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Title: GUIDELINES FOR MEASURING AND REPORTING ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS IN GROWTH CHAMBERS

Author
item TIBBITTS, THEODORE - UNIV. OF WISCONSIN
item SAGER, JOHN - NASA-KENNEDY SPACE CTR.
item Krizek, Donald

Submitted to: Biotronics
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/25/2000
Publication Date: 12/1/2000
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: None

Technical Abstract: Plant growth chambers are widely used by researchers in academia, industry, and government to investigate a myriad of problems. In order to be able to conduct meaningful studies, it is important that environmental conditions be carefully controlled and monitored. Environmental conditions used in the growth chamber should be reported in sufficient detail to permit investigators to be able to duplicate experiments within the same laboratory at a later date as well as to be able to compare results with those obtained in other laboratories. Guidelines for measuring and reporting environmental parameters in growth chambers were first developed in the early 1970's by the American Society for Horticultural Science Growth Chamber Working Group. Responsibility for updating these guidelines has been taken over by the USDA North Central Regional (NCR-101) Committee on Controlled Environment Technology and Use. In recent years, the guidelines have been accepted by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers Environment of Plant Structures Committee and published as ASAE Engineering Practice 411.3. The present guidelines are an update of previous versions and include a new table outlining the type and accuracy of instruments needed for calibration of environmental sensors, as well as a simplification of guidelines for taking and reporting measurements in the growth chamber. This information should be of assistance to researchers in planning and conducting experiments and in reporting the results obtained.