Modern greenhouse production is a delicate balance between maximizing yield, optimizing resources, and maintaining plant health. While growers have traditionally relied on visual inspections and periodic manual measurements, these approaches are labour-intensive and often miss subtle but critical changes in crop performance.

The PlantEye F600 isn’t just a “fancy camera.”  It is a high-precision 3D laser scanner intended for non-invasive, high-throughput plant phenotyping. Unlike conventional cameras that capture flat 2D images, the F600 creates accurate three-dimensional models of plants while simultaneously collecting spectral reflectance data in the visible and near-infrared range. Adding this ability into research projects provides a huge advantage. With this input, the system can automatically calculate a wide range of plant parameters such as:

• Biomass and growth rate – measured precisely over time without destructive sampling
• Leaf area index and canopy structure – crucial for understanding light interception and photosynthesis potential
• Spectral indices like Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Normalized Pigment Chlorophyll Index, and Plant Senescence Reflectance Index – indicators of chlorophyll content, nitrogen status, and pigment composition, which reveal plant stress before it is visible to the human eye

The DroughtSpotter system complements the F600 by continuously monitoring plant transpiration and water use. It  measures real-time water consumption at the pot level, providing early warnings of water stress and enabling fine-tuned irrigation strategies. This pairing bridges the gap between what the plant looks like and how it is physiologically performing. This information can provide key insights to HESIC researchers into the response of crops to new innovations, media amendments and technologies when performing validation trials.

The data from the F600 and DroughtSpotter is processed through Phena 2.0, Phenospex’s advanced analytics engine. Phena 2.0 integrates 3D morphological data with spectral and environmental readings, turning millions of raw data points into actionable insights. It also offers:

• Time-series analysis to track changes at daily or even hourly intervals
• Custom trait definitions for crop-specific research
• Automated outlier detection to highlight unusual plants or sections in the crop

Phenospex can be used in variety of settings. In research at HESIC, Phenospex cameras help compare how different plant varieties respond to light, nutrients, or temperature. Breeders and biostimulant teams use Phenospex systems to compare varieties or inputs under heat, drought, or salinity – tracking growth curves, recovery rates, and spectral health day by day.

In commercial greenhouses, these systems provide a “live dashboard” of plant health, helping growers decide exactly when to water, feed, or treat plants. For example:

• Early powdery mildew detection – The system can spot subtle changes in how leaves reflect light that signal the start of an infection. This allows growers to act before the white patches appear, stopping the spread and reducing pesticide use.
• Water stress alerts – DroughtSpotter can tell when plants are thirsty before they wilt, helping growers fine-tune irrigation schedules and save water.
• Nutrient balance checks – By tracking plant color changes over time, the system can warn if plants are lacking nitrogen or other key nutrients, prompting early corrective feeding.

Instead of taking leaf samples to a lab every week, the system collects data every day, for every plant in view, building a complete picture of plant development over time. This makes decisions faster, more precise, and based on facts—not just gut feeling.

In short, the PlantEye F600 with DroughtSpotter doesn’t just take pictures of plants — it lets us see into their future. And when you can spot problems early, you can save money, reduce waste, and grow healthier crops.

The addition of the Phenospex PlantEye F600 camera and DroughtSpotter system to the HESIC research greenhouse represents a major step forward for our capabilities, enabling us to provide additional data to partners regarding the performance of their innovation, allowing them to move from observations to precise, data-driven decision-making.

If you would like to learn more information about the Phenospex or other capabilities in our new research greenhouse, visit our website. If you have project ideas or a growth trial to test your innovation, you can also reach out to David DiPietro, Manager, Business Development, at [email protected].