Module 4 – High-Throughput Phenotyping Growth Rooms

The environmental conditions in the system allow for a temperature range between 4°C and 42°C, with relative humidity maintained between 40% and 85%. The maximum PPFD reaches 1000 µmol/m²/s at a distance of 150 cm from the light source, which has a spectral composition including UVB, cool white, deep red, and far red light. The CO₂ concentration is adjustable between ambient levels and 2000 ppm. The system ensures high precision and homogeneity, with a minimum step accuracy of 0.1°C for temperature and 0.1% for relative humidity. Spatial homogeneity is maintained within ±0.5°C and ±2.5% RH, while temporal stability is within ±0.2°C and ±2.5% RH. Light homogeneity is controlled within ±5% over the cultivation area. Additionally, the system includes a WIWAM Rhizotron System equipped with 301 plates, supporting a fixed soil width of 4 mm for root growth, and an imaging area of 480 mm in height and 240 mm in width.

Environmental capabilities

The system operates within a temperature range of 4°C to 42°C and maintains relative humidity between 40% and 85%. It provides a maximum PPFD of 1000 µmol/m²/s at 150 cm from the light source, which consists of UVB, cool white, deep red, and far red light. The CO₂ concentration can be adjusted between ambient levels and 2000 ppm. High precision and homogeneity are ensured, with a minimum step accuracy of 0.1°C for temperature and 0.1% for relative humidity. Spatial homogeneity is controlled within ±0.5°C and ±2.5% RH, while temporal stability remains within ±0.2°C and ±2.5% RH. Light homogeneity is maintained within ±5% across the cultivation area.

Imaging system

The imaging system consists of a gantry that moves along the X and Y axes to access each plant position on the growing table. The gantry head is equipped with a chlorophyll fluorescence module that can measure various photosynthetic parameters using advanced excitation and reflectance methods. Additionally, it includes an RGB imager capable of high-resolution imaging and NCVI (Normalized Canopy Vegetation Index) measurements. The system can scan the entire growing table in approximately 1.5 hours, enabling multiple measurements per day.

Growing system

Each growing table is supplied with irrigation solution from two dedicated tanks, enabling two treatments per experiment (e.g., nutrient deficit experiments). The irrigation system is automated to ensure precise irrigation timing and intervals. The system is versatile, allowing use with hydroponic , either with or without rockwool, as well as with pots and soil. The irrigation system also offers pH control for optimal plant growth.

Environmental capabilities

The system operates within a temperature range of 4°C to 42°C and maintains relative humidity between 40% and 85%. It delivers a maximum PPFD of 2000 µmol/m²/s at 50 cm from the light source for general use and up to 8000 µmol/m²/s at 50 cm for imaging purposes. The spectral composition includes UVB, cool white, deep red, and far red light, while imaging applications also utilize UVA, cool white, royal blue, blue, cyan, green, red-orange, and far red wavelengths. CO₂ concentration can be adjusted between ambient levels and 2000 ppm. High precision and homogeneity are ensured with a minimum step accuracy of 0.1°C for temperature and 0.1% for relative humidity. Spatial homogeneity is controlled within ±0.5°C and ±2.5% RH, while temporal stability remains within ±0.2°C and ±2.5% RH. Light is kept even within ±5% across the growing area, and the system can detect fast light changes as short as 10 milliseconds.

Imaging system

The camera and lighting system is mounted overhead, seamlessly integrated into the ceiling structure. The growing tables are adjustable, allowing vertical movement to fine-tune the imaging distance with the cameras.

Imaging capabilities include a a chlorophyll fluorescence module that can measure various photosynthetic parameters using advanced excitation and reflectance methods.  Additionally, it includes an RGB imager capable of high-resolution imaging.

Growing system

Each growing table is supplied with irrigation solution from two dedicated tanks, enabling two treatments per experiment (e.g., nutrient deficit experiments). The irrigation system is automated to ensure precise irrigation timing and intervals. The system is versatile, allowing use with hydroponic setups, either with or without rockwool. Each table can accommodate a maximum of 1296 Arabidopsis thaliana plants with a growing area per plant of 6cmx6cm, or 324 plants in a growing are per plant of 12cmx12cm. For larger plants, additional layers or setups can be used. The irrigation system also offers pH control for optimal plant growth.

Virtual tour

Click the image below to start the virtual tour.

