Conveyour systems
[18]LemnaTec plant phenotyping platforms grow on the job! Starting with one imaging box for top and side imaging, a lift and turn unit and a small conveyour loop to buffer around 20 plants, the systems can then grow in a modular way over time. This development often leads to separate imaging units for different wavelengths (VIS, NIR, IR, and fluorescence) as well as different plant parts (shoot, root). Integration of watering and weighing systems allows full control of the overall plant water economy. Spraying units enable application of pesticides or fertilisers. For repeated and periodic imaging whole greenhouses can be equipped with conveyor belts.
Pots and sizes
[19]Scanalyzer 3-D systems can be used for trays/single plants from 25 grams (2 cm pots) to 40 kg pots for fully grown field crops like corn, miscantus and sugar cane. They may also be employed for example with larger plant numbers of plants grown in bigger pots in field density. Various types of conveyor belts are available for different applications.
Watering and weighing systems
[20]Light and temperature conditions are generally fully controlled or at least monitored by growth chamber or greenhouse facilities. Within the MovingField approach, LemnaTec also offers a system for the control of watering and water usage – and it is geared to each single plant individually! This allows researchers to impose any kind of humidity or drought regime on each plant independently, while they can monitor responses in detail and keep soil humidity conditions similar to those in the field – even if plants evaporate different amounts of water due to their size or genetic endowments.
Spraying cabinets
[21]As part of LemnaTec’s comprehensive MovingField plant management platform for conveyor belts, pesticides may be applied in LemnaSpray cabinets. Because of special features such as confined space, efficient activated carbon air filters and special low-aerosol nozzles, all pesticide applications can be achieved without manual spraying – avoiding contamination and the need to shut down the whole greenhouse. The amount of pesticides used can also be massively reduced and chemicals that missed the plants are collected subsequently as runoff for recycling or disposal.
Custom-build adaptations
[22]LemnaTec uses a broad set of modules to design systems that meet the specific needs of each customer. Ultimately, no two greenhouses are the same and varying crops and research aims demand adaptable imaging and plant management set-ups. LemnaTec takes part in the whole design process, developing the best solution in close cooperation with the scientists and facility managers in charge.