Plants are significantly influenced by temperature. Each type of crop has a temperature range in which it thrives optimally, wheat for example between 10 and 25 °C, whereas corn is more heat-tolerant. If the optimum temperature is not maintained, there is a loss of quality and yield. In addition to risks such as plant diseases and harmful organisms as a result of temperature changes, drought, heavy rain, hail and storms are becoming increasingly common, affecting plants and agricultural production. Agriculture must prepare for this.
For this adaptation process, scientists are researching the genetic and physiological processes of corn, barley, wheat, rice, sugar beet, potatoes and tomatoes in order to produce “climate-fit” crop varieties. This requires precise and reproducible growing conditions in climate chambers through the exact regulation of temperature, humidity, air circulation, light intensity and light quality. With the new greenhouses and climate chambers, all of this is now available at the University of Bonn, for example on UV stress or climate change. The new climate chambers make it possible to conduct experiments to see how future conditions are likely to affect plants: an experimental facility for high-class research.
The crops are pre-grown in glass greenhouse cabins and then planted in one of the climate chambers. A sustainable energy concept, consisting of an energy screen and heat recovery, ensures that the waste heat from the climate chambers can be used to heat the greenhouses.
“This climate chamber complex is another important step forward for transdisciplinary research at the entire University of Bonn. I think this is great and would like to thank everyone in the Faculty of Agriculture and in other parts of our university who have made this possible,” declares the Rector of the University of Bonn, Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Michael Hoch.
... to press release of the University of Bonn:
www.kabinett-online.de | 09.08.2024 [DE]
