The Plant Phenotyping and Soil Health Facility at Cranfield University facility has the capability to replicate the entire cropping cycle, from tillage to post-harvest, both above and below ground, in a controlled glasshouse environment. Additionally, these facilities are integrated with Agri-EPI’s multi-sensor gantry-based phenotyping platform.

Bridging the gap between lab-based academic research and in-field research is a key challenge in crop health studies. To this end, the glasshouse at Cranfield benefits from an integrated automation system (with temperature and ventilation control), enabling a precise control for such variables in studies. The bespoke digital phenotyping gantry mounted inside the glasshouse is equipped with a large box containing a suite of six sensors. This box can easily be manoeuvered at precise locations throughout the glasshouse and an approximate 3.5m height adjustment can also be reached to accommodate analysis of small crops grown on benches. It can equally be readjusted for taller crops such as maize which the glasshouse can easily fit due to its 11-metre height. The sensors use a range of digital phenotyping technologies to monitor plant development.

Sitting next to an equipped CO₂ sensor is the Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) scanner. In fact the gantry has two Lidar scanners, both fitted at 30 degree angles. These steeply angled near-infrared (NIR) laser scanners enable the generation of extremely detailed 3D images of different angles of plants (0.25 mm spaced points in all three axes). They are routinely used to study and characterize plant structure or soil surfaces.

To the left of the system, there are two types of hyperspectral cameras, with halogen lightning.

• Visible-near infrared (VNIR) hyperspectral camera
  This operates in the visible and near-infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (380-1000 nm) and is used to detect spectral changes in the physiology and composition of crops produced by biotic or abiotic stresses.
• Short-wave infrared (SWIR) hyperspectral camera
  Operating in the shortwave infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (950-2500 nm,the SWIR camera can also detect specific cellulose, lignin and leaf-water related indices.

The imaging techniques discussed above allow us to push the limits of existing plant science to advance the detection of changes induced by external factors, such as pests and diseases or water availability, or internal factors, resulted from plant breeding. By using this imaging techniques in combination with Artificial Intelligence technology we can develop cost effective sensors that can be installed in mobile applications like drones.

Find out how CHAP can help to take your crop research to another level, go to Plant Phenotyping and Soil Health Facility and  Digital Phenotyping Lab.

Reach out to the CHAP team to discuss potential project opportunities using our Digital Phenotyping Lab: email us using the enquiries form at the bottom of our homepage.