Facilities at the PEL
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| The Plant Environment Laboratory comprises a unique collection of
controlled environment facilities. The Laboratory is not only one of
the longest standing, but is also one of the largest of its type in Europe.
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| All these plant growing facilities are linked to modern data
logging and control equipment. The Laboratory is supported by an oil
fuelled generator which ensures that all facilities can operate independently of the
national power grid and has not lost a single experiment since 1971 when
investigations on agricultural crops began. |
Growth Cabinets
Twelve Saxcil growth cabinets are housed within a purpose
built air conditioned building. Spectral quality, irradiance,
photoperiod, day and night temperature relative humidity, CO2 concentration
and mineral nutrition are controlled precisely within close
tolerances. One high performance gas tight chamber enabling
the study of effects of atmospheric composition at irradiance values up to
those of full sunlight in the tropics. Many years experience has
provided protocols for the culture of crop plants which in appearance
closely resemble those grown in the field.
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Glasshouses
Four controlled-environment glasshouses each with two
attached dark compartments with separate temperature
controlled-environment glasshouse each with two dark compartments with
separate temperature control provide eight different environments with
automatic control of photoperiod (achieved by automated movement of large
trolleys into and out of the dark compartments), supplementary
illumination (if needed), day temperature and temperature.
Further glasshouse suites, all with controlled heating and
some equipped to operate at cooler than ambient temperatures, are fitted
with control systems to enable temperatures to be kept constant, or to
track outside temperatures. Research with elevated atmospheric CO2
concentrations is possible using actively cooled glasshouse compartments
which can maintain temperatures to ambient conditions whilst controlling
CO2.
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Polytunnels
Two very large plastics houses in which day and night
temperature and day length can be controlled, are used when larger
quantities of crops are grown then can be housed within glasshouse
or growth cabinets. A common use of the plastic houses is to screen
crop germplasm for their response to environment.
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General Purpose Laboratory
A general purpose laboratory, field laboratory and a wide range of modern
instrumentation for physiological studies support the research studies.
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