Crops that can better withstand harsher climatic conditions, have improved pest resistance, and more micronutrients are among a flow of breakthroughs on the horizon, thanks to a new $2 million high-tech greenhouse at Flinders University.
The state-of-the-art facility is a feature of the University’s upgraded science precinct and will be accompanied later in the year by a new biodiversity house.
Flinders’ new Glasshouse will be a catalyst for advances made by the University’s leading plant researchers who are addressing the big issues in local and global food challenges – including malnutrition, land management, drought and rising temperatures.
Clad in plexiglass, a solid transparent plastic that holds up better than glass in harsh weather and is more shatter resistant, the five-bay facility incorporates an external weather station that communicates with controls to automatically adjust its separate internal environments.
“For research, this means highly controlled and consistent growth conditions that will provide a clear indication of how different crop plants will perform under environments that we may see in the future,” says Associate Professor Peter Anderson, who is part of a team at Flinders focused on these agricultural priorities.
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