Paper · 2025 · Crop Science

UAS‐derived vegetation indices detect wheat leaf rust infection and its influence on grain yield and canopy temperature

Rahul Raman; Haly L. Neely; Nithya Rajan; et al.

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15
verbatim quotes
6
citations
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research areas
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Open access · cc-by-nc-nd

Abstract

Abstract Leaf rust is a major biotic factor affecting wheat yield globally. However, the visual scoring technique to assess fungal disease in breeding programs requires significant expert manual labor and time. Unmanned aerial systems have the potential to scan large acreage in a short time for disease screening. An experiment was conducted at College Station and Castroville, TX, in 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 to assess the performance of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference red edge index (NDRE), and green chlorophyll index (GCI) in detecting leaf rust infection. Other measurements included proximal canopy temperature, grain yield, and visual screening for infection type and severity. A significant positive relationship ( p < 0.001; R 2 = 0.42–0.62) of grain yield with all three vegetation indices (VIs) was observed in mid‐April 2019 at College Station. At College Station, the highest leaf rust severity coincided with the senescence stage in mid‐April 2020. No relationship between the VIs and grain yield was observed. In mid‐April 2020, when the leaf rust infection was high, the VIs showed a significant negative relationship ( p < 0.05; R 2 = 0.27) with grain yield at Castroville. All three VIs showed a significant linear negative relationship with canopy temperature at College Station ( p < 0.05; R 2 = 0.3–0.34) and Castroville ( p < 0.001; R 2 = 0.52–0.54) in mid‐April 2020. At high leaf rust severity, the repeatability of GCI was less than NDVI and NDRE at both locations in 2019 and 2020. These results may differ if multiple factors affect winter wheat simultaneously.

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Claims 7

Associationobservedoriginal resultsignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Grain yield was positively related to all three vegetation indices at College Station in April 2019.

Outcome
grain yielde0
Direction
positivee0
Value
R 2 = 0.42–0.62e0
Qualifier
all three vegetation indices (VIs)e0
Setting
College Statione0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Triticum aestivum
Triticum aestivum · TaxonRasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“A significant positive relationship ( p < 0.001; R 2 = 0.42–0.62) of grain yield with all three vegetation indices (VIs) was observed in mid‐April 2019 at College Station.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 723–894 · show in text ↑
t0

“wheat leaf rust”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–53 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Highest leaf rust severity coincided with senescence at College Station in April 2020.

Organ / stage
senescence stagee0
Outcome
leaf rust severitye0
Direction
higheste0
Setting
College Statione0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Triticum aestivum
Triticum aestivum · TaxonRasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“At College Station, the highest leaf rust severity coincided with the senescence stage in mid‐April 2020.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 895–1000 · show in text ↑
t0

“wheat leaf rust”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–53 · show in text ↑
Associationobservedoriginal resultno effectmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Vegetation indices showed no relationship with grain yield at College Station in April 2020.

Outcome
grain yielde0
Direction
No relationshipe0
Qualifier
VIse0
Setting
College Statione1

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Triticum aestivum
Triticum aestivum · TaxonRasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“No relationship between the VIs and grain yield was observed.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1001–1062 · show in text ↑
e1

“At College Station, the highest leaf rust severity coincided with the senescence stage in mid‐April 2020.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 895–1000 · show in text ↑
t0

“wheat leaf rust”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–53 · show in text ↑
Associationobservedoriginal resultsignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Vegetation indices had a negative relationship with yield at Castroville under high leaf rust infection.

Outcome
grain yielde0
Direction
negativee0
Value
R 2 = 0.27e0
Qualifier
VIse0
Setting
Castrovillee0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Triticum aestivum
Triticum aestivum · TaxonRasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“the VIs showed a significant negative relationship ( p < 0.05; R 2 = 0.27) with grain yield at Castroville.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1121–1228 · show in text ↑
t0

“wheat leaf rust”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–53 · show in text ↑
Associationobservedoriginal resultsignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Vegetation indices had a negative relationship with canopy temperature at College Station.

Outcome
canopy temperaturee0
Direction
negativee0
Value
R 2 = 0.3–0.34e0
Qualifier
All three VIse0
Setting
College Statione0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Triticum aestivum
Triticum aestivum · TaxonRasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“All three VIs showed a significant linear negative relationship with canopy temperature at College Station ( p < 0.05; R 2 = 0.3–0.34) and Castroville ( p < 0.001; R 2 = 0.52–0.54) in mid‐April 2020.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1229–1428 · show in text ↑
t0

“wheat leaf rust”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–53 · show in text ↑
Associationobservedoriginal resultsignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Vegetation indices had a negative relationship with canopy temperature at Castroville.

Outcome
canopy temperaturee0
Direction
negativee0
Value
R 2 = 0.52–0.54e0
Qualifier
All three VIse0
Setting
Castrovillee0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Triticum aestivum
Triticum aestivum · TaxonRasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“All three VIs showed a significant linear negative relationship with canopy temperature at College Station ( p < 0.05; R 2 = 0.3–0.34) and Castroville ( p < 0.001; R 2 = 0.52–0.54) in mid‐April 2020.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1229–1428 · show in text ↑
t0

“wheat leaf rust”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–53 · show in text ↑
Method / resourceobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

At high rust severity, GCI repeatability was lower than NDVI and NDRE at both locations.

Outcome
repeatability of GCIe0
Direction
less thane0
Comparator
NDVI and NDREe0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Triticum aestivum
Triticum aestivum · TaxonRasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“At high leaf rust severity, the repeatability of GCI was less than NDVI and NDRE at both locations in 2019 and 2020.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1429–1545 · show in text ↑
t0

“wheat leaf rust”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–53 · show in text ↑