China Partnering Awards - Forge a long-term UK-China relationship in phenotyping, Agri-Tech innovation and crop research for Rice and Wheat
Lead Research Organisation:
Earlham Institute
Department Name: Research Faculty
Abstract
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Organisations
- Earlham Institute (Lead Research Organisation)
- UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM (Collaboration)
- Wuhan University (Collaboration)
- ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- Huazhong Agricultural University (Collaboration)
- Nanjing Agricultural University (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- University of East Anglia (Collaboration)
Publications
Colmer J
(2020)
SeedGerm: a cost-effective phenotyping platform for automated seed imaging and machine-learning based phenotypic analysis of crop seed germination.
in The New phytologist
| Description | First year (2018-2019): 1) Coordinated the MoU for jointly establishing a China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre (CUPPC) between NANJING AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY (China), HUAZHONG AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY (China), Aberystwyth UNIVERSITY (IBERS, UK), Earlham institute (BBSRC UK), Rothamsted Research (Plant Sciences Dept., BBSRC UK), University of East Anglia (UK), and University of Nottingham (UK). 2) Organised the first NAU academic visit at Norwich Research Park (NRP) in Jan 2019. NAU delegation has come over to NRP and entered three workshops with EI, JIC, and UEA. During the workshops, we have shared our expertise in crop phenomics, sensor-based precision agricultural experience, and machine-learning based image analysis software solutions together with DFW research results with NAU. We have also established links to joint look into crop phenomics and its connections with plant genomics, crop genetics research at NAU and NRP. We have also focused on joint phenomics research development, cutting-edge Agri-Tech solutions, shared analysis pipelines and facilities on both sides, and scheduled annual research workshops, training events, and staff exchange. 3) The next NRP-NAU summit will be held in June 2019, in Nanjing China. |
| Exploitation Route | Through the CUPPC and NRP-NAU summit, we could develop both to incorporate more UK and Chinese research organisations, so that joint research workshops, training events, and staff exchange can be conducted via the platform. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Other |
| URL | http://pprc.njau.edu.cn/info/1053/1083.htm |
| Description | First Year (2018-2019): 1) invited by The Chinese National Genetics Association to give a session keynote talk titled "AI in Life Sciences" at the 2018 The Chinese National Genetics Conference (once every two-three years) with over 2000 attendants, in Nov 2018; 2) Exhibited in Royal Norfolk Show 2018 (June) to engage with the general public and local media regarding my lab's Agri-Tech innovations at Norwich Research Park; 3) The hardware and software solutions developed by my lab, i.e. the IoT-based crop monitoring solution called CropQuant (UKIPO, GB1709756.9, international PCT Patent Application No. PCT/GB2018/050985), have attracted much interest, e.g. the East Asia licence is in the process of being sold to a research organisation in China for US$80,000 plus VAT, plus 5% royalty. 4) The establishment of the China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre (CUPPC) in Nanjing and Wuhan. The MoU has been signed between seven leading research organisations in China and the UK, including the detailed research agreement signed between NAU and UEA/EI, and the first NAU-NRP research workshop at Norwich Research Park in Jan 2019. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Other |
| Impact Types | Societal,Economic |
| Title | AirSurf - a deep learning based aerial image analytic platform |
| Description | Derived from DFW's aerial image analysis work, AirSurf-Lettuce is an automated and open-source aerial image analysis platform that combines modern computer vision, up-to-date machine learning, and modular software engineering to measure yield-related phenotypes of millions of lettuces across the field. Utilising ultra-large normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) images acquired by fixed-wing light aircrafts together with a deep-learning classifier trained with over 100,000 labelled lettuce signals, the platform is capable of scoring and categorising iceberg lettuces with high accuracy (>98%). Furthermore, novel analysis functions have been developed to map lettuce size distribution in the field, based on which global positioning system (GPS) tagged harvest regions can be derived to enable growers and farmers' precise harvest strategies and marketability estimates before the harvest. |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Aerial imagery is regularly used by farmers and growers to monitor crops during the growing season. To extract meaningful phenotypic information from large-scale aerial images collected regularly from the field, high-throughput analytic solutions are required, which not only produce high-quality measures of key crop traits, but also support agricultural practitioners to make reliable management decisions of their crops. We collaborate with the UK's second largest growers, G's Growers, and developed AirSurf-Lettuce that can measure millions of lettuces in the field, which has also helped the firm to improve the actual yield of iceberg lettuce in real-world agricultural practices. |
| URL | https://github.com/Crop-Phenomics-Group/AirSurf-Lettuce/releases |
| Description | China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre |
| Organisation | Aberystwyth University |
| Department | Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Coordinated the MoU for jointly establishing a China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre (CUPPC) between NANJING AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY (China), HUAZHONG AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY (China), Aberystwyth UNIVERSITY (IBERS, UK), Earlham institute (BBSRC UK), Rothamsted Research (Plant Sciences Dept., BBSRC UK), University of East Anglia (UK), and University of Nottingham (UK). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Signed MoU as well as initiated research visits between the seven research organisations. |
| Impact | The establishment of the China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre (CUPPC) in Nanjing and Wuhan. The MoU signed between seven leading research organisations in China and the UK. The detailed research agreement is being signed between NAU and UEA/EI. The first NAU-NRP research workshop at Norwich Research Park in Jan 2019. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre |
