High-Throughput Phenotyping: Application in Maize Breeding

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Manuscript, entitled ^„ High-Throughput Phenotyping: Application to Maize Breeding ^„

 There are shortcomings and modifications that should be included in order to enhance manuscript.

Abstract

·         The introduction sentence for the important of this work  should be added at the beginning of abstract.

·         Please write the full name of VIs?

·         Line 20 to line 21. The experiments consistently demonstrated significant experimental quality across sites, with accuracy ranging from 79.07% to 95.94%. It is not clear. It should be rephrased.

·         Line 23. NGRDI, VARI, GL full name should be written.

·         Line 25 and line 26, however, stage V5 in the localities of Lavras and Ijaci and stage V8 in the locality of Nazareno showed a positive correlation with productivity. What is the meaning? It is not clear.

Introduction

·         How to start by citation 23? Something is wrong. Please check all manuscript?

·         Line 41 to line 46 more citations should be added?

·         Line 66 to line 72 more citations should be added?

·         Please highlighted in deep, what is the novelty (originality) of the work? And what is new in your work that makes a difference in the body of knowledge?

Materials and Methods

·         Location map should be added?

·         UAV photos should be added during measurements?

·         Line 93. The no-till system was employed. It is not clear.

·         The amount dose of fertilization should be added  and in which growth stage?

·         Error in line 155.

·         The equations of vegetation indices from line 143- to 145 should be added?

Results and discussion

·         Table 3 should be added under the title of table 3.

·         The figure 2 should be added above the title of table 2.

·         Figure 2. It is not clear to follow the results.

·         Any way, the results and discussion must be improved and support by pervious studies?

·         Please, write the practical applications of your work in a separate section, before the conclusions and provide your good perspectives.

Conclusion 

·         Conclusion is very weak written.

·         ·         Please write about the limitations of this work in details in conclusion section.

Extensive editing of English language required

Author Response

Please see the attachment

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript estimate the correlation between and grain yield and identify the optimal timing and for precise corn grain yield estimation. The subject is interesting and results can provide an advance in current knowledge for photographic quantification to measure corn ear traits and establish their correlation with corn grain yield.

At the end of the abstract, a conclusion must be written - the practical usefulness of the results.

The Material and Method section needs to be improved.

What is the mechanical and chemical composition of the soil in experimental fields? Has an agrochemical analysis of the soil been carried out? Please describe in detail.

What is the amount of rainfall for the three experimental plots? Please specify.

From Line 131 to Line 134, indicate numerical data for meteorological conditions, wind speed, temperature and humidity, etc. Please provide information from where the data for the meteorological conditions during the experiment is taken.

Please provide technical data for the RGB 131 digital camera used.

Formulas must be numbered. For example, Line 152, Line 161, Line 180, 185, 202 and etc

The section Results and discussion needs to be improved.

The resulting graphics for Flight 3 Flight 4 are of poor quality. Please improve it.

Figure 3 Dispersion graph from manual versus photographic measurements… are of poor quality. Please improve it.

In the conclusion, include information on how future research will proceed.

The listed references are appropriate, but are not put on MDPI format. The authors should edit according to the journal’s requested format.

Author Response

Por favor, verifique o anexo

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Please clearly describe the objectives of this study

language of the manuscript needs moderate improvements

In method section please add some recent references

Please also add background of the genotype used in this study 

Please also add climatic conditions of area where crop is grown

Discussion needs substantial revisions. Please add some recent literature how yield is affected by multiple abiotic stresses in field conditions (please refer to and include (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1265700) and (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.727835).

Please envision any other recommendation by adding a short perspectives section before the conclusions.

moderate revisions

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Minor editing of English language required
 

Author Response

Por favor, verifique o anexo.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

accepted

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 3

Reviewer 1 Report

The authors improved the manuscript. It can be accepted for publication.