Accelerating breeding by computer control

One of the biggest advantages to breeding and research in a growth cell is that this lets you develop new strains and test seeds even faster and more precisely than ever before by studying and applying climate control. Growth conditions can be controlled and monitored meticulously thanks to an advanced software system: the Certhon Phytotron Control System. This remote control-operated software is experienced by customers as very user-friendly. The system also offers other benefits for accelerating the research process:

• Full-scale, computer-controlled control;
• User-friendly and graphic interface (use is experienced as very pleasant);
• Monitoring and/or regulation of the most optimum growth conditions;
• Accuracy thanks to registration;
• New retention of all measurements every 15 seconds;
• Clearly structured database and clear reports of every possible aspect, and which can be set up according to the user’s preferences;
• Back-up of settings, numerous methods of continuously safeguarding data.

Joint solutions

To achieve the best results, a cell or indoor farm can be set up entirely according to the customer’s preferences, and can be adapted entirely to the needs of the crop and the customer’s objectives. Test crops can be grown in the Certhon Innovation Centre (Certhon’s in-company research facility) in order to obtain reference figures and a feeling for a particular variety or seed type. This approach allows us to jointly achieve the best solution for every request.

References

• Rijk Zwaan - Various indoor farms have been built in a Phytothron building on the Rijk Zwaan premises. The climate conditions can be adjusted individually for each indoor farm and monitored according to the type of crop and research activity.
• SESvanderHave - An innovation centre was built to facilitate research into the sugar beet varieties of the future, with a view to accelerating and improving the development of new varieties. Gerhard Steinrücken, R&D Director of SESvanderHave: “The normal development process of sugar beet varieties takes ten years to complete. The conditions we have created in our new innovation centre enable us to improve and accelerate the development process.”.
• Dow Agriculture Sciences - Dow Agriculture Sciences conducts research on pesticides. The company is able to achieve seedling cultivation of a continuous and uniform quality with the cells, after which the young plants are sent to various researchers. Thanks to research in indoor farms, the plants are cleaner, of a uniform quality and can be raised faster than in a traditional greenhouse. Additionally, fewer workers are needed to achieve the same results.