Environmental capabilities

The system provides a highly controlled environment with a temperature range from minus 4°C to 42°C and relative humidity maintained between 40% and 85%. It supports a maximum PPFD of 1000 µmol/m²/s at 150 cm from the light source, with a broad spectral composition that includes UVA, cool white, blue, cyan, green, amber, red, deep red, and far-red light. CO₂ levels can be adjusted between ambient concentration and 2000 ppm. The system ensures precision and homogeneity, with a minimum step of 0.1°C for temperature and 0.1% for relative humidity. Spatial and temporal stability are maintained within ±0.5°C and ±2.5% RH, while light homogeneity is kept within ±5% across the cultivation area.

Imaging system

The imaging system consists of a gantry that moves along the X, Y and Z axes to access each plant position on the growing table. The imaging capabilities include  a chlorophyll fluorescence module that can measure various photosynthetic parameters using advanced excitation and reflectance methods, and an RGB morphometric imager. The Fluorcam panel is equipped with a range of optical filters to support diverse imaging applications. These include a blue filter (440/40 nm), a GFP filter (517/20 nm), a green filter (520/28 nm), and a YFP filter (592/46 nm) for capturing fluorescence at specific wavelengths. Additionally, it features a chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) filter covering 695–770 nm, an infrared (IR) filter at 747/33 nm, and specialized optical filters such as FB550, FB700, and FB780.  Key features include the ability to maintain sub-zero temperatures at maximal PPFD, simulate daylight spectra, and operate within an imaging area of 35 × 35 cm, making it a versatile tool for plant research and environmental monitoring. The system can scan the entire growing table in approximately 30 min, enabling multiple measurements per day.

Growing system

Each growing table is supplied with irrigation solution from six dedicated tanks, enabling several treatments per experiment (e.g., nutrient deficit experiments). The irrigation system is automated to ensure precise irrigation timing and intervals. The system is versatile, allowing use with hydroponic setups, either with or without rockwool as well as with pots and soil. Each table can accommodate a maximum of 2160 Arabidopsis thaliana plants with a growing area per plant of 6cmx6cm. For larger plants, additional layers or setups can be used. The irrigation system also offers pH and temperature control for optimal plant growth.

Virtual tour

Click the image below to start the virtual tour.

Environmental capabilities

The system operates under a controlled environment with temperatures ranging from 4°C to 42°C, relative humidity between 40% and 85%, and a maximum PPFD of 2000 µmol/m²/s at 150 cm from the light source. The spectral composition includes UVB, cool white, deep red, and far-red light, while CO₂ concentration can be adjusted from ambient levels up to 2000 ppm. Precision and homogeneity are ensured with a minimum step of 0.1°C for temperature and 0.1% for relative humidity, spatial homogeneity within ±0.5°C and ±2.5% RH, and temporal stability within ±0.2°C and ±2.5% RH. Light homogeneity is maintained at ±5% across the cultivation area.

Imaging system

The imaging system consists of a gantry that moves along the X, Y, and Z axes to access each plant position on the growing table. The system features advanced imaging sensors, including a kinetic chlorophyll fluorescence imager with multi-excitation capabilities, an RGB morphometric imager, an Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR )hyperspectral imager (900nm to 1700nm), and a high-resolution thermal imager. The Fluorcam panel is equipped with a range of optical filters to support diverse imaging applications. These include a blue filter (440/40 nm), a GFP filter (517/20 nm), a green filter (520/28 nm), and a YFP filter (592/46 nm) for capturing fluorescence at specific wavelengths. Additionally, it features a chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) filter covering 695–770 nm, an infrared (IR) filter at 747/33 nm, and specialized filters such as FB550, FB700, and FB780.  Key features include high-light intensity and an imaging area of 20 × 20 cm, making it a robust platform for precise plant phenotyping and environmental monitoring. The system can scan the entire growing table in approximately 1.5 hours, enabling multiple measurements per day.

Growing system

Each growing table is supplied with irrigation solution from three dedicated tanks, enabling several treatments per experiment (e.g., nutrient deficit experiments). The irrigation system is automated to ensure precise irrigation timing and intervals. The system is versatile, allowing use with hydroponic setups, either with or without rockwool as well as with pots and soil. Each table can accommodate a maximum of 2160 Arabidopsis thaliana plants with a growing area per plant of 6cmx6cm. For larger plants, additional layers or setups can be used. The irrigation system also offers pH control for optimal plant growth.

Virtual tour

Click the image below to start the virtual tour.