Principles of High Throughput Plant Phenotyping

BIO412 (5 ECTS)

This course provides a practical and research‑oriented introduction to modern high‑throughput plant phenotyping. Students learn how digital imaging, sensor technologies, robotics, and data analytics are used to measure plant traits efficiently across controlled and field environments. The course combines online teaching with an intensive in‑person training week at NMBU and UiO.

What you will learn

• Core principles of plant phenotyping and biological imaging
• Introduction on Field phenotyping
• Controlled‑environment phenotyping using advanced imaging systems
• High‑throughput seed phenotyping and trait‑based sorting for model and crop species
• Image processing, machine learning and data‑analysis pipelines
• Designing phenotyping experiments and handling large datasets

Who can apply

PhD students in plant sciences, biology, biotechnology, environmental sciences or related fields. MSc students may be admitted if space allows.

Apply here and if you are a NMBU student also here : Principles of high-throughput plant phenotyping | NMBU

Course Schedule (2026)

Online sessions (20 h total)

22/09 — 13:00–17:00

• 13:00-13:15 – Intro from the students 
• 13:15-13:30 – Intro to the course – Thomas Bawin, NMBU, NO
• 13:30-14:20 – Introduction to plant phenotyping – Morten Lillemo, NMBU, NO
• 14:30-14:45 – Break
• 14:45-15:35 – Principles of light and imaging – Aruppillai Suthaparan, NMBU, NO
• 15:45-16:45 – HTP plant phenotyping for applied research – Astrid Junker, Strategic Consultant Agriculture / R&D / Phenomics, DE
• 16:45-17:00 – Questions, announcements & closing

25/09 — 12:00–16:00

• 12:00 – 12:45 – Plant Phenotyping Technologies: What They See and Measure – Sajeevan Radha Sivarajan, SLU, SE
• 12:55 – 13:40- From physiology to phenotype: Measuring gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence – Sheona Innes, NMBU, NO
• 13:50 – 14:05 – Break
• 14:05 – 14:50 – Importance of Metadata as an integral part of experimental design – Morten Lillemo, NMBU, NO
• 15:00 – 15:45 – Data management & FAIR principles – Jesper Cairo Westergaard, UCPH, DK
• 15:45-16:00 Questions, & closing

29/09 — 13:00–17:00

• 13:00 – 13:45 – SmartWheat: Decoding Drought with Drones, Sensors & AI – Sahameh Shafiee, NMBU, NO
• 13:55 – 14:40 – “Data led transformation solutions for high nitrogen use efficiency perennial ryegrass using sensors, drones and robotics”– Mallikarjuna Rao Kovi, NMBU, NO
• 14:50 -15:05 – Break
• 15:05 – 15:50 – Indoor model plant phenotyping (Arabidopsis) – Kristiina Himanen, NaPPi, UH, FI
• 16:00 – 16:45 – Warm nights and drought in barley – What 432 plants and a laser scanner can tell us – Rómulo Sobral, NMBU, NO
• 16:45-17:00 –  Questions, & closing

02/10 — 12:00–16:00

• 12:00 – 12:45 – Root phenotyping aimed at crop breeding – towards improved water and nitrogen use – Kristian Thorup-Kristensen, UCPH, DK
• 12:55 – 13:40 – How to design your experiment? From technology to experimental thinking -Rick van de Zedde, Program manager NPEC at Wageningen University & Research, NL
• 13:50 – 14:05 – Break
• 14:05 – 14:50 – From images to data: image processing, segmentation, feature extraction- Moosa, NTNU, NO
• 15:00 – 15:45 – HTP data to biological insights: statistics, machine learning/AI, dimensionality reduction and trait prediction,  Akhil Pashapu, NMBU, NO
• 15:45 – 16:00 – Questions, & closing

In‑person week (5–9 October, approx. 40 h)

• 2 days at NMBU
• 2 days at UiO
• 1 day for student presentations

Join us at NMBU and UiO — we’re excited to meet you!