Controlled Environment Protocols

Authors: Mockler Lab

Abstract

Automated VIS and NIR imaging in a controlled growth environment

Materials

ProMix BRK20 + 14-14-14 Osmocote pots; pre-filled by Hummert Sorghum seed

Equipment

• Conviron Growth House

• LemnaTec moving field conveyor belt system

• Scanalyzer 3D platform

Procedures

Planting

• Plant directly into phenotyping pots 

Chamber Conditions

Pre-growth (11 days) and Phenotying (11 days)

• 14 hour photoperiod

• 32oC day/22oC night temperature

• 60% relative humidity

• 700 umol/m2/s light

Watering Conditions

• Prior to phenotyping, plants watered daily

• The first night after loading, plants watered 1× by treatment group to 100% field capacity (fc)

• Days 2 – 12, plants watered 2× daily by treatment group (100% or 30% FC) to target weight

Automation

• Left shift lane rotation within each GH, during overnight watering jobs

• VIS (TV and 2 x SV), NIR (TV and 2 x SV) imaging daily

Recipes

• Field capacity = 200% GWC (200 g water/100 g soil), based upon extensive GWC testing done by Skyler Mitchell

• Target weight (fc) = [(water weight at % fc) + [(average weight of carrier/saucer) + (dry soil weight) + (pot weight)]

• Water weight at 100% fc = dry soil weight * (%GWC/100)

• Water weight at 30% fc = water weight at 100% fc * 0.30

References