)源和汇强度不平衡是农业作物生长的一个主要限制，缺乏根库强度监测工具(例如生物量和活性)是阻碍最大限度提高产量的努力的关键知识缺口。虽然精准农业的目标是优化植物需求的投入，但用于估计植物需求的一系列生物变量是基于植物的一半，尽管事实是“隐藏的一半”(即根)在养分吸收方面发挥着更大的作用，根库强度通过几种机制调节光合作用并限制生长。通过注重来源的地上生物量和光合作用指标来划定表现不佳的地区，将使养分吸收和化肥使用仍然不同步、管理目标得不到实现的当前状况长期存在，特别是在磷负荷增加的五大湖地区。尽管已经开发出了根系特征的可映射替代指标，但由于缺乏高时空频率的地上和地下观测，因此缺少与根系生物量和分泌物之间的联系。除非填补这些知识空白，否则无法解决农业实践和根系反应的影响。这项研究计划将通过部署与耕作实践和田间异质性有关的自动微型加速器和无人驾驶飞行器(UAV)的地上和地下高频串联监测计划，提高我们对根库强度的环境调制的理解。在整个生长季中，将跟踪根库强度动态、生物量、渗出物、光合作用和土壤微生物群落呼吸，为开发遥感工具提供信息，以根据根系吸收能力确定根系包容性管理区。模型仍然是评估管理战略有效性的最佳可用工具，然而，它们依赖于可用的数据集，并且仅与我们对过程的理解一样准确。受控环境根际加速器实验允许精确操纵环境调节剂，以研究根-土壤-微生物之间的相互作用，包括与调节剂的协变性。通过解决限制生长的原因、改进养分吸收战略、突出作物产量提高的次田地区以及在面对未来变化时实现长期粮食安全，更好地了解根-土-微生物相互作用使政策制定者和种植者受益。产生的独特监测数据集将有利于政府(AAFC和ECCC)、当地土地所有者和行业(种子种植者和生物技术)。这些小组和其他利益攸关方将参与开发根部包容精准农业的遥感服务，这些服务预计将在未来发展成支持投入施用量决策的商业产品。

Carbon (C) source and sink strength imbalances are a major limit on agricultural crop growth, and the lack of monitoring tools for root sink strength (e.g., biomass and activity) are a critical knowledge gap that hinders efforts to maximize yields. While precision farming aims to optimize inputs to plant needs, the suite of biotic variables used to estimate plant demands are based on half of the plant, despite that fact that the "hidden half" (i.e., roots) play a stronger role in nutrient uptake and there are several mechanisms through which root sink strength regulates photosynthesis and limits growth. Delineating underperforming areas through source-focused metrics of aboveground biomass and photosynthesis will perpetuate the current situation where nutrient uptake and fertilizer application remain unsynchronized and stewardship targets are not met, particularly in the Great Lakes region where phosphorus loading has increased. Despite the development of mappable proxies for root system traits, there are missing linkages to root biomass and exudation due to the lack of tandem above and belowground observations at high spatial-temporal frequency. Until these knowledge gaps are filled, the effects of agricultural practices and root system responses cannot be resolved. This research program will improve our understanding of environmental modulation of root sink strength through a high frequency tandem above and belowground monitoring program deploying automatic minirhizotrons and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in relation to farming practices and within field heterogeneity. Over the course of the growing season, root sink strength dynamics, biomass, exudation, photosynthesis, and soil microbial community respiration will be tracked to inform the development of remote sensing tools to define root inclusive management zones based on root uptake capacities. Models remain the best available tools to assess the efficacy of management strategies, however they are dependent on the available data sets and only as accurate as our process understanding. Controlled environment rhizotron experiments allow precise manipulation of environmental modulators for the study of root-soil-microbial interactions incorporating covariance with regulators. Improved understanding of root-soil-microbial interactions benefit policy makers and growers, by resolving the cause of growth limitations, improving nutrient uptake strategies, highlighting sub-field areas for crop yield improvements, and enabling long-term food security in the face of future change. The unique monitoring data sets generated will be beneficial to government (AAFC and ECCC), local landowners, and industry (seed growers and Biotech). These groups and other  stakeholders will be engaged in the development of remote sensing services for root inclusive precision farming which are envisioned in the future to be developed into a commercial product that supports decision making on input application rates.