Our scientists have recently obtained new soil humidity meter with TDR (Time Domain Reflectrometry) technology. This technology allows accurate and non-invasive soil humidity detection that is necessary for our experiments within subprogram 3 (Study of insect and fungi dynamics and tree species interaction).
The general aim of subprogram is to evaluate changes in the nutritional quality, the plant secondary compounds (PSCs) as indicators of host tree’s defence mechanisms and the synchronization in the phenology of the involved organisms (host tree, defoliating insects, fungal pathogens) under several varying and combined environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, CO2).