Italy

The Joint Research Unit (JRU) denominated Italian Plant Phenotyping Network (PHEN-ITALY) was established in 2016. The JRU is coordinated by CNR (the National Research Council of Italy). Eleven universities and research organizations are members of the JRU, which represents the national node of EMPHASIS. These facilities collectively support screening for new phenotypes, evaluating agronomic inputs, and advancing sustainable crop improvement.

Highlights include mapping drought-resistance QTLs in maize and wheat (University Alma Mater Bologna), developing phenotyping pipelines for domestication traits in fruit breeding (Marche Polytechnic University), and early stress detection through image analysis of shoots and roots (University of Basilicata and CNR-Agrobios). The Sant’Anna di Pisa School of Advanced Studies and the Institute for Advanced Studies of Lucca have developed the Phenotiki platform for rosette-shaped plants. Field phenotyping at CREA-CI (Foggia) uses UAV imagery to assess early vigour in wheat, while volatile compound facilities at the Edmund Mach Foundation and CNR Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection enable high-throughput, non-invasive profiling of plant volatomes. The CNR Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems in the Mediterranean operates an X-ray microCT lab to phenotype protein-rich seeds, hemp, and other crops; the CNR Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology undertakes field phenotyping of durum wheat and soybean for resilience traits.

The Metapontum-AgroBios Research Centre serves as a national hub, with advanced greenhouse and imaging systems, spectral sensors, and precision watering to assess traits from nutrient use to root biomass and water stress resistance.

More Community members

Austria

The Austrian Plant Phenotyping Network (APPN), established in 2017, is an Austrian network of biologists, breeders, technology developers, imaging experts, statisticians and bioinformaticians working in the field of plant phenotyping. The APPN aims to…

Belgium

Addressing global challenges such as climate change and population growth requires continuous improvements in crop performance. To achieve this, innovative approaches are essential to identify superior crop varieties and unravel the genetics behind key…

France

Phenome-EMPHASIS offers a versatile, high-throughput infrastructure and a suite of methods for characterising hundreds of genotypes of different species under environmental scenarios of climate changes (e.g. drought, high CO2, high temperatures). The…

Ireland

Agriculture, including the production of food, fodder, and timber, is a cornerstone of the Irish economy. Research efforts focus on enhancing yields for grass, fodder, forest, cereal, and horticultural crops, which are vital to the dairy, meat, timber,…

Israel

More information coming soon.

Netherlands

Plants are absolutely essential to our future, where almost all our food, feed and materials will be derived from plants. Our aim is to enable the development of novel adaptive crops and cropping systems required for future food production and food…

Portugal

Portugal has been active in EMPHASIS since 2016, starting with strong participation in the COST Action “The Quest for Tolerant Varieties – Phenotyping at Plant and Cellular Level.” That involvement helped lay the foundation for national coordination and…

Switzerland

More information coming soon

United Kingdom

Plant phenotyping in the UK spans from root to shoot and from lab-controlled environments to expansive field systems. Infrastructure ranges from the high-throughput, automated glasshouses and drone-enabled phenotyping at the National Plant Phenomics…