b'SEED INNOVATION DAYSAnd the winner of Seed Innovation Days 2023 is phenoLytics GmbHUsing a patented process 3D micro Xray CT, phenoLytics systems allow fully automated, quantitative 3D phenotyping of seeds & germinating seedlings over the germination process.Madeleine BaergPHENOLYTICS GMBHwas awarded the Seed Innovation Challenges top honors. Their winning systemphenoTest offers fully auto-mated 3D or 4D phenotyping of seeds and seedlings with high throughput and precise measurement of internal and external organs, including hidden struc-tures such as roots in medium, generat-ing actionable big data. The connected 3D seed sorting systemphenoScort- leverages this data to sort for usable seeds. The judges praised phenoLytics innovators for their mature, market-ready technology, which represents a game-changer in seed analysis. For us, this victory is a great affirma- Left to right: Florian Mayer (head of RWAs seed division), Georg Sladek (Agro Innovation tion of our ideas. phenoLytics stands forLab), Antje and Johannes Wolff (phenoLytics GmbH) and Christoph Metzker (RWA board disruptive technology, the use of whichmember).requires a fundamental rethinking in seed analysis. We are pleased that its potentialthe relationship for future collaboration.adapted algorithms, this will allow us to has been recognized, said phenoLyticsThe format of the event was reallyoptimally cover all seeds and seedlings, founders Antje and Johannes Wolff.unique, bringing together everythingfrom fine grasses to large forestry plants.Winning, Johannes says, was a greatfrom predicting the climate, to pollenThe company is also focused on inte-surprise.analysis, to field phenotyping and gettinggrating its technological offerings. We came here not primarily to winall these experts and innovators togetherWe have pitched mainly one technol-the Challenge but to find collaborators,to find a lot of common ground, ways toogy here, but we have an interconnected to find this kind of validation from indus- potentially work together and to breakportfolio: we have 3D phenotyping for the try experts, to find new applications.down the silos that very often exist in anlab, we have 3D field phenotyping technol-[Winning] was a huge confirmation forindustry, says Johannes. ogy, and we have a patented 3D sorter to us, really a validation that even leadingNow that phenoLytics has the Seedleverage this integrated data. Really [the experts in the field of seed technologyInnovation Challenge win in hand, whatsgoal is to] integrate these technologies into also consider our technology to be asnext for the company? Its full steaman ecosystem, leverage that data across valuable as we see it. In addition to beingahead, says Antje.the ecosystem, use the 3D data to sort and able to showcase their own innovation,We are currently developing newto correlate it with the output in the field: Antje and Johannes say they appreciatedalgorithms [and] we are currently alsoreally integrating not just an isolated niche Seed Innovation Days as an opportunitydeveloping a new device which willapplication, but really something that can to see the impressive breadth and depthallow to measure at variable resolutions,disrupt and help to improve all kinds of of innovation currently occurring withinsmaller and larger plants, hopefully at anprocesses across the whole value chain, the seed industry, and possibly to buildeven higher throughput. Together withsays Johannes.SW18/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2024'