Developing durum wheat varieties with improved resilience and productivity.

• Implementing a high-throughput phenotyping UAV platform to fast track selection of canopy traits that support yield;
• Modelling longitudinal phenotypic data to characterise the dynamics of crop development in response to growing environment;
• Genetic dissection of canopy traits using multi-parent populations;
• Investigating the effects of key quantitative trait loci controlling adaptive traits;
• Integrating both canopy and root architectural traits to define ideotypes in the target environments.

• Canopy dynamics may represent a source of new traits for crop improvement by modelling time-series data;
• Genetic loci associated with slower canopy closure were found advantageous in rain-fed Queensland environments.