Genetius

The study presents low‑cost UAS workflows using RGB photogrammetry and LiDAR to measure stand height and lodging severity in tef, demonstrating that early‑season height can predict later lodging. Comparison of 3D point clouds from both sensors showed comparable accuracy, enabling precise, high‑throughput phenotyping for breeding semidwarf, lodging‑resistant lines. The tools were integrated into the open‑source PlantCV‑Geospatial platform for community use.

The study assembled and resequenced a diverse panel of 265 teff (Eragrostis tef) landraces, generated a high‑quality reference genome for its wild progenitor Eragrostis pilosa, and elucidated teff’s domestication origin in Ethiopia. Genome‑wide association analyses identified key loci for seed color (involving TT7 and TT2 orthologs) and panicle architecture (an ortholog of DEP1), providing genomic resources to accelerate teff breeding.