Temperature control for inexpensive experiments

A study conducted by Clemson University has demonstrated that inexpensive and easy-to-use temperature regulators are able to provide reliable set temperatures for detailed observation of development rates in response to different temperature treatments .

Researchers Douglas Bielenberg and Ksenija Gasic have engaged in a methodical review of the practical applications of these temperature control devices on stems, buds and cut seeds.

The results of their study are detailed in the article "Temperature-Controlled Treatments with Standard Low-Cost Trade Equipment for Forcing Bud or Seed Experiments", published in HortScience.

Inexpensive plug-and-play temperature controllers have recently become available. These allow a horizontal freezer to be easily programmed to maintain a desired set point over a biologically relevant temperature range. The installation can be completed in minutes with the help of horizontal freezers for the general public.

Characterization of plant and seed growth regulation as a function of temperature requires controlled exposure of replicated plants (in whole or in part) to multiple temperature environments simultaneously. Experiments with seeds or other small plant segments can be performed on a thermal gradient table, which can generate several temperatures at a time.

However, experiments involving larger parts of the plant, such as cut stems, require temperature control of a larger three-dimensional volume, such as a climatic chamber. Inexpensive access to the number of environmental chambers required for this type of scientific observation is not readily available and can therefore limit the scope of experiments.

However, the new plug-and-play temperature controllers allow you to convert a standard chest freezer into a controlled environment chamber in minutes, without any custom modification.

To test the material, the researchers submitted a set of identical plant and seed types at various precise temperatures, within a set of identical freezers (chambers). They tested the temperature controller of each chamber, recording the internal temperatures every 10 minutes, to ensure the integrity of the equipment and the consistency of its outputs, in order to maintain a precise and controlled environment during a 48 hour period during which the rooms were not open. .

The effectiveness of the chambers on the effects of temperature on developmental rates was badessed using two biobadays: progression of the flower buds to forcefully peach at different temperatures and germination of seeds. sunflower. Both bud burst and germination had a temperature-dependent developmental effect, with each decrease in temperature resulting in a slower development over previous temperatures.

Understanding the minimum development temperature is an important area of ​​knowledge for modeling plant phenology. The relationship between development rate and suboptimal temperatures can be easily used to calculate an estimated baseline temperature for optimal growth.

These new, low-cost temperature regulators will enable horticulturists, agronomists, foresters and educators to design and conduct experiments where multiple temperature-controlled environments are needed without access to specialized facilities or expertise. Ready-to-use, easy-to-use components offer the potential to greatly expand the community of researchers able to integrate temperature physiology into their investigations of plant development and phenology, in particular especially workers outside traditional research institutes.