A unique £3m facility at the University of Essex will help scientists optimise plant performance and increase their resilience as our climate changes.

The University of Essex has announced a new flagship Smart Technology Experimental Plant Suite (STEPS).

This facility will feature a commercial standard vertical farm unit installed by the Innovation Agritech Group, an indoor field that replicates real-world environments and suites in which CO2 concentration and temperature levels can be raised to imitate a warming planet.

As our planet warms, conditions will get hotter and drier and the risks of flooding will increase, all of which will negatively impact agricultural yields. Using this facility, scientists will build on the university’s extensive research into plant productivity, photosynthetic processes and crop water use to help optimise plant performance and increase their resilience for a changing climate.

Already the European Environment Agency has said that Europe is not prepared for...