Secondary school students explore plant research in Wageningen
- L (Laurens) Tijink
- Press officer
About 100 secondary school students visited Wageningen University & Research (WUR) on Wednesday as part of Fascination of Plants Day. The students attended a lecture on how plants cope with stress. They also visited research facilities and carried out their own research into photosynthesis, guided by scientists from the Jan IngenHousz Institute (JII).
Fascination of Plants Day is an international initiative that highlights the importance of plants for food, biodiversity and quality of life. That is why WUR invited secondary school students on Wednesday to discover for themselves what plant research looks like in practice.
During an introductory lecture, the pupils learned how plants respond to climate stress, caused for example by heat, drought or saline soil. In the future, plants will increasingly face these kinds of extreme conditions. This makes it an important theme in WUR research, with a view to food security and a healthy living environment.
From climate chamber to trial field
The Dutch pupils, from schools in Utrecht, Arnhem and Kesteren, also toured the Netherlands Plant Eco-phenotyping Centre (NPEC). In this facility, researchers carry out advanced research into visible plant traits, such as growth, shape and responses to extreme conditions including heat, draught and heavy rainfall.
In climate chambers, where these extreme conditions are recreated, cameras and sensors monitor plant development minute by minute and in great detail. This allows researchers to reveal subtle differences in growth, shape and stress responses that would often otherwise remain invisible.
In small groups, the students visited NPEC.
Measuring photosynthesis in the field
In a workshop run by the Jan IngenHousz Institute (JII), the pupils used mobile field meters to measure photosynthesis in different plant species themselves. Researchers around the world use these portable sensors to take measurements in the field, under the conditions in which crops grow locally.
JII uses these data to study how photosynthesis in crops can be improved. Better photosynthesis can lead to higher yields without the need for additional agricultural land. This matters for nature conservation and for producing enough food, especially in areas where conditions are often challenging. JII recently launched the openJII platform for this purpose, making field data accessible worldwide for research and application.
Through the visit, the pupils gained insight not only into current plant research, but also into the role of science in questions around food, climate and the living environment.
The school activity was organised in consultation with Wageningen Pre-University, a WUR initiative that supports teachers in making scientific research tangible for Havo and VWO pupils.
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