Plant Growth Environments with Programmable Relative Humidity and Homogeneous Nutrient Availability

Area of Science:

• Plant Science
• Bioengineering
• Agricultural Technology

Background:

• Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is crucial for plant research and crop production.
• Existing systems often have high costs, complex setups, or limited control over specific parameters.
• There is a need for accessible, customizable growth environments for detailed plant phenotyping.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, characterize, and demonstrate a novel, programmable, sterile plant growth environment.
• To enable precise control over relative humidity and nutrient availability for individual plants.
• To facilitate root and shoot phenotyping under controlled conditions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized off-the-shelf components (e.g., LEGO bricks) for rapid assembly (<5 minutes, <$1 cost).
• Separated root and shoot environments to impose distinct conditions (e.g., humidity, light).
• Developed root systems on a flat surface for continuous nutrient and air contact, compatible with phenotyping.

Main Results:

• Programmable environments maintained stable conditions (15-95% RH, variable nutrients) for at least 14 days with minimal intervention.
• Demonstrated root phenotyping of Brassica rapa under varying relative humidities (55%, 75%, 95%).
• Identified a root system topology phenotype (size distribution of areas encircled by roots) insensitive to humidity changes.

Conclusions:

• The developed system offers a cost-effective, scalable solution for controlled plant growth and phenotyping.
• The system integrates advantages of hydroponics and soil-based cultivation.
• Findings highlight specific root system traits' resilience to environmental fluctuations, advancing plant biology understanding.