Exciting News: Introducing the TraitFinder from Phenospex!

We’re excited to share that we’ve added a groundbreaking new tool to our research facilities: the TraitFinder from Phenospex.

This cutting-edge system represents a major leap forward in plant phenotyping. It enables us to measure complex plant traits faster, with greater precision, and at an unprecedented scale. For our research, it’s a true game-changer—accelerating progress in crop improvement, sustainability, and data-driven plant science.

The TraitFinder has now been installed at both the Clima Lab in Tromsø (UiT) and the NMBU Åsbakken greenhouses. This is a major milestone for PheNo, as it allows us to provide advanced services in controlled-environment plant phenotyping.

What makes this equipment remarkable is that it is completely non-destructive to plants. It can scan a 190 cm bench in just 40 seconds using dual PlantEye scanners, capturing both morphological and spectral parameters over time. All data is seamlessly processed and analyzed through HortiControl software, making insights easier to obtain than ever before..

20+ plant parameters:

• Plant Height Max
• Plant Height Average
• Canopy Light Penetration Depth
• 3D Leaf Area
• Projected Leaf Area
• Digital Biomass
• Convex Hull Area 
• Convex Hull Area Coverage 
• Convex Hull Circumference 
• Convex Hull Maximum Width 
• Convex Hull Aspect Ratio
• Voxel Volume Total
• Surface Angle Average 

PlantEye measures the RGB & NIR spectral reflectance of the plant. Each wavelength can be statistically analyzed individually to calculate and quantify:

• HUE average (Color)
• Lightness average
• Saturation average

RGB & NIR Wavelengths are combined into spectral indices.

The most important indices measured are:

• Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)
• Normalized Pigment Chlorophyll ratio index (NPCI)
• Plant Senescence Reflectance Index (PSRI)
• Green Leaf Index (GLI)

Other parameters can be derived from one or more of our physiological plant parameters, like:

• Disease quantification
• Plant healthiness 
• Plant senescence
• Chlorophyll levels 
• N-Content

UiT – Clima Lab in Tromsø

NMBU

We had the pleasure of participating in an in-person training session with Jane Shmushkis from Phenospex. The session generated considerable enthusiasm within the team and highlighted promising opportunities to conduct robust experiments and acquire high-quality data.

Having the TraitFinder in-house opens up exciting new possibilities for collaboration and innovation. We can’t wait to see the insights it will help us uncover!
Stay tuned – there’s much more to come. 🌿🔬

If you are interested in running experiments with this new equipment, please contact our PheNo team in Tromsø or at NMBU. More information is available under Services.