RadiMax – New research project sheds light on plant roots

A new, large facility at the Institute of Plants and Environmental Sciences at the University of Copenhagen allow scientists to use underground cameras to keep track of root development

The aim of the RadiMax-facility is to gain knowledge about the stress levels of plant roots in order to develop durable crops able to withstand the changing global climate.

The four plant research companies behind the RadiMax project is DLF, LFK Vandel, Nordic Seed and Sejet.

- The RadiMax project has been on the top of our wish list for a long time. Drought is one of the greatest challenges for future plant production. There is a global need for plants with higher performance abilities, more durability and abilities to ensure a minimal waste of important nutrients. We hope to develop species that are more drought tolerant, than the species, we have today, says Project Coordinator Christian Sig Jensen, Senior Scientist, DLF.

- One of the reasons we find it interesting to participate in this project, is the fact that we are not able to mobilize a research project of this scale on our own, says the DLF scientist.

The project has a total budget of 21M DKK. The Danish foundations Innovationsfonden and Gottfried-Birkedal Hartmann Family Foundation have funded the research project.