The AgraSim (Agricultural Simulator) facility for the comprehensive experimental simulation and analysis of environmental impacts on processes in the soil-plant-atmosphere system

Geoscientific instrumentation, methods and data systems, vol. 14, pp. 353–377

Abstract

Abstract. The AgraSim (Agricultural Simulator) large-scale research infrastructure is an experimental simulator consisting of six mesocosms (each mesocosm consisting of an integrated climate chamber, plant chamber and lysimeter system) for studying the effects of future climate conditions on plant physiological, biogeochemical, hydrological and atmospheric processes in agroecosystems, which was designed and built by the Forschungszentrum Jülich. AgraSim makes it possible to simulate the environmental conditions in the mesocosms in a fully controlled manner under different weather and climate conditions ranging from tropical to boreal climate. Moreover, it provides a unique way of imposing future climate conditions which presently cannot be implemented under real-world conditions. It allows monitoring and controlling states and fluxes of a broad range of processes in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. This information can then be used to give input to process-models, to improve process descriptions and to serve as a platform for the development of a digital twin of the soil-plant-atmosphere system.

Authors 10

1. Joschka Neumann corresponding

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Central Institute of Engineering, Electronics and Analytics – Engineering and Analytics (ZEA-1) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany

2. Nicolas Brüggemann

   University of Bonn · Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Bio- and Geoscience – Agrosphere (IBG-3) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany

   Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conversation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, 53115, Germany

3. Normen Hermes corresponding

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Bio- and Geoscience – Agrosphere (IBG-3) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany

4. Jan Huwer corresponding

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Central Institute of Engineering, Electronics and Analytics – Engineering and Analytics (ZEA-1) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany

5. Werner Lesmeister corresponding

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Central Institute of Engineering, Electronics and Analytics – Engineering and Analytics (ZEA-1) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany

6. Wilhelm August Mertens

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Central Institute of Engineering, Electronics and Analytics – Engineering and Analytics (ZEA-1) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany

7. Thomas Pütz

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Bio- and Geoscience – Agrosphere (IBG-3) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany

8. J. Wolters

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Central Institute of Engineering, Electronics and Analytics – Engineering and Analytics (ZEA-1) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany

9. Harry Vereecken corresponding

   University of Bonn · Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Bio- and Geoscience – Agrosphere (IBG-3) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany

   Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conversation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, 53115, Germany

10. Ghaleb Natour corresponding Aachen

    Forschungszentrum Jülich · RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Central Institute of Engineering, Electronics and Analytics – Engineering and Analytics (ZEA-1) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany

    RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, 52062, Germany