UGT GmbH installed a mobile roof construction at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) Müncheberg

UGT mobile roof construction at the Test Field at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) Müncheberg. Photo credit: UGT GmbH

Precipitation patterns across Central Europe are expected to change over the 21st century due to climate change. This may reduce water availability during the plant-growing season and hence affect the performance and vitality of ecosystems.

Installation of the UGT mobile roof by our trained UGT staff. Photo credit: UGT GmbH

To shed more light on the effects of drought on maize a roof experiment was designed. The novelty of the roof construction is the automated height adjustability. It growths with the plants. With this design, the roof prevented direct precipitation on the plot, even on windy days. Therefore, the effects of the defined artificial irrigation are not influenced by the natural precipitation patterns.

Customized UGT weather station. Photo credit: UGT GmbH

Customized UGT weather stations were established to measure and record meteorological and soil moisture data. At the experimental site are installations in two depths of soil moisture and soil temperature sensors (SMT-100) for soil moisture assessment.

The construction work. Photo credit: UGT GmbH