Texas A&M AgriLife Unveils Plans For A Robotic Greenhouse Facility

COLLEGE STATION, TX – Texas A&M University’s Texas A&M AgriLife unveiled plans in May for a multi-million-dollar Automated Precision Phenotyping Greenhouse that will utilize advanced sensor technology to enhance agricultural crops in the areas of crop health, yield, nutrition, temperature, drought stress, and other environmental conditions.

Texas Agrilife Greenhouse

The project, expected for completion by summer 2020, is being led by AgriLife Research and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Both AgriLife Research scientists and faculty will use the facility for experimental trials as well as a teaching platform for undergraduate and graduate students.

Two 2,400-square-foot greenhouses for physicists, biochemists, and engineers will work alongside a 3,813-square-foot headhouse with field scientists working in soil, plant, microbe, insect, and other disciplines.

The facility is funded by the Chancellor’s Research Initiative Award and matched by the Governor’s University Research Initiative Award. Additional robotic equipment is funded by a Research Development Fund Award. The facility has a construction budget estimated at $3.5 million.

Featured

  • Homewood-Flossmoor High School NetZero Addition

    Homewood-Flossmoor High School NetZero Addition

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Homewood-Flossmoor High School NetZero Addition has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • ed tech conference calendar

    Upcoming Awards, Events & Webinars

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Announces Acquisition of JJCA

    Wold Architects & Engineers, based in Minneapolis, Minn., recently announced that it has acquired JJCA, an architecture firm based in Nashville, Tenn., according to a press release. JJCA specializes in healthcare and education design; the partnership allows both firms to expand their presence across the country while building on existing strengths.