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Greenhouses of the Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology (IPMB) belong among historical facilities.
The first greenhouses were built when the former Institute of Botany was established in Taipei, Taiwan,
in August 1962. In December 1991, a new Institute building was constructed and computerized greenhouses
replaced the older greenhouses. Therefore, the present greenhouses have served the IPMB for more than
13 years. Greenhouses have been important to faculty members and colleagues of the Institute for conducting
botanical experiments under relatively controlled environments. Indeed, the greenhouses have served and
continue to serve the needs of the Institute faculty. The exterior and interior of current greenhouses
can be seen in the accompanying photographs (1-5). The greenhouses have been designed for more general
utility and cannot be used for maintaining transgenic plants. A full-time technical staff employee, Mr.
Lin Ming-Yung, oversees their daily maintenance. Three faculty members of the IPMB, appointed by the
Director of IPMB, serve as a greenhouse advisory committee. Currently this committee is comprised by Drs.
Huang Li-Chun, Cheng Wan-Hsing and Peng Ching-I. Dr. Huang is Chair of the committee and is appointed
on an annual basis.
Available Facilities and Operations
Dutch type glass greenhouses
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| Inside looking appeared in one of the green house rooms as bench type. |
The original facility was composed of small glasshouses and shade-cloth houses. Their replacements were
designed and constructed by Dutch engineers. They consist of five large glasshouses, each 13m wide by 39m
long and 3.8m tall, and two smaller glasshouses, each 6.4m wide by 21m long and 3.8m tall. Thus, there
are seven glass houses available to the IPMB faculty. Institute faculties must apply for use of greenhouse
space. Applications are considered every six months, i.e., twice a year. Each space assignment begins on
the first of either January or July. Only small portions of greenhouse space are available for use by other
Institutes.
Control of pests and diseases is contracted out to commercial experts. Temperature and relative humidity
of each greenhouse are computer monitored and regulated, 24 hours daily. Shading and ventilation through
water-padded walls enable temperature lowering of ca. 5, to about or below 30 during hot summers. There
is no heating provided in winter.
Walk-in growth chambers
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| Inside looking appeared in one of the green house rooms as ground type. |
More precise environmental control is possible in commercially obtained walk-in plant growth chambers.
The Institute presently has six walk-in growth chambers. Each is 2.7m wide, 4.1m long and 2m high. These
chambers provide temperature, relative humidity, light intensity and photoperiod (day/night) controls,
comparable to small phytotrons. They currently provide four photoperiod variations as well as day/night
temperatures of 30¢X/25¢X, 25¢X/20¢X, 20¢X/15¢X and 15¢X/15¢X. Pesticides and fungicides are employed as needed
by individual users of the growth chambers.
The main purpose of the greenhouses and growth chambers is to create a more precise, functional and
pleasant environment for scientists to conduct experiments and obtain reliable information. At present,
the IPMB greenhouse facilities mainly serve the faculties of IPMB. They are not of sufficient capacity
for widespread public use.
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| The entrance of computerized glass green house built in December 1991. |
The head house of computerized glass green house |
The whole computerized glass green house feature. |
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