System and method for automated phenotyping of shattered seed pods

A seed pod shatter test system for determining the resistance to seed pod shattering in various plants, said system comprising:

• a mobile platform structured and operable to traverse at least one row of plants growing in plot;
• at least one plant engaging head mounted to a front of the mobile platform, the at least one plant engaging head structured and operable to condition each of the plurality of plants in the at least one row of plants growing in the plot by contacting each of the plurality of plants in the at least one row of plants growing in the plot in the at least one row with a predetermined amount of force to simulate exposure of the plurality of plants in the at least one row of plants growing in the plot to environmental weather conditions and elements as the mobile platform traverses the at least one row of plants growing in the plot, the at least one plant engaging head comprises:
• a housing;
• a barrel rotationally mounted within the housing;
• a motor operationally connected to the barrel and structured and operable to controllably rotate the barrel about a longitudinal axis of the barrel;
• and
• at least one plant contact implement mounted to the barrel and structured and operable to condition the plants by contacting the plants with the predetermined amount of force as result of the controlled rotation of the barrel and the traversing of the row or plants by the mobile platform;
• and
• a data collections and analysis system structured and operable to determine an amount of seed pod shattering that occurred in the plurality of plants in the at least one row of plants growing in the plot as a result of the contact by the at least one plant engaging head.

A method for determining the resistance to seed pod shattering in various plants, said method comprising:

• traversing at least one row of a plurality of plants growing in plot utilizing a mobile platform of a seed pod shatter test system;
• conditioning each of the plurality of plants in the at least one row of plants growing in the plot by contacting each of the plurality of plants in the at least one row of plants growing in the plot with a predetermined amount of force to simulate exposure of the plurality of plants in the at least one row of plants growing in the plot to environmental weather conditions and elements as the mobile platform traverses the at least one row of plants growing in the plot utilizing at least one plant engaging head mounted to a front of the mobile platform of the seed pod shatter test system, wherein the at least one plant engaging head comprises:
• a housing;
• a barrel rotationally mounted within the housing;
• a motor operationally connected to the barrel and structured and operable to controllably rotate the barrel about a longitudinal axis of the barrel;
• and
• at least one plant contact implement mounted to the barrel and structured and operable to condition the plurality of plants in the at least one row of plants growing in the plot by contacting the plurality of plants in the at least one row of plants growing in the plot with the predetermined amount of force as result of the controlled rotation of the barrel and the traversing of the at least one row or plants growing in the plot by the mobile platform;
• and
• determining an amount of seed pod shattering that occurred in the plurality of plants in the at least one row of plants growing in the plot as a result of the contact by the at least one plant engaging head utilizing a data collections and analysis system of the seed pod shatter test system.