General First state-of-the-art field lab 'HYDRAS' accelerates development of drought-tolerant crops
First in the world, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO) in Melle, Belgium, has opened a large state-of-the-art field lab that allows scientists to monitor the drought response of the entire plant from leaf to root. More than 8000m² of experimental fields are fitted with 6 mobile rainout shelters, a network of almost 1400 electrodes and drones with advanced sensors. Groundbreaking is not only the large scale of this field lab but also the electrical network that maps soil moisture levels and water uptake by plant roots. ILVO is the first in the world to make this combination of technologies on this scale. It is open access for companies and knowledge institutions and will serve to accelerate the development of drought-tolerant crops in Europe.