From seed to field: advancements in controlled environment, robotics and plant phenotyping

Plant phenotyping attempts to objectively measure a plant’s reaction to its environment as encoded by its genotype. It has become an essential tool for deepening our understanding of plant responses to environmental stimuli. Understanding the plant’s reaction to, for example, a warmer climate is crucial to ensure food production for future generations. Breeders and researchers rely on automated high-throughput phenotyping for optimizing crops. Ideally, above- and below-ground traits are observed simultaneously. The newly established controlled environment facility at the Technology Center for Phenotyping of the Fraunhofer IIS in Merkendorf provides several climate chambers with individually controllable conditions for up to 400 individual plants to allow simulation of even extreme climatic conditions all year around. Comprehensive measurement of plant structures using X-ray as well as optical cameras provide highly detailed 2D and 3D information to researchers and breeders worldwide. In combination with automated data pipelines, distinct plant traits can be extracted from the sensor data. By bridging above- and below-ground phenotyping, this facility not only advances plant science but also contributes to the breeding of more resilient and productive crops. Collaborators are welcome to unlock the transformative potential of these unique phenotyping capabilities, exploring traits such as root length, leaf area, biomass, and more.