Phenotypic techniques and applications in fruit trees: a review

Phenotypic information is of great significance for irrigation management, disease prevention and yield improvement. Interest in the evaluation of phenotypes has grown with the goal of enhancing the quality of fruit trees. Traditional techniques for monitoring fruit tree phenotypes are destructive and time-consuming. The development of advanced technology is the key to rapid and non-destructive detection. This review describes several techniques applied to fruit tree phenotypic research in the field, including visible and near-infrared (VIS–NIR) spectroscopy, digital photography, multispectral and hyperspectral imaging, thermal imaging, and light detection and ranging (LiDAR). The applications of these technologies are summarized in terms of architecture parameters, pigment and nutrient contents, water stress, biochemical parameters of fruits and disease detection. These techniques have been shown to play important roles in fruit tree phenotypic research.