| Organisation | Huazhong Agricultural University |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Coordinated the MoU for jointly establishing a China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre (CUPPC) between NANJING AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY (China), HUAZHONG AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY (China), Aberystwyth UNIVERSITY (IBERS, UK), Earlham institute (BBSRC UK), Rothamsted Research (Plant Sciences Dept., BBSRC UK), University of East Anglia (UK), and University of Nottingham (UK). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Signed MoU as well as initiated research visits between the seven research organisations. |
| Impact | The establishment of the China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre (CUPPC) in Nanjing and Wuhan. The MoU signed between seven leading research organisations in China and the UK. The detailed research agreement is being signed between NAU and UEA/EI. The first NAU-NRP research workshop at Norwich Research Park in Jan 2019. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre |
| Organisation | Nanjing Agricultural University |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Coordinated the MoU for jointly establishing a China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre (CUPPC) between NANJING AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY (China), HUAZHONG AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY (China), Aberystwyth UNIVERSITY (IBERS, UK), Earlham institute (BBSRC UK), Rothamsted Research (Plant Sciences Dept., BBSRC UK), University of East Anglia (UK), and University of Nottingham (UK). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Signed MoU as well as initiated research visits between the seven research organisations. |
| Impact | The establishment of the China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre (CUPPC) in Nanjing and Wuhan. The MoU signed between seven leading research organisations in China and the UK. The detailed research agreement is being signed between NAU and UEA/EI. The first NAU-NRP research workshop at Norwich Research Park in Jan 2019. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre |
| Organisation | University of East Anglia |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Coordinated the MoU for jointly establishing a China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre (CUPPC) between NANJING AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY (China), HUAZHONG AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY (China), Aberystwyth UNIVERSITY (IBERS, UK), Earlham institute (BBSRC UK), Rothamsted Research (Plant Sciences Dept., BBSRC UK), University of East Anglia (UK), and University of Nottingham (UK). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Signed MoU as well as initiated research visits between the seven research organisations. |
| Impact | The establishment of the China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre (CUPPC) in Nanjing and Wuhan. The MoU signed between seven leading research organisations in China and the UK. The detailed research agreement is being signed between NAU and UEA/EI. The first NAU-NRP research workshop at Norwich Research Park in Jan 2019. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre |
| Organisation | University of Nottingham |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Coordinated the MoU for jointly establishing a China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre (CUPPC) between NANJING AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY (China), HUAZHONG AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY (China), Aberystwyth UNIVERSITY (IBERS, UK), Earlham institute (BBSRC UK), Rothamsted Research (Plant Sciences Dept., BBSRC UK), University of East Anglia (UK), and University of Nottingham (UK). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Signed MoU as well as initiated research visits between the seven research organisations. |
| Impact | The establishment of the China-UK Plant Phenomics Centre (CUPPC) in Nanjing and Wuhan. The MoU signed between seven leading research organisations in China and the UK. The detailed research agreement is being signed between NAU and UEA/EI. The first NAU-NRP research workshop at Norwich Research Park in Jan 2019. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Collaboration for the China-UK innovation grant |
| Organisation | Huazhong Agricultural University |
| Department | State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | To jointly set up China-UK collaboration to promote plant phenotyping and phenotypic analysis. The Hubei government and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) together with Wuhan Uni. and Huazhong Agricultural Uni. will invest 920 million RMB to establish a world-class plant phenomics centre in Wuhan. My lab at Norwich Research Park in the UK has been invited to be part of this programme due to our expertise and experience in machine learning, remote sensing and image analysis. This programme will be initiated in mid-2019 and hence we have established this collaboration. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Both Wuhan Uni. and Huazhong Agricultural Uni. will contribute travel money at the beginning of this programme. |
| Impact | 920 million RMB (CNY) will be invested to establish a world-class plant phenomics centre in Wuhan. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Collaboration for the China-UK innovation grant |
| Organisation | Wuhan University |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | To jointly set up China-UK collaboration to promote plant phenotyping and phenotypic analysis. The Hubei government and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) together with Wuhan Uni. and Huazhong Agricultural Uni. will invest 920 million RMB to establish a world-class plant phenomics centre in Wuhan. My lab at Norwich Research Park in the UK has been invited to be part of this programme due to our expertise and experience in machine learning, remote sensing and image analysis. This programme will be initiated in mid-2019 and hence we have established this collaboration. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Both Wuhan Uni. and Huazhong Agricultural Uni. will contribute travel money at the beginning of this programme. |
| Impact | 920 million RMB (CNY) will be invested to establish a world-class plant phenomics centre in Wuhan. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Exhibit in Royal Norfolk Show |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | My lab exhibited technologies invented by the Zhou laboratory at Norwich Research Park and was interviewed by Royal Norfolk Show, Agri-Tech East, and EDP. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://royalnorfolkshow.rnaa.org.uk/ |