PHAIRE

The aim of this system is to monitor soil/vegetation/atmosphere exchanges on mesocosms under controlled conditions, and to cover the continuum for the construction of fine response laws to one or more factors combined under controlled conditions (climatic conditions and atmospheric composition, including the isotopic composition of CO2 or oxygen). It is equipped with various associated analyzers for continuous measurements of gas composition. 

The PhAIRE infrastructure (Projet Équipement Lourd prepared in 2020 by the Eco&Phy cluster in partnership with BIOGER) has been installed since our arrival on the Agro Campus. It is equipped with three large-scale phytotrons for fine control of microclimate (temperature, radiation, humidity), CO2 and nutrient inputs, and for disease and pest monitoring, as well as isotopic marking (by maintaining an overpressure in the chamber), and three internal chambers (mesocosms) made of inert materials (Teflon®) for monitoring exchanges of reactive compounds, isolating the soil and plant compartments, and monitoring root development. The phytotrons can accommodate plant populations over the entire crop cycle, and reproduce up to three environmental conditions combining climate-pollution, disease and bio-aggressors, as well as six growing methods. The chambers are associated with a unique monitoring system for atmospheric pollutants (O3, NH3, PM, VOCs), using analyzers to measure these pollutants and GHGs, as well as the stable isotopes C, N and O relating to CO2, water and nitrogen compounds. These instruments will enable us to monitor the dynamics of exchange processes and study the fate of compounds emitted by plants or soil into the atmosphere (formation of particles, ozone).