CTIC Centro Tecnológico has set up a unique infrastructure based on sensors and IoT (Internet of Things) technologies at its work centre in Peón (CTIC RuralTech) that makes it possible to simultaneously recreate different climates and carry out climate stress experiments with different types of plants and vegetables.
This infrastructure is made up of four sea containers joined together, in which there are three independent simulators. In each of them, a different climate can be programmed, thanks to different equipment and sensors to control temperature, humidity, light, ventilation, irrigation, CO2 concentration, etc.
Climate, plant and soil data, collected by IoT sensors, is sent to a server over a LoRaWAN network where it is stored, managed, processed and visualised.
From these data, conclusions can be drawn on crop adaptation to various climate scenarios.
Collaboration with SERIDA for the study of the Asturian faba bean
One of the experiments currently being carried out in the climate simulator has the collaboration of the Regional Service for Agri-Food Research and Development (SERIDA) and is focused on studying the effect of high temperatures during flowering and pod setting in two varieties of beans: Verdina and Midas.
Both varieties are being subjected to heat stress with temperature cycles above 32°C for periods of time determined in the experiment.
After this period, the plants will continue their development under normal conditions at SERIDA where possible anomalies in the pods and seeds will be studied.
