Sensor plant and method for identifying stressors in crops based on characteristics of sensor plants
One variation of a method for identifying stressors in crops based on fluorescence of sensor plants includes: accessing a set of spectral images of a sensor plant sown in a crop, the sensor plant of a sensor plant type including a set of promoters and a set of reporters configured to signal a set of stressors present at the sensor plant, the set of promoters and set of reporters forming a set of promoter-reporter pairs; accessing a reporter model linking characteristics extracted from the set of spectral images of the sensor plant to the set of stressors based on signals generated by the set of promoter-reporter pairs in the sensor plant type; and identifying a first stressor, in the set of stressors, present at the sensor plant based on the reporter model and characteristics extracted from the set of spectral images.
1. A method for identifying stressors in crops based on fluorescence of sensor plants comprising: accessing one or more images of at least one sensor plant in an agricultural environment, wherein the one or more images depict a set of downwelling light spectra and a set of upwelling light spectra corresponding to solar radiation, and the at least one sensor plant have been genetically modified to include a promoter-reporter pair-configured to express a fluorescent signal indicating presence of a stressor selected from a microbial, nematode, fungal, insect, or environmental stressor, the promoter-reporter pair comprising: a promoter gene configured to selectively express based on presence of the stressor; and a reporter gene-paired to the promoter gene and configured to express, to produce the fluorescent signal, responsive to expression of the promoter gene; accessing a reporter model linking solar-induced fluorescence measurements extracted from the one or more images of sensor plants to the presence of the stressor, based on fluorescent signals expressed by the at least one sensor plant;
and interpreting presence of the stressor at the at least one sensor plant based on the reporter model and the solar-induced fluorescence measurements extracted from the one or more images,
comprising extracting a solar-induced fluorescence measurement in a reporter fluorescent light spectrum associated with the fluorescent signal; and interpreting presence of the stressor at the at least one sensor plant based on the reporter model and the solar-induced fluorescence measurement, wherein the solar induced fluorescence measurements are associated with one or more wavelengths.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the promoter-reporter pair is configured to express the fluorescent signal indicating presence of a microbial stressor.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor plant has been genetically modified to include a second promoter-reporter pair configured to express a second fluorescent signal indicating presence of a second stressor, the second promoter-reporter pair comprising:
a second promoter gene, configured to selectively express based on presence of the second stressor; and
a second reporter gene paired to the second promoter gene and configured to express, to produce the second fluorescent signal, responsive to expression of the second promoter gene.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, interpreting presence of the second stressor at the at least one sensor plant based on the reporter model and fluorescence measurements extracted from the one or more images.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second stressor is selected from a microbial, nematode, fungal, insect, or environmental stressor.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein accessing the one or more images of the at least one sensor plant comprises:
accessing an upwelling light spectrum representing upwelling light, comprising reflectance and fluorescence; and
extracting features in the upwelling light spectrum corresponding to the fluorescent signal produced by the reporter gene.
7. The method of claim 6 :
wherein extracting features in the upwelling light spectrum comprises identifying wavelengths or a wavelength band corresponding to one or more Telluric Lines-depicted in the upwelling light spectrum.
8. The method of claim 6 :
wherein extracting features in the upwelling light spectrum comprises identifying wavelengths or a wavelength band corresponding to one or more Fraunhofer Lines depicted in the upwelling light spectrum.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein interpreting presence of the stressor at the at least one sensor plant based on the reporter model and the solar-induced fluorescence measurement comprises:
estimating a nominal upwelling light spectrum, representing reflectance and fluorescence of the at least one sensor plant absent the stressor, based on the downwelling light spectrum;
extracting a nominal solar-induced fluorescence measurement in the nominal upwelling light spectrum;
characterizing a difference between the solar-induced fluorescence measurement and the nominal solar-induced fluorescence measurement; and
in response to the difference exceeding a threshold difference, predicting presence of the stressor at the at least one sensor plant.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein accessing the one or more images of the at least one sensor plant comprises accessing images captured by an imaging system comprising a satellite.
11. A method for identifying stressors in crops based on fluorescence of sensor plants comprising: accessing images of one or more sensor plants in an agricultural environment, the sensor plants having been genetically modified to selectively express a fluorescent signal based on presence of a stressor selected from a microbial, nematode, fungal, insect, or environmental stressor, the images comprising: a first image depicting a downwelling light spectrum corresponding to solar radiation; and a second image depicting an upwelling light spectrum; accessing a reporter model linking solar-induced fluorescence measurements extracted from downwelling light spectra and upwelling light spectra to presence of the stressor based on fluorescent signals generated by the one or more sensor plants; and interpreting presence of the stressor at the one or more sensor plants based on the reporter model and the solar-induced fluorescence measurements extracted from the first image and the second image, comprising extracting a solar-induced fluorescence measurement in a reporter fluorescent light spectrum associated with the fluorescent signal; and interpreting presence of the stressor at the one or more sensor plants based on the reporter model and the solar-induced fluorescence measurement,
wherein the solar induced fluorescence measurements are associated with one or more wavelengths.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more sensor plants have been genetically modified to include a promoter-reporter pair-configured to selectively express the fluorescent signal representing presence of the stressor, the promoter-reporter pair comprising:
a promoter gene configured to selectively express based on presence of the stressor; and
a reporter gene, paired to the promoter gene, configured to express, to produce the fluorescent signal, responsive to expression of the promoter gene.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more sensor plants comprise a second promoter-reporter pair configured to express a second fluorescent signal representing presence of a second stressor, the second promoter-reporter pair comprising:
a second promoter gene, configured to selectively express based on presence of the second stressor; and
a second reporter gene paired to the second promoter gene, configured to express, to produce the second fluorescent signal, responsive to expression of the second promoter gene.
14. The method of claim 11 :
wherein accessing the reporter model further comprises linking solar-induced fluorescence measurements, corresponding to wavelengths extracted from downwelling light spectra and upwelling light spectra, to presence of the stressor in the one or more sensor plants based on fluorescent signals generated by the one or more sensor plants; and
wherein interpreting presence of the stressor further comprises interpreting presence of the stressor based on the reporter model and solar-induced fluorescence measurements extracted from the first image and the second image.
15. The method of claim 11 :
wherein interpreting presence of the stressor further comprises predicting presence of a magnitude of the stressor based on the reporter model and solar-induced fluorescence measurements extracted from the first image and the second image; and
further comprising, in response to the magnitude of the stressor exceeding a threshold magnitude:
generating a notification indicating presence of the stressor at the one or more sensor plants in the agricultural environment; and
transmitting the notification to a user associated with the agricultural environment.
16. The method of claim 1 : wherein the one or more images comprises: a first image of the at least one sensor plant depicting a downwelling light spectrum corresponding to solar radiation, captured by an optical spectrometer; and a second image of the at least one sensor plant depicting an upwelling light spectrum captured by the optical spectrometer, the upwelling light spectrum comprising a summation of a reflected light spectrum and a fluorescent light spectrum; and wherein interpreting presence of the stressor based on the reporter model and the solar-induced fluorescence measurements extracted from the one or more images comprises:
estimating the reporter fluorescent light spectrum for the at least one sensor plant based on the downwelling light spectrum and the upwelling light spectrum; and interpreting presence of the stressor at the at least one sensor plant based on the reporter model and the solar-induced fluorescence measurements extracted from the reporter fluorescent light spectrum.