"Advanced technologies like remote sensing and phenomics tools are transforming Canadian agriculture by making crop breeding and agronomy more precise, efficient and resilient," said Singh.
Plant breeders seek traits such as seed size, plant height, and resistance to diseases and drought. Since breeding new crop varieties involves analyzing thousands of plants across multiple generations, digital tools help speed up this process. With climate change intensifying environmental challenges, faster identification of resilient traits is critical for food security.
Dr. Singh’s team is collaborating with researchers across Canada to study various parameters in cereal crops, including vegetation cover, flowering timelines, grain yield, and protein content. These digital tools assist wheat breeders in selecting climate-resilient, high-yielding varieties more efficiently.
Digital agriculture is also improving weed management and fertilizer optimization. Researchers are using AI models to study herbicide-resistant weeds and develop sustainable control methods. Other applications include enhancing dry bean breeding, mitigating root rot in peas, and optimizing nitrogen use in wheat and canola to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Dr. Singh and his team are leading efforts to integrate digital phenomics and remote sensing, driving innovation in plant breeding and sustainable crop management for future agricultural success.