MM) - Friday, Murch 25, 198% - North Shore News Computer al lows roses to control environment AT THE University of Guelph, roses will soon be programming computers. Researchers in horticultural science who listened to plants to determine their need for water now plan to let these plants regulate their own greenhouse environment through an automated computer contro] system. ‘‘Plants are the ultimate environmental sensors,” says horticultural science professor Michael Dixon. They can tell us what their needs are in terms of light, temperature, humidity and soil moisture. In a reversal of that advice to talk to your plants, Dixon several years ago began to listen to his. In that project he developed a new version of the stem psychrometer, an instrument that measures the suction pressure a plant uses to pull water up the stem. Plant stems contain thousands of tiny tubes that transport water from the roots to the leaves. In thirsty plants, Dixon explains, water molecules are pulled up under great tension and sometimes pull away from each other, creating tiny explosions that dam- age the plant’s plumbing system. These explosions, picked up by a sensitive ultrasound microphone, can be converted to a popping sound discernible to the human ear. Using the psychrometer and microphone together, Dixon can determine the level of drought stress the plant’s plumbing system can stand, findings that have signifi icant implications for irriga- tion management of plants such as tomatoes and-potatoes. After listening to thirsty plants for several years, Dixon and Prof. Jim Tsujita have determined that long-term responses in productivity and quality can be defined in terms - of short-term responses like leaf temperature, stomal aperture and transpiration, all associated with water status. ‘ The current project will in- vestigate the effectiveness of a computer-automated: control system that responds to changes in a plant’s water status. One result of this research will be the development of a set of minimums and maximums, reliable parameters that will enable the growers to make better use of sophisticated computer equipment. The greenhouse industry’s rapid adoption of computer technologies has created a management dilem- ma, Dixon. says. While an automated greenhouse can main- tain any environment,. the grower may not know the optimal settings for variables such as temperature, humidity and light intensity. Unfortunately, the development of sensor technologies has lagged behind control hardware and software, he says. Dixon hopes to change that situation by improving sensor technology and ‘evaluating the problems and advantages of computer-automated greenhouse environments. Although the results will be ap- plicable to many greenhouse crops, roses will be the principal research subject. The department of horti- cultural science is already known for its rose research. In 1986 Tsujita was awarded the ‘Flowers Canada Person of the Year: Award for research that enabled Canadian rose growers to increase production by almost 100 per cent.: Research projects at the University of Guelph have includ- ed‘ quality.control and plant nutri- tion, :and -investigations in condi- tioning before and after harvest to prolong the life-of cut roses - the ultimate goal of the rose grower. “The researchers will also in- vestigate the process of photosyn- thesis in roses to help define the parameters of this phenomenon, Tsujita says. Potted rose plants enclosed in plexiglass controlled environment chambers will be monitored for their response to various carbon dioxide and light levels. 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