Compact Systems

PlantScreen TM Compact System is conveyor-based integrated robotic solution for high-precision digital plant phenotyping and plant cultivation of small and mid-size scale plants (e.g. Arabidopsis). The transport of plants is carried out on trays with different lid patterns adapted for single or multiple plants. Digital data are acquired typically from top and side views.

LED light/dark adaptation chamber

Flexible transportation tray format

Precise irrigation schemes

Suitable for phenotyping of small-up to mid-size scale plants

Modular customized solutions

Integrated environmental sensors

Comprehensive software package

PlantScreen TM Compact System PlantScreen TM Compact System is conveyer-based integrated robotic solution designed for digital phenotyping and cultivation of small and mid-size scale plants up to 50 cm in height (Arabidopsis thaliana, strawberries, turfgrass, young soybean, tobacco, corn plants, etc.). The transport of plants is carried out on trays that can be adapted to carry different patterns for single or multiple plants grown in individual pots or in vitro (e.g. multiwell plates) providing flexibility of use with numerous different species, or with a single species throughout its growth cycle. Multi-sensoric digital data are acquired typically from top and side views.

The PlantScreen TM Compact System is designed for the automated plant handling, plant imaging and the precise irrigation scheme at the level of individual plant or group of plants. The configuration is optimized for the controlled environment and greenhouse applications and can be customized in terms of throughput and range of integrated digital sensors according to the research needs.

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The platform may incorporate various modules for digital analysis of plant growth dynamics and physiological performance, an acclimatization chamber that may be used to equilibrate plants under controlled conditions, or for plant cultivation, and a transportation system for automated delivery of plants to the imaging stations. An external transportation system and/or loading station can be implemented to move plants between a cultivation area and compartment with imaging stations. Combined weighing/watering station is implemented for precise irrigation or nutrient delivery schemes. Unique bar-code or RFID identifiers are used for plant identification.

A comprehensive PlantScreen TM Software package, with remote accessibility, is used to control all aspects of the transportation and imaging modules, as well as for data acquisition, image analysis and data base configuration. The system is modular and designed so that additional features may be added as the user´s screening requirements evolve.

Plant Handling and Cultivation Key feature for high-throughput and reproducible plant phenotyping is control of suitable growth conditions, maintenance of precise irrigation regime and adaptation of plants prior physiological phenotyping. Equilibration of plants to user-defined environmental conditions prior phenotyping is critically important when imaging leaf temperature and chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics, since data are dependent on irradiance conditions.

Plant Handling and Cultivation

PlantScreen TM Compact System can be implemented inside of high-capacity growth chambers to allow for program controlled growing conditions, with accurate measurements and regulation of temperature, irradiation cycles and relative humidity. Additional LED lightning solutions can be implemented to improve lighting regime of the plants grown in greenhouse environment. Light and dark adaptation tunnel for plant acclimation prior physiological phenotyping is key feature of our phenotyping platforms.

Adaptation tunnel consists of multichannel LED´s with programmable interface for defining desired light regime and spectral quality. The precise setting of light intensity is programmable in smooth steps, with the maxima of 2000 µmol.m -2 .s -1 .

High-precission irrigation system is integral part of the system for programable delivery of both water and nutrients to the plants throughout growth and/or measurement cycles. Watering and nutrient delivery may be combined with automated weighing of plants in pots so that specific watering regimes may be programmed in software. These regimes may be used to impose drought stress or waterlogging of varying degrees of severity, imposed rapidly or gradually. Schemes for watering to exact volume, relative volume or predefined weight can be pre-defined for single plants or groups of plants.

Furthermore ccomprehensive suite of environmental sensors (humidity, temperature, light intensity, light quality) is available for the PlantScreen TM Phenotyping Systems. The physiological parameters deduced from the measurements acquired by imaging units can be correlated with the environmental parameters acquired from a number of environmental sensors implemented within the phenotyping unit.

Software control Comprehensive software package has been developed for system control, data acquisition, image analysis and data base configuration. User friendly graphical interface is designed to control all hardware system components actions, to control and monitor environmental conditions and to design experiments with an extremely high level of flexibility. High-end industrial PC with touch screen is used for system control. Scheduling assistant with calendar function allows running multiple experiments simultaneously, provides different modes for experiment randomization, for treatment per plant or group of plants with different experimental protocols and plant handling regimes including dark/light adaptation or watering or nutrient delivery schemes.

All acquired imaging, environmental and watering/weighing data are stored in an SQL database, processed and available for inspection and further analysis in range of seconds after recording via user-friendly graphical interface. PlantScreen TM Analyser provides tools for data browsing, grouping, analysis, user-defined reprocessing and export. Multiple clients can be connected to the database, with different privileges assigned based on a built-in authentication mechanism. An SMS and mail notification service is integral part of the complete phenotyping system. 24-hour online support service is key component of the PlantScreen TM phenotyping solution.

Key features of IT solution:

Comprehensive software package for system control, data acquisition, image analysis and data base configuration

Randomization of measurements