For a plant to grow properly, you make sure it has enough light, water, and CO2 so that photosynthesis can take place. But what is more interesting is to know exactly how much light, water, and CO2 is needed, and at what time, to create the optimal growing conditions for the plant. Because with that knowledge, it is possible to achieve higher production and quality, and reduce the use of resources.
About 3.5 years ago, Certhon started providing insight into plant activity in the climate chambers of the Certhon Innovation Centre. All sensors present in the chambers, such as temperature, light intensity, level of CO2, and humidity, are logged on a 15-second basis with the Certhon Control System. This data contains a wealth of information, which is immediately accessible.
Making photosynthesis transparent
Data from the dosed amount of CO2 in the climate chamber is measured, combined, and analyzed with other data from the climate chamber. This includes data on the chamber volume, the leakage rate of the chamber, and changes in CO2 concentration. By combining all this data, photosynthesis can be understood.
Highly accurate software in a proprietary dashboard environment
With this knowledge, we have written algorithms that can measure photosynthesis in real-time in any climate chamber we build, in any condition. Specific knowledge about data analysis is not required to read and understand the information. This standardized software has been extensively validated through plant-destructive dry matter measurements during various trials at the Certhon Innovation Centre. Meanwhile, the developed software has been incorporated into our dashboard environment and thus made accessible to users of Certhon climate chambers. With just one push of a button, the user gets all the information needed to increase production and optimize the use of resources.
The benefits of automatically measuring photosynthesis are varied
By combining photosynthesis measurements with other measurements from the climate chamber, extremely valuable cultivation knowledge can be gathered, such as;
- Quantifying the effects of various light spectra;
- The effectiveness and timing of CO2 dosing;
- Timing and intensity of illumination.
Cultivation trials in the climate chamber are growing into an indispensable tool for the optimal use of resources in a greenhouse crop. And the application goes much further. For example, when evaluating new varieties during breeding, our photosynthesis measurements are of great value. Researchers can also benefit greatly from real-time measurement of photosynthesis. For example, the effects of extreme climate change on photosynthesis can be investigated in a more targeted way, and crop trials can be accelerated by gaining direct insight into the crop response in various conditions.
For more information:
Certhon
ABC Westland 555
2685 DG, Poeldijk
Tel.: +31 (0)174 22 50 80
info@certhon.com
www.certhon.com