Access to open cultivation fields

Open field areas enable the analysis of horticultural research questions.

These areas support the breeding and development of berry and fruit varieties, diverse cultivation and storage studies with vegetables, berries, and fruits, and research into the characteristics and applications of plants used in green infrastructure.

The service includes access to open field areas for research purposes, as well as machinery, equipment for soil preparation, sowing, planting, irrigation, specialized horticultural production tools, and experimental setups carried out by professional staff.

The service covers preparation of the field and necessary equipment, execution of agreed experiments and observations during the study, sample and data collection, and, if needed, preprocessing in the support laboratory and delivery of results.

A separately reservable mobile plant phenotyping device is also available, which can be adapted for working with plants of various sizes and growth habits. It offers tools for chlorophyll fluorometry, thermal imaging, and RGB imaging. Diagnostics based on chlorophyll fluorescence allow for monitoring plant activity during growth.

Observation of experiments, collection of biological samples, and preprocessing as agreed.

Researchers, research groups, research communities, research networks, research projects, research organizations, companies.

• Physical, remote or hybrid access.
• Minimum reservation duration: one growing season.
• Separate negotiation required if the experiment involves treatments with long-term effects, e.g., on soil or infrastructure usability after the experiment.
• Minimum area: 50 m², maximum area: 0.5 ha or negotiable.

• Importing plant diseases, pests, and GMO plant material into the area is only allowed in accordance with legislation and through separate case-by-case negotiations.
• Importing harmful invasive species is prohibited, and the import of other non-native species must be agreed upon separately.
• Use of chemicals must be negotiated separately.
• Plant health of plant materials brought in from elsewhere must always be verified with plant health certificates.
• Research should primarily be conducted using mechanized methods; smaller-scale setups must be discussed separately.
• Research must not cause long-term harm to the soil or reduce the usability of the infrastructure after the study period. For example, long-term effects of fertilizer trials must be minimized.

• The area required from the field, growth tunnel, or pot experiment area (total surface area in m² and a detailed description of the size or shape of the required area)
• Plant species used in the experiment, row/plant spacing, and preferred soil type
• Description of environmental or cultivation-related requirements
• Details related to plant care, irrigation, and fertilization
• Description of any treatments, observation collection, cold storage needs, or required  monitoring data