Digital phenotyping as a driver of innovation in plant breeding
The Breeding Accel members Fresh Forward and Schoneveld Breeding are joining forces with Agri Information Partners in the ambitious research project Fenovation, which focuses on the development of an advanced digital phenotyping process. Over the next three years, this collaboration aims to establish an innovative, integrated approach within plant breeding: An essential step towards more sustainable and efficient breeding of food and ornamental crops in The Netherlands.
Named Fenovation - a combination of phenotyping and innovation - the project symbolizes technological progress in collecting and analyzing data on plant characteristics. By deploying sensors, imaging equipment and AI algorithms, breeders will soon be able to automatically map characteristics such as stem length, leaf size and disease resistance on a large scale, with high precision. This data will then be integrated into the breeding software E-Brida, enabling full digital support throughout the entire process, from measurement to application.
The project spans Technological Readiness Levels (TRL) 5 through 7, with the proof of concept evolving into a fully functioning system under realistic operational conditions. The focus is not only on technological innovation, but also on practical adoption: the participating partners place strong emphasis on user-friendliness and implementation by breeders, phytopathologists and other professionals in the field.
Impact on the sector and region
The outcomes of Fenovation will not only benefit the participating companies, but the entire sector. The introduction of high-throughput phenotyping will allow for faster, more accurate and more objective selection of new varieties. This will lead to higher yields, reduced use of crop protection and ultimately, a more stable food supply. In addition, the project will enhance the competitiveness of SMEs in the eastern Netherlands and foster regional collaboration at the intersection of technology and agri-food.
This project is co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The participating partners actively display this support at their facilities and in all external communications, in accordance with program guidelines.
