Integrating Plant Phenotyping Systems with Growth Chambers

Plant phenotyping systems are an important tool at the forefront of plant science research. They are designed to automate the collection of precise and objective information on plant morphology and physiology. When combined with plant growth chambers and especially plant growth rooms, they offer unparalleled opportunities to systematically collect high resolution data on a large scale. Integrating plant phenotyping with controlled environments allows researchers to enhance their current research capabilities, save time, reduce error and gain access to large data sets of valuable information to advance the discovery process.

In this article, we’ll explore plant phenotyping systems, their features and provide several example of those that have been integrated with plant growth chambers and rooms in a number of research centers of excellence.

Quick Takeaways:

• Plant phenotyping systems automate and systematize the measurement of relevant plant traits such as biomass, height, leaf area, the quantification of plant health, disease symptoms and other parameters.
• Integration of these systems into plant growth chambers and rooms helps automate the process of data collection, increases data accuracy, and reduces variability in experimental conditions.
• Advanced sensors and imaging technologies in plant phenotyping systems allow for detailed and consistent monitoring of plant parameters.
• These systems support robust data sharing and collaboration across the scientific community and accelerate innovation.

What is a Plant Phenotyping System?

Plant phenotyping systems consist of hardware and software designed to measure and analyze the physical and functional traits of plants. They’re instrumental in advancing researchers’ understanding of plant growth, environmental response, and genetic expression.

Plant phenotyping systems include a variety of components engineered to provide a comprehensive assessment of plant health and development. For example:

• RFID Tagging: Each plant is tagged with RFID to track its individual growth trajectory and history throughout the experiment.
• Conveyors: These are used to move plants between different stations or areas within the growth space or area adjacent, ensuring minimal human handling and minimal disruption to the plant's growing conditions.
• Monitoring Tools: Essential devices like scales and water flow meters are integrated to monitor daily plant weight, irrigation levels, and nutrient delivery accurately.

Automation is also at the core of modern plant phenotyping systems, allowing for the continuous and consistent monitoring of plant conditions without the need for constant human oversight. This happens through:

• Environmental Controls: Automated systems adjust conditions such as humidity, temperature, CO2 levels, and light intensity
• Data Collection: Sensors and cameras collect a range of key data points, from growth rates and leaf size to water use efficiency and chlorophyll fluorescence.

These capabilities allow researchers to automatically and systematically simulate natural environmental conditions with precision and repeatability, generating the most accurate research data and outcomes possible.

Why Integrate a Plant Phenotyping System Into a Growth Chamber?

Traditional methods of plant research involve direct and manual observation of plants in natural or semi-controlled environments such as greenhouses. Researchers would physically examine plants, noting growth, health, and productivity without precise control over environmental variables.

This approach was inherently limited by human error, variability in conditions, and inability to monitor and adjust those conditions with the precision of an enclosed environmental chamber or room. Further, those observing the plants needed to have high levels of expertise and apply observations and record results consistently to draw meaningful conclusions.

Modern plant phenotyping systems are both automated and highly scalable — not only resolving these limitations when integrated into controlled environments, but offering myriad additional benefits, including:

Time & Accuracy

A significant advantage of integrating plant phenotyping systems into a plant growth chamber is the substantial reduction in time and increase in data accuracy. Automation minimizes the need for manual measurements, which are both time-consuming and highly susceptible to human error.

Advanced sensors and imaging technology can capture detailed data on plant growth, physiological responses, and environmental conditions at a level of frequency and precision that even the best manual methods cannot match.

Empirical Data

The transition from subjective observations to empirical, data-driven analysis has transformed plant sciences. Phenotyping systems collect vast amounts of high resolution data that can be statistically analyzed, leading to more accurate, reliable, and reproducible results. This shift improves the validity of research findings and supports the development of advanced plant models and simulations.

Community & Data Sharing

Modern phenotyping systems are also often designed for data sharing and supporting collaboration among research institutions worldwide. Open source communities such as the Open Plant Phenotyping Database from Aarhus University and PlantCV from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center enable researchers to present findings, methodologies, data sets, and technology, thereby accelerating the discovery process.

Crop Resilience

Phenotyping systems are invaluable in crop management and agricultural development. By precisely controlling and monitoring environmental conditions and plant responses, these systems help identify key traits and genes associated with desirable agricultural outcomes.

This knowledge is crucial for developing new crop varieties that are better suited to the changing global climate and increasingly stressed agricultural systems around the world. The integration of plant phenotyping systems into growth chambers, then, stands not only as a key component of plant research, but a contributor to advancing capabilities in addressing global sustainability challenges.

Case Studies

The following are a few examples that illustrate the diverse ways phenotyping systems are being integrated with plant growth chambers and rooms.

WSU Molecular Plant Sciences Facility

One of four phenomics facilities on campus, the Molecular Plant Sciences PhD program at Washington State University features a sophisticated plant phenotyping system that is part of a larger advanced research facility. The high-throughput phenotyping platform is integrated within a plant growth chamber. The system uses robotics and sensor-equipped cameras to facilitate in-depth studies on crop species, with an emphasis on studying genetic traits, disease resistance, and development of new crop varieties.

Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) Plant Phenotyping Facility

BTI's high-throughput plant phenotyping facility is equipped with high-throughput imaging systems and features a custom growth room that can house up to 64 large plants or 1280 smaller plants. The plants move on conveyor belts and pushers with pots equipped with RFID tags for precise tracking and management, allowing for automated watering, fertilizing, and imaging.

Purdue University Phenotyping Facility

The Advanced Agricultural Plant Phenotyping Facility at Purdue University is a state-of-the-art research hub that includes a 256-capacity plant growth chamber with total environmental control. The facility combines high-throughput imaging, precise environmental controls, and advanced data analysis tools to provide comprehensive phenotyping capabilities like precision irrigation and an X-ray root scanner.

The Bellwether Phenotyping Facility

The Bellwether Phenotyping Facility at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center incorporates advanced robotics and automation capabilities including RFID tagging and automated watering, fertilizing and weighing. The phenotyping system is positioned in and adjacent to a large growth room. The growth room incorporates a conveyor system while the area adjacent is equipped with multiple cameras to capture images from various angles to track plant growth, development and responses to environmental stress over time.

In Conclusion

The ability to integrate plant phenotyping systems into growth chambers and rooms represents an important tool for agricultural research—one that saves time, improves research data accuracy, and facilitates greater collaboration and data sharing throughout the plant science community.

By automating and refining the collection of empirical data, phenotyping systems significantly contribute to the development of resilient crop varieties better suited to accomplish our goals of feeding an increasing world population and improving human health in the face of increasing environmental and sustainability challenges.