Fitotron® Plant Growth Rooms at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research

The Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ) in Cologne, Germany is nearing completion of its new greenhouse facility. Part of the project is the installation of two bespoke Fitotron® Plant Growth Rooms which have been designed, manufactured and assembled by Weiss Technik UK. Vernalisation Room One of the rooms is to be used for vernalisation experiments at +5°C. Due to the low performance of fluorescent tubes at low temperatures, Philips Production white LED modules have been used for the four row, four tier shelves providing a uniform and stable light intensity output. Cold Room The smaller room is operating permanently at +3°C and 30%RH. A dryer is used to accommodate the low RH profile. Both rooms reject heat via direct expansion air-cooled chillers located outside the building. The communication with the greenhouse control is via ModBus protocol. Each room has its own controller and touch panel user interface for independent operation. Final tests will be completed by the end of January 2015 concluding with client handover. For further information regarding The Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, please visit: www.mpipz.mpg.de/2169/en

For more information on Fitotron® Plant Growth Rooms at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research talk to Weiss Technik UK Ltd