Skip to main content
Figure 1 | Plant Methods

Figure 1

From: Plant phenotyping: from bean weighing to image analysis

Figure 1

Relation between genotype and phenotype. The phenotype is characterized by an enormous amount of processes, functions and structures which are changing during growth and development. Moreover, the regulation of these processes is affected via multiple, dynamic feedback loops by the ever-changing environment. For example: the genotypes available to farmers in form of modern cultivars are the result of selection (by nature and breeders) including biotechnological improvements. While the genotype is comparable to the letters in a book, the interpretation of the genotypic information is affected by the environment. Different genotypes may respond differently to environmental triggers such as limited resources of environment A vs. B. This genotype-by-environment interaction results in different phenotypes which are observable at various organizational levels. A phenotype involves a cascade of processes sequentially altering the composition of the transcribed genes (transcriptome) and their resulting proteins (proteome). These in turn affect the metabolites and ions and act on the development of the plant leading to observable differences in crop physiology and morphology.

Back to article page