RE-IMAGINE-CROPS – A real-time mobile multimodal positron emission tomography and multiphoton endoscopic technology for REalistic in-field quantitative IMAGING of CROPS

Introduction

Sustainable agriculture strategies have become central to European and global orientations as the demand for food increases with the rising world population. Current technologies qualitatively drive the application of Nitrogen (N)-fertilizers to stressed field areas but cannot precisely modulate the needed amount, resulting in dangerous N dispersion, ecological, and economic losses.

Project Vision

RE-IMAGINE-CROPS envisions applying basic plant science into crop management by quantitative “in-field” measurements of biophysical processes occurring at the tissue and cellular level. The consortium will implement the first real-time in-field portable multimodal multiscale Positron Emission Tomography (PET)-Multiphoton Endoscope (ME) technology.

Technology Overview

• PET Functionality: PET measures the metabolic processes in the crops at the scale of hundreds of micrometers.
• ME System: It guides the ME system to visualize functional mechanisms at a cellular level.

The aim is to tailor the amount of fertilizer to be used by enabling measurement of functional processes reflecting the local and systemic crop signal pathways triggered by N-fertilizer shortly after application.

Methodology

RE-IMAGINE-CROPS involves:

1. Real-time PET reconstruction
2. Hydrodynamic modeling
3. Optical fiber transmission optics
4. Features identification in multiple scales

It enables a new multimodal, mobile technology for the first time, with unprecedented spatial resolution (0.6 mm; 1 µm) and real-time functionality at a rate of (2; 10) Hz. These capabilities are enabled by a multimodal PET-ME tracer based on the Lifeact-Venus protein labeled with 89Zr.

Consortium and Impact

RE-IMAGINE-CROPS brings together eight institutions with leading scientists and cross-disciplinary expertise. Among them, EURO-BIOIMAGING ERIC and BFEDU, a large agrifood enterprise, will boost the impact and dissemination of this novel technology into the European scientific and industrial landscape.

Conclusion

On this basis, RE-IMAGINE-CROPS has the potential to support and shape the essential priorities in the EU’s future sustainable crop management.