News

MU has new plant growth facility

The University of Missouri has cut the ribbon on a new $28 million state-of-the-art greenhouse facility on its Columbia campus.

The more than 9,000 square feet of growth chambers will be able to simulate climate conditions from all over the world to study their impacts on crops.

Scott Brown, with the University of Missouri, tells Brownfield the new site is a much-needed improvement.

“A chance to have some new greenhouse space to make sure our plant science researchers can do the cutting-edge research that they need.”

The site contains some of the tallest growth chambers in the world that can accommodate the 12-foot height of corn.

Brown says the research will involve all sorts of crops, “I think it’s going to be across the board. In fact, we’re looking at a number of researchers bidding on the opportunity to have greenhouse space in this new facility so we’ll see how it unfolds moving forward.”

Researchers from several divisions at MU will be able to use the greenhouses for research aimed at finding solutions to things like global hunger and drought.