RAPID ASSESSMENT UNITS FOR CLIMATE RESEARCH
Location
Field Research Centre, UHasselt (Belgium)
THE CHALLENGE
How can we study plant and soil responses to climate change with scientific precision while maintaining realistic environmental conditions? How can we achieve high-precision climate simulation and ecosystem replication while bypassing the long timelines and unpredictability of seasonal field trials.
OUR SOLUTION
To bridge the gap between lab and field-scale experiments, NaturaTech, in partnership with The Dutch Scientist, UGT, and Kelma, installed the latest generation of UGT double-station ecotrons and a Gasmet systems for simultaneous greenhouse gas monitoring to bridge the gap between lab and field. These are high-fidelity, closed-loop simulators equipped with lysimeters that bring an entire ecosystem into the lab.
By precisely mirroring the pedosphere-biosphere-atmosphere continuum, researchers can "dial in" climate scenarios for 2030, 2050, or beyond. This setup can turn complex environmental variables into a controlled, repeatable R&D settings.
OUR WORK IN ACTION
STRATEGIC VALUE
In a world of shifting climates, waiting for a "bad year" to test product resilience is no longer a viable strategy. While these units are deployed to study how complex ecosystems respond to climate change, their economic power lies in providing a high-speed proving ground for industrial Agri-science.
Future-Proofing Crop Resilience
We provide the ability to stress-test products against future conditions today—significantly reducing the "Valley of Death" between R&D and commercial launch. Our systems allow you to monitor the entire developmental journey, from planting seeds and seedling establishment to the final harvest of fruits and vegetables.
Accelerated Breeding & Selection: Evaluate how new crop varieties handle the atmospheric stresses of 2050, today.
Verifiable Bio-Innovation: For developers of bio-stimulants and soil amendments, our units provide the mechanistic data needed to prove efficacy within the soil-plant interface.
ESG Validation: Quantify greenhouse gas mitigation turning your Agri-science R&D into verifiable environmental assets.