Phen-Italy

The Italian Plant Phenotyping Network. Facilities to study the interaction between the genotype, the environment, and the management

The Italian Node of EMPHASIS

Phen‑Italy, the Italian Plant Phenotyping Joint Research Unit (JRU), is coordinated by the National Research Council (CNR). It brings together universities, public research organisations, and public–private consortia to form a national network dedicated to advancing plant phenotyping research and infrastructure in Italy.

As the national reference point for EMPHASIS—the European research infrastructure for multi‑scale plant phenotyping included in the ESFRI Roadmap—Phen‑Italy contributes to the development and implementation of advanced phenotyping platforms accessible to the European scientific community. Through this role, it supports research aimed at sustainable agriculture and food security in the context of climate change.

Phen‑Italy’s mission is to strengthen collaboration among research groups working on high‑throughput plant phenotyping, with particular attention to crops of strategic importance for the agri‑food sector. It provides access to the only high‑throughput phenotyping infrastructure currently available in Italy and Southern Europe, as well as to the region’s only dedicated aerial fleet for remote sensing of agroecosystems.

Partners Involved

CNR - The National Research Council

ALSIA - Agency For Development And Innovation In Agriculture

CREA - Council for Agricultural Research and Analysis of Agricultural Economics

UNITUS - Tuscia University

UNIVPM - Marche Polytechnic University

UNIBO - ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - Università di Bologna

UNIBAS - University of Basilicata

SSUP - Sant'Anna - School of Advanced Studies

CIHEAM - Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari

UNIBA - University of Bari Aldo Moro

UNIPD - University of Padova

UNITO - University of Turin

FEM - Edmund Mach Foundation of San Michele all'Adige

UNINA - University of Naples Federico II

UNIVR - University of Verona

AGRIGEOS

UNIFI - University of Florence

Collaborations

MICROBES-4-CLIMATE

Offer researchers from diverse backgrounds convenient access to a range of top-tier Research Infrastructures and their advanced services. This access will empower them to engage in interdisciplinary, curiosity-driven research focused on terrestrial biodiversity and...

AGROSERV

Integrated SERvices supporting a sustainable AGROecological transition AgroServ, funded by the EU under Horizon Europe (2022-27), supports agricultural research and innovation to tackle complex challenges like feeding a growing population sustainably, combating...

Latest Pubblications

Pace et al 2026, Physiologia Plantarum, Machine Learning Approaches to Assess Soil Microbiome Dynamics and Bio-Sustainability

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Gargiulo et al 2025,Horticulture Research, Volatile organic compounds in Solanum lycopersicum leaves and their roles in plant protection

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Montanaro et al 2025, Plant Stress, Are leaf chlorophyll fluorescence and Dark Green stressor-specific fingerprints in grapevine under drought or salt stress? A reanalysis study

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Monatanaro et al 2023,Plant Phenomics, Phenotyping Key Fruit Quality Traits in Olive Using RGB Images and Back Propagation Neural Networks

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Harfouche et al 2023, Trends in Plant Science, A primer on artificial intelligence in plant digital phenomics: embarking on the data to insights journey

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See ALL

Pace et al 2026, Physiologia Plantarum, Machine Learning Approaches to Assess Soil Microbiome Dynamics and Bio-Sustainability

[link]

Gargiulo et al 2025,Horticulture Research, Volatile organic compounds in Solanum lycopersicum leaves and their roles in plant protection

[link]

Montanaro et al 2025, Plant Stress, Are leaf chlorophyll fluorescence and Dark Green stressor-specific fingerprints in grapevine under drought or salt stress? A reanalysis study

[link]

Monatanaro et al 2023,Plant Phenomics, Phenotyping Key Fruit Quality Traits in Olive Using RGB Images and Back Propagation Neural Networks

[link]

Harfouche et al 2023, Trends in Plant Science, A primer on artificial intelligence in plant digital phenomics: embarking on the data to insights journey

[link]

See ALL

State of art of our Services

Plant Phenotyping Services

Our infrastructures provide state-of-the-art plant phenotyping capabilities to efficiently characterize growth, morphology, and physiological traits across species and systems, enabling high-quality, reproducible data for research and breeding programs.

Field-Based Phenotyping

Our infrastructures enable comprehensive field-based phenotyping, allowing precise monitoring of plant performance under natural agricultural conditions to support breeding, stress tolerance assessment, and crop improvement studies.

Controlled-Environment Phenotyping

Our infrastructures offer controlled-environment facilities, including greenhouses and growth chambers, to study plant responses under precisely managed conditions, supporting reproducible experiments and detailed physiological analyses.

Stress and Input Response Assessment

Our infrastructures facilitate the assessment of plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as the testing of fertilizers, biostimulants, and agrochemicals, providing robust data for crop improvement and agro-product validation.

Sensing, Imaging and Data Acquisition

Our infrastructures are equipped with advanced imaging and sensing systems, including UAVs, multispectral cameras, and automated platforms, allowing rapid acquisition of high-resolution phenotypic data for precise analysis.

Data Processing, Analysis and Infrastructure Access

Our infrastructures provide comprehensive support for data processing, trait extraction, statistical analysis, reporting, and user access, ensuring that large datasets are transformed into actionable insights for research and development.

Our Infrastructures

AGRIPHEN – Agrigeos Phenotyping Lab

Hosted by AGRIGEOSAGRIPHEN is the advanced plant phenotyping laboratory of Agrigeos srl, focused on high-precision research in crop physiology, stress responses, and biostimulant performance. At its core, AGRIPHEN is powered by PlantArray, an innovative gravimetric...