Smart Technology Experimental Plant Suite (STEPS Lab)

Unlocking the potential of plant science

Included within STEPS are:

• A commercially standard vertical farm,
• An indoor field that replicates real environments anywhere on the globe,
• Future climate suites that imitate a warming world – with control of CO2 concentration and temperature
• A ‘crop per drop’ irrigation room for future water that will precisely control water supply and monitor crop water use.

STEPS has provided the opportunity to extend the existing expertise and facilities in plant phenotyping with the inclusion of a Planteye 3D scanner capable of high-throughout monitoring of plant growth and physiology.

BBSRC Alert22 funding extended capabilities with the development of Dynamic Plant Phenotyping for future proofing crop productivity (DynSCREEN) which includes a PSI dynamic XYZ robotic plant phenotyping gantry system is housed within the dynamic field, and includes thermal, chlorophyll fluorescence, RGB and hyperspectral cameras, leading the way in UK phenotyping. 

Phenotyping in STEPS

STEPS is home to several state-of-the-art phenotyping capabilities including;

• PlantEye F600 – a multispectral 3D scanner for non-destructive growth measurements and high-throughput scanning of morphological and spectral parameters.
• DynSCREEN – includes a XYZ robotic system for scanning the indoor field for the following: Hyperspectral (400-2500 nm); Thermal imaging; Chlorophyll fluorescence imaging.

This facility supports Essex’s work on ensuring food security through our research in improving plant productivity and the fight against climate change to create crops for tomorrow’s climate